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Busy Week for Ava Track; Weather Disrupts Events

Ava hosted the SCA track meet on Monday at Harlan Stadium. Prior to the start of competition, seniors from all participating SCA schools were introduced, including Ava, Houston, Mtn. Grove, Mtn. View-Liberty, Salem and Willow Springs. No seniors were introduced from Cabool or Thayer.

The Ava Bears and Lady Bears attended three meets last week, beginning with Willow Springs on Monday. Many of the junior varsity runners participated in this meet with the varsity runners traveling to Southwest Baptist University for  large and small school separated competitions. There were 52 schools that attended SBU. Then, on Friday, the Bears traveled to Mt. Vernon which is the site of the Class 3 Districts that will be held on May 14.  

At Willow Springs, these athletes placed in the top 5 and received medals: 

Boys 4×800 team of Joe Balassone, Waylin Moon, Tanner Murray, and Josh Gilles got 2nd. Michael Phillips placed first in the high jump with 5’6. Kobi Gasek placed 3rd in the pole vault with 9’0”, Dalton Curtis placed 3rd in the discus and 5th in the shot put. 

Collin Jenkins ran a 12:26 and placed 5th in the 3200. Ethan Gunter placed 2nd with a discus throw of 114’5.” 

For the girls at Willow Springs, Maddie Rainey had a time of 21.6 and placed 5th in the 100-meter hurdles. Shantel Nagel had a time of 59 seconds and placed 4th in the 300 hurdles.  Jacey Swofford threw for 2nd place in the shot put.

On Tuesday, there was a two-hour lightning delay but the Ava teams were able to complete events up to and including the mile run in which Bailey Ray took 7th overall and 2nd in the small school division with a  with a new PR of 5:26.  Caleb Stillings placed 11th overall and 6th in the small school division.  The 4×800 boys got a new PR of 9:13  and placed 7th. 

Then on Friday at Mt. Vernon, bad weather again disrupted the meet after the open 800 and all schools were sent home. Before that the 4×800 girls got 2nd with a time of 11:29.  In the 100 meter dash Hailey Herrell placed 6th, Bailey Ray had a time of 5:38 to take 1st in the 1600, Jordyn Wilson placed 2nd in the discus with a throw of 100’3” and she had 5th in the shot put with 30’10.”  Jacey Swofford set a new personal record in the discus placing 5th with a throw of 93’0.”

For the boys the 4×800 team placed 3rd with a 9:18, Michael Lane had 5th in the 110 hurdles with 18.69 a new best for him. Michael also ran the open 400 in 54.97 and placed 5th. Stephen Copeland took 5th with an 11.90 in the open 100. He also ran open 400 and placed 6th with a time of 55.02. The 4×200 team took 5th also with a time of 1:42.56.  Caleb Stillings ran the 1600 in 4:51 and placed 2nd. He also placed 5th in  the 800 with a time of 2:18.

The 4×100 team placed 3rd in a time of 47.7. Joe Balassone ran the 300-meter hurdles and placed 6th with 46.84. Cody Johnson got a new PR of 43’3.” Connor Moran vaulted for 10’6 in the pole vault and placed 3rd and Blake Litwiller placed 4th with 10’0.” Ethan Gunter had a throw of 117’8” for a new best throw for him in the discus and placed 3rd.