Cassville runners chasing, breaking school’s times

By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Cassville seniors Jolie Evans and Caleb Leach are go-getters.

The duo have combined to break three school records this season, and two were in events they do not normally run — but they wanted the records.

Evans is the owner of two school records. She set the 1600-meter record at East Newton with a time of 5:27.09, breaking Jordyn Stafford’s 5:29 set in 2019, and on Tuesday, in front of home fans on senior night, she topped Holly Gureski’s 2001 time of 2:26.3 to set the 800-meter record at 2:25.

Leach knocked out a 35-year record in Aurora, running the 3200-meter in 10:04.69, more than 15 seconds faster than Shane Paul’s 1987 time of 10:20.5.

“It was pretty crazy knowing the people I look at on the [record] board have set the bar pretty high,” he said. “It will be cool to be up there. That record was also standing for 35 years, so that’s crazy. It just shows that hard work can actually pay off.”

Leach’s success came with aid from a competitor fans know all too well — a Monett Cub.

“I was dead,” Leach said. “I don’t normally run that race, so I didn’t know how to run it exactly. Going harder for longer is hard. [Monett’s] Julio [Cruz] paced me because he was used to running that time. I definitely would not have gotten that record if he wasn’t there. It really helped me mentally to have him in front of me and to keep going.

“I was aiming for that record, but I didn’t know if I could do it. I thought I’d try, and Aurora would be a good night. But, a few days prior, I was mad at Coach [Erin] Flehmer for putting me in it because I really didn’t want to — but I’m glad I did.”

Leach and Cruz compete year-round, with the Cub mostly getting the better of the Wildcat in cross country and track.

“It’s pretty cool to have someone like that,” Leach said. “It’s always good to have someone better than you to compete against. And, we are going to the same college next year, so we will go from rivals to teammates.”

Evans, who has run the 800-meter since her freshman year, said she has had her eye on the record for just as long. The 1600-meter, on the other hand, came as a surprise.

“I was looking at my times in the 800 and compared it to the time on the record board for the 160-0, and I thought that was a very achievable goal,” she said. “At East Newton, I knew my times and where I needed to be, but that race was more about getting close to the record, rather than breaking it. That just happened.”

Evans ran the mile in middle school, but in her high school track career, it was only the second time she had participated in the event.

“It was surreal to set the record,” she said. “I felt like, ‘Honestly, is that time right?’ because I just didn’t expect that to happen.”

With the 1600-meter record locked up, Evans turned her attention to the 800-meter and the Cassville Relays.

“Breaking the 800 record was really cool because I have been eyeing that one since my freshman year, so to do it on senior night and at home was really special,” she said.

Evans’ times have been steadily dropping throughout her career, and she said the key to success on the track is even more mental that physical.

“More than anything, it’s about what you tell yourself you can do,” she said. “You can do all the work, but if you have a bad mindset, it won’t happen. You have to hype yourself up before and during the race.”

Even three new records set, Evans and Leach remain unsatisfied.

“I ran the two-mile for the first time in Aurora, and I was only 30 second off that record,” Evans said. “I will run it again Tuesday at Southern Baptist University, and hopefully the competition there will help push me more.”

“I think I can get the record in the mile {1600-meter),” Leach said. “I’m 3 seconds off, and I haven’t had much competition pushing me yet, so I want to do that at SBU, too.

Looking ahead, Evans and Leach have set lofty postseason goals, and both bring recent state-level experience from cross country season. At the Class 3 MSHSAA State XC Championships in November 2022, Leach finished in 12th place with a time of 16:56.90, and Evans took 19th in 20:14.30.

“Coach is putting me in the 4×800 relay, 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter,” Evans said. “I’ll just have to see how many I can move up to the next race and on to state.”

Though she runs multiple events in each meet, Evans said she usually focuses in more on one, a luxury she won’t have at districts.

“I usually focus on one event more than the others, but at districts, I will have to give my all in all events,” she said. “If I keep my legs warm, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

Leach said in his mind, the ultimate prize is a state relay medal.

“I want to get a team medal in the 4×800 or 4×400,” he said. “At state, medaling as a team means more to me than medaling individually, but getting one in the mile would be like a cherry on top.”

Both runners have committed to colleges, with Evans signed to Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., and Leach set to go to the University of Missouri in St. Louis.

Cassville participated in the SBU High School invite on Tuesday and will run next in Monett at the Big 8 Championships on May 2. The Class 3, District 6 Meet is on May 13, and the Class 3, Sectional 3 Meet is on May 20. The State Meet is May 26-27 at Jefferson City High School.