Boys, girls teams runners-up; 11 individual firsts

BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Apair of second-place team finishes were awarded to Cassville’s boys and girls track and field teams at the Cassville Relays on April 22, and the teams combined for 11 individual first-place finishes.

Leading the way for the boys with firsts were: Kyle Bailey in the 100-meter dash; Trever Garnett in the 1600-meter run; Preston Driskill in the 3200-meter run; Nic Fieroo in the discus; Corbin Rhoads in the pole vault; and Bailey, Mace Bredeson, Kamden Beebe and Tyler Rattigan in the 4×100 relay.

On the girls’ side, Aaluyah Franklin continued her meet-by-meet dominance in the shot put and discus with a pair of firsts; Claire Reuter won the 400-meter dash; and two relays took first, Reuter, Brynn Whittenburg, Angela Byerly and Sammi Stockton in the 4×800 relay, and Whittenburg, Makaiden Bolles, Evelyn Elliott and Brylee Gross in the 4×100 relay.

Erin Flehmer, Cassville girls track and field coach, said she was delighted with the Lady Wildcats’ home showing.

“We performed really good for it being as small of a meet as it was [with just six teams],” she said. “The girls really stepped up. Events were moving fast, so we didn’t have a lot of rest time in between, and they ran hard.”

Flehmer said the results were encouraging as the postseason approaches, and she hopes to get multiple Lady Wildcats on to sectionals and state.

“Aaliyah is first in the district in discus and shot, and I’d like to see our 4×100 team make it out,” she said. “Evelyn and Briley also have a good shot in the open 100.”

At sectionals, Flehmer said the relay team would have to have a stellar performance to make state, and Elliott and Gross are in the qualification bubble. Flehmer said Franklin, a senior who broke the school record in discus twice last week, is angling for her first state podium placement. Franklin threw 113 feet and 3 inches at Clever, then 117 feet and 7 inches at East Newton, replacing former record-holder Riley Morris’ mark of 111 feet and 3 inches set in 2023.

“Through April, we are training through our meets,” Flehmer said. “We are honing in on our training to get faster. I’m proud of how hard the team has worked this season, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we do in the Big 8 Conference Meet (Thursday in McDonald County), with just nine schools in the conference now.”

Clay Weldy, Cassville boys track and field coach, said he was also satisfied with his team’s performance at home. “We usually have double the schools there, but SBU moved their meet on top of our date this year, so some schools went to that one, which I don’t blame them,” Weldy said. “But, we scored points in every event we competed in, so we performed well. It’s always good to have a day like that at your home meet and your own track, and we hope having a good meet like that late in the year will help us perform well and have some [personal records] at Conference Thursday.”

Looking to districts at Lamar on May 10, Weldy said the Wildcats have numerous opportunities to extend their seasons, especially if senior Jacob Walker manages to get healthy.

“He’s been fighting a hamstring all year and was running really well his junior year,” Weldy said. “If we can get him back, it will completely change our 100 relay. Other kids are running well, and we’re doing well in pole vault, and Nic is throwing the discus pretty well.

“Districts is a one-day meet — some kids show up and some kids don’t.”

Weldy said Rhoads’ progression on the pole vault puts him in line for a solid chance at state qualification, and multiple other Wildcats have shots, as well.

“Kyle is running well, and guys like Trever, Preston and Jameson all have the possibility of going,” he said.

Sectional action is May 17 at Mountain Grove, and state is May

23-24 in Jefferson City.

Boys individual results at the Cassville Relays include:

1st place

100m: Kyle Bailey, 11.55

1600m: Trever Garnett, 4:58.76

3200m: Preston Driskill, 10:56.78

Discus: Nic Fierro, 39.46m

Pole Vault: Corbin Rhoads, 3.81m

Javelin: Ricky Norris, 39.92m

4×100 Relay: Kyle Bailey, Mace Bredeson, Kamden Beebe, Tyler Rattigan, 46.79

2nd place

200m: Kamden Beebe, 24.06

Shot Put: Ricky Norris, 10.95m

Javelin: Jesse James, 38.48m

4×200 Relay: Kyle Bailey, Mace Bredeson, Kamden Beebe, Tyler Rattigan, 1:39.46

3rd place

100m: Mace Bredeson, 12.12

1600m: Jacob Hudson, 5:08.55

800m: Preston Driskill, 2:21.48

200m: Mace Bredeson, 24.19

4×400 Relay: Trever Garnett, Brextin Sprague, Jarrett Paul, Noah Driskill, 4:04.53

4th place

1600m: Jameson Barnes, 5:09.35

Long Jump: Kyle Bailey, 5.60m

High Jump: Zayne Uzlik,  1.66m

5th place

High Jump: Jesse James, 1.59m

Discus: Brylar Beranek, 27.63m

Pole Vault: Logan Parsons, 3.20m

6th place

400m: Noah Driskill, 1:01.69

300m: Hurdles Tyler Rattigan, 50.84

800m: Jarrett Paul, 2:36.91

Triple Jump: Brextin Sprague, 10.40m

Girls individual results at the Cassville Relays include:

1st place

4×800 relay: Claire Reuter, Brynn Whittenburg, Angela Byerly, Sammi Stockton, 12:42

4×100 relay: Brynn Whittenburg, Makaiden Bolles, Evelyn Elliott, Brylee Gross, 53.36

400m: Claire Reuter, 1:09

Shot put/Discus: Aaliyah Franklin, 11.58m/30.58m

2nd place

4×200 relay: Brynn Whittenburg, Makaiden Bolles, Evelyn Elliott, Brylee Gross, 1:55

100m: Evelyn Elliott, 13.34

400m: Angela Byerly, 1:10

4×400 relay: Claire Reuter, Angela Byerly, Makaiden Bolles, Evelyn Elliott, 5:02

Shot Put: Shelby Knoefler, 10.21m

Discus: Aleigha Bryan, 25.68m

Javelin: Lauren Sparkman, 29.69m

3rd place

100m: Brylee Gross, 13.56

Javelin: Bri Still, 25.5m

4th place

Discus: Hadley Moore, 23.85m

5th place

Long Jump: Abbi Yarnall, 4.14m

High Jump: Kenzie Wall, 1.32m

6th place

200m: Kyla Bowling, 31.33