Cassville senior Ashton Wheeler had two goals for himself coming into this season of track and field: break the school record in long jump and medal at state.
On May 18, he could say he accomplished both.
Wheeler leapt 6.42 meters on his third jump of the preliminary round, besting his first two jumps of 6.29 meters. Hovering around seventh and eighth place with those jumps, Wheeler made it to the finals round and came within .02 meters of his third jump, but stuck with that distance to finish with a spot on the podium, eighth place in Class 3.
Clay Weldy, Cassville boys track coach, said while it may not have been Wheeler’s best day, he got the job done.
“Ashton jumped really well, and it may have not been his best day; but, he had two goals from the start of the season, and he did both of them,” Weldy said. “Ashton’s third jump really solidified him. He was in seventh at one pint after his second jump, and the kid behind him had a good one. He stayed pretty much in the seven or eight spot the whole time.”
Wheeler set the boys long jump record for Cassville on April 16 at the Cassville Relays with a jump of 6.71 meters. He topped that with a 6.72 the following week at the Big 8 Conference Meet.
That distance would have moved Wheeler to sixth place at state. The winner, Bowling Green’s Bleyne Bryant, jumped 7.05 meters to take the gold, which would have also won him first place in Class 4, as that gold medalist jumped 6.96 meters. Wheeler’s 6.42 in Class 4 would have left him 12th and out of the medals.
“It was a tough field, and I’m proud of Ashton for getting on the podium,” Weldy said. “He had a good senior year and I’m proud of him for reaching both of his big goals.”
In results for the girls, Cassville sophomore Aaliyah Franklin took 11th in discus, fouling on her first throw but improving over the next two with distances of 30.95 meters and 31.79 meters. The winner, Kamari Brown, of Incarnate Word, threw 42.22 meters.
In shot put, Franklin took 14th place, throwing three times for distances of 8.79 meters, 10.28 meters (a personal record) and 9.70 meters. The winner, Palmyra’s Candra King, threw for 12.67 meters on her third attempt after two fouls, taking the gold with that toss.
“Aaliyah had a great day throwing shot on Friday,” said Erin Flehmer, Cassville girls track coach. “She finished ahead of where she was ranked, and she was happy to be in shot because she just missed the cut her freshman year. She has a goal next year of setting the school record. I think she’s only about a couple meters off.
“In discus, she came out rough but finished strong and barely missed the finals. She was 11th this year after being 16th last year, and next year, she wants to be on the podium in at least one event.”
Cassville junior Jadyn Williams also competed at state, finishing 14th in the 400-meter dash in 1:03.03. Notre Dame’s Emerson Shelton won the event, finishing in 57.89 in the prelim and 57.96 in the finals.
“Jadyn was very excited to qualify as an individual,” Flehmer said. “Unfortunately, her injury flared up when she went to warm up. But, she was very happy to make it on her own and excited to be there next year. She wants to get back to state and make the finals in the 400.”
