Skyline is apparently still on a mission, even after winning last year’s Class 2 state championship.
The Tigers racked up a meet-high 93 points, rolling to the team crown in Tuesday’s Strafford Invitational. Mid-Lakes rival Ash Grove won the girls side, while Fair Grove boys and girls both finished as the meet’s runner-up.
PHOTOS: STRAFFORD INVITATIONAL – CLICK HERE
Skyline won five events, led by senior Tyler Swearingin taking first in the 100M (11.36), 200M (22.77) and anchoring Skyline’s 4x100M (44.34) and 4x200M (1:31.49).
The Tigers also won a 4x400M showdown with Mountain Grove, edging the Panthers by less than a second.
It was Skyline’s talented senior class again leading the way, with Madison Davis finishing as the runner-up in the 400M and 200M, while also running the 4x200M and 4x400M. Dylan Mountain ran the 4x100M and 4x200M, while also finishing second in the 110M hurdles and third in the 300M hurdles.
Junior Shawn Bryan finished fourth in the triple jump.
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Lady Pirates continue to show balance
Ash Grove didn’t win a ton of individual events on Tuesday, but the program’s depth, especially in the sprints and relays, continues to be astounding.
The Lady Pirates racked up 87 points to win the Strafford Invitational, despite winning just two individual events.
Sprinters Mallory Keith, Alexa Owens, Morgan Allred, Kayla Keene and Ashley Rolewicz scored in about every way possible.
Keene finished second in the 100M and third in the 200M, Rolewicz and Keith took second and third in the 400M. The 4x100M and 4x200M both finished second to MV-BT/Liberty, but rebounded to win the 4x400M (4:24.38); that mark is the group’s new season-high.
Junior Sydnee Cashio won the discus (92’5”) and finished second in the shot put (35’5”).
Star is born for Fair Grove
You may not know the name Isaac Mauldin, but that will change in the coming months.
Just a sophomore, Mauldin put the Ozarks on notice with a monster day on Tuesday, upsetting defending state champ Madison Davis in the 400M (49.66), winning the long jump (19’9”), running the opening leg for Fair Grove’s runner-up 4x200M relay and finishing third in the 200M (22.97).
The 400M time was not only a PR for Mauldin, but the second fastest time in the Ozarks so far this season.
Senior Kyle Cavanaugh also had a big day, winning the triple jump (43’1.5”), finishing second in long jump (19’9) and placing fourth in the 100M.
Fair Grove was the only team to finish within 35 points of Skyline.
Vanatter still better than everyone else
That headline sounds terrible, but it’s true.
Just one year after sweeping the 100M, 200M and 400M Class 1 titles, Dora junior Ashlynn Vanatter continues to be the one every small-school sprinter is chasing.
Vanatter also swept the sprint on Tuesday, winning the 100M (13.18), 200M (26.61) and the 400M (61.31). She scored 30 of the Lady Falcons 41 points, helping Dora finish seventh as a team.
Hollister’s Franklin breaks own school-record
Cody Franklin will go down as the greatest pole vaulter in program history and on Tuesday he just added to his legacy.
The defending Class 3 state champion exploded for a 15’4” vault, setting a new PR and breaking his own school record to take first.
Franklin remains the best vaulter in the Ozarks and the only local athlete to exceed 15’ so far this season, most of which has been done without the junior having access to a pit at home due to construction at Hollister.
Quinn sweeps distance events
Daylan Quinn has done everything possible in his track career with the exception of winning the 800M, 1600M and 3200M state championships in the same year. On Tuesday he took another step towards the rare feat, winning both the 1600M and 3200M at Strafford.
Quinn owns the top marks in the Ozarks in the 800M and 1600M, while his 9:49 3200M on Tuesday is now the fourth fastest in the area.
Eden, Snyder split hurdles
This was one of the more intriguing showdowns on Tuesday.
Seniors Logan Eden (Strafford) and Rachel Snyder (School of the Ozarks) are no stranger to each other or success; each has spent the last three years in Jefferson City and earned multiple all-state medals.
On Tuesday they had two epic battles, with Eden edging Snyder in the 100M hurdles (17.10 to 17.16), only to Snyder grab some revenge in the 300M hurdles (48.58 to 48.60).
