The first day of the Class 1-3 state track meet saw area athletes bring home four gold medals.
Mendoza making most of opportunities
Hollister sophomore Sinry Mendoza showed what hard work can do in the Class 3 3200-meter run on Friday.
As a freshman, Mendoza qualified for state in the 400 and 1600. He did not make the final in the 400 and paced 11th in the 1600.
One year later, Mendoza is the Class 3 state champion in the 3200 with a chance to add to his medal haul on Saturday.
Mendoza dueled Southern Boone County’s Brian Burns throughout the 3200-meter race with the duo each being in first or second place for the final 2800 meters.
Down the homestretch, the two were side-by-side with Mendoza holding on for the win by just 0.20 seconds with a time of 9:27.41.
“It was crazy. I can’t thank God enough for what he has done for me. That last 100 meters took every little atom in my body just to finish that race and hold on,” Mendoza said.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
Mendoza helped make the leap from his freshman to sophomore seasons thanks to an enhanced training schedule.
“Not only putting in time during school practice, but putting my time in at home. Just whenever I have any free time (I) go out and run,” Mendoza said.
He will have two more chances at gold on Saturday in the 800 and 1600.
Barton continues Liberal distance tradition
Liberal freshman Ally Barton came into the Class 1 state track meet with zero experience on Missouri’s biggest stage.
But you couldn’t tell by the way she raced the 1600.
“I had my older sisters coach me on how to run called ‘pace ‘em then race ‘em’,” Barton said. “You pace your first few laps and the last one you just go race and dig what you have left.”
Her older sisters, Alexis and Abby have four individual state track championships to their names.
Ally executed her race plan to perfection sitting in third place at the 400 and 800-meter marks before moving up to second after 1200 meters.
In the final lap, Barton put the hammer down with a 1:55.99 final lap, her fastest split of the race, to pull away for a win in a time of 5:22.99.
She added her second gold medal a few hours later by winning the 800-meter run in a time of 2:19.76.
Parrigon’s big kick helps McAuley Catholic beat Hermitage
The Hermitage boys track team has had a strangle-hold on Class 1 team distance hardware over the past three years with three straight team cross country titles and two straight 3200-meter relay championships.
The 3200-meter relay streak was snapped on Friday thanks to a big kick from McAuley Catholic junior Michael Parrigon.
When Parrigon took the baton for his anchor leg, the Warriors sat in third place, five seconds back of the race-leading Hornets.
Parrigon threw down a 1:55.70 anchor leg to bring his team all the way back for the championship in a time of 8:21.66.
“I knew I had it in me, but I didn’t know if I could bust it out in this heat,” Parrigon said. “I said let’s go with 400 left and it paid off.”
Hermitage finished runner-up in a time of 8:22.24.
The Warriors gained some confidence last week at the sectional meet racing the Hornets head-to-head.
“Last week we came up .06 (short) and we (thought) now we know we can beat them. We have raced them since forever,” Parrigon said. “It means a lot beating them and being able to race against them. They are all great guys.”
Area All-State Finishers
1st – McAuley Catholic – 4×800 (8:21.66)
1st – Ally Barton (Liberal) – 1600 (5:22.99)
1st – Ally Barton (Liberal) – 800 (2:19.76)
1st – Sinry Mendoza (Hollister) 3200 (9:27.41)
2nd – Hermitage – 4×800 (8:22.24)
2nd – Jayse Sharif (Stockton) – Discus (46.99)
2nd – Landon Duchscherer (MCE) – 3200 (9:50.44)
3rd – Wyatt Klaiber (El Dorado Springs) – 3200 (9:34.90)
3rd – Maliya Clark (Clever) – Long Jump (5.54)
3rd – Penelope Hansen (Sparta) – Shot Put (11.35)
3rd – Alexis Turner (Appleton City) – Javelin (38.49)
3rd – Kailyn Wake (Mountain Grove) – High Jump (1.64)
3rd – Isabella Renfro (Seneca) – Shot Put (12.35)
3rd – Crystal Smith (Jasper) – Long Jump (5.46)
4th – Calen Faucett (Crane) – 3200 (10:25.54)
4th – Abby Barton (Liberal) – 800 (2:23.58)
4th – Emily Landry (Chadwick) – 1600 (5:31.18)
4th – Alli Johnson (Reeds Spring) – High Jump (1.55)
4th – Appleton City – 4×800 (8:27.77)
4th – Ashlen Garrett (Skyline) – Pole Vault (2.95)
5th – Nolyn Corder (Mansfield) – 3200 (10:05.57)
5th – Olivia Parrigon (McAuley Catholic) – 800 (2:24.35)
5th – Miila Chapman (Greenwood) – High Jump (1.57)
5th – Mallory Shaw (Stoutland) – 1600 (5:33.65)
5th – William Snider (Osceola) – Pole Vault (3.93)
5th – Brooke Daniels (Fair Grove) – Javelin (36.75)
5th – Ben Dingman (Liberal) – Triple Jump (12.54)
5th – El Dorado Springs – 4×800 (8:08.52)
5th – Caleb Quade (Cllege Heights) – Triple Jump (12.89)
6th – Justus Yates (Hermitage) – 3200 (10:30.96)
6th – Faith Clark (Mansfield) – 800 (2:25.19)
6th – Jesse Barry (Strafford) – Triple Jump (13.06)
6th – Carter Hayes (Crane) – Triple Jump (12.53)
6th – Paige Fenske (Pierce City) – Pole Vault (2.80)
6th – Joseph Bjornstead (Crocker) – Pole Vault (3.93)
6th – Kendall Ramsey (McAuley Catholic) – 1600 (5:35.20)
6th – Clara Trent (New Covenant) – 1600 (5:22.95)
6th – Colton Willis (Strafford) – 3200 (9:37.98)
7th – Chase Sorrell (East Newton) – 3200 (9:38.92)
7th – Jaxon Wheeler (Hermitage) – 3200 (10:35.40)
7th – Abigail Diggs (Lamar) – 800 (2:22.03)
7th – Clara Trent (New Covenant) – 1600 (2:25.38)
7th – Shelby Samek (Buffalo) – Javelin (36.65)
7th – Gatlon Malotte (Sarcoxie) – Pole Vault (3.78)
7th – Elaina Swisloski (Cabool) – Shot Put (10.58)
7th – Thomas Jefferson – 4×800 (8:42.70)
7th – Valerie Cowles (Clever) – High Jump (1.50)
7th – Jadyn Barnes (Licking) – Javelin (35.46)
8th – Crystal Smith (Jasper) – High Jump (1.50)
8th – Macie Shifferd (Thomas Jefferson) – 1600 (5:39.45)
8th – Trae Veer (McAuley Catholic) – 3200 (10:35.42)
