SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Girard Warriors Track Club participated in the Region 16 AAU National Qualifier in Springfield, Missouri on June 26-29.
Region 16 is comprised of teams from Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and the west half of Missouri. If an individual places in the top five of their event at the meet, they qualify for the Junior Olympics in Houston in late July through early August.
The Warriors were represented well with 39 individuals competing in the meet and 26 of them qualifying to compete in the national meet.
The Girard Warriors had four individuals qualify in four events.
Leading the way for the Warriors was Kyndal Bugni (Pittsburg) and Norah Gilmore (St. Mary’s-Colgan) each coming home with three first place finishes and one second.
Bugni won the high jump (5’00”), long jump (17’02”), and the triple jump (33’06”).
Gilmore won the 3,000m in 11:12.77 and the 1,500m in 5:01.76.
Gilmore was also a part of the 13-14 year old team that won the 4x800m relay in a very good time of 10:21.93. She finished second in the 800m with a time of 2:28.30.
Two other Warriors qualified in four events. Emerson Albright (Frontenac) placed third in the 14 year old 1500m (5:27.43) and fifth in the 800m (2:30.23). She was also part of both the 4x400m and 4x800m relays.
Olivia Brown (St. Mary’s-Colgan) finished first in the 13 year old Pentathlon (2,627 pts), first in the high jump (4’10”), second in the 100 hurdles (17.32) and third in the long jump (15’10”).
Mari Gilmore (St. Mary’s-Colgan) finished the regional meet qualifying in the three events in the 15-16 year old group. She placed second in the 3000m (11:11.66) and the 1500m (5:10.77). She ran a very good 800m (2:24.33) to place 3rd.
Isac Ortega (St. Mary’s-Colgan) also qualified in those three events in the 14 year old boys. He placed second in both the 3,000m (10:24.44) and the 1,500m (4:42.19) and third in the 800m (2:11.55).
Reece Franklin (Frontenac) won the 15-16 year old girls high jump with a clearance of 5’8” on her first attempt. She also placed fifth in both the long jump (16’06”) and triple jump (35’05).
Those qualifying in two events were 13 year olds: Becca Anthony (St. Mary’s-Colgan) in the 400m (1:02.09), placing second as well as being a part of the 4x400m relay.
Quinn Clevenger (Girard) placed second in the 13 year old pole vault (6’06”) and fourth in the triple jump (28’05”).
Presley Crotts (Baxter Springs) placed third in the 800m (2:32.49) and was a part of the 4x800m relay team. Eva Onelio (Girard) was also a part of both the 4x400m and 4x800m relays.
Ethan Merrick (Frontenac) and Jace Gaither (Columbus) both qualified in the shot and discus. Merrick placed third in the 17-18 year old discus (155’11”) and fourth in the shot (49’05”). Gaither placed third in both the 15-16 year old discus (137’10”) and shot put (46’10”). Girard High School’s William Bishop placed first in the 15-16 shot (54’06”) and fiftth in discus (124’10”) to qualify in both events.
Others who qualified in one event were Theo Evans (Pittsburg) who placed first in the 8U long jump (12’02”) — Theo is the grandson of the late Greg Evans, a long-time Girard businessman who held the GHS long jump record for over 50 years.
Reese Clevenger (Girard) took first in 17-18 racewalk, Gabbi Tholen (Marmonton Valley) first in 12 year old racewalk, Jasmine Bratton (Osawatamie) second in 1718 high jump (5’00”), Blaze Bowman (Columbus) third in 14 year old 100 hurdles (16.23), Seth Lawson (Pittsburg) third in 14 year old pole vault (8’00”), Easton Colborn (Chanute) third in 17-18 year old high jump (6’02), Juliette Gilmore (St. Mary’s-Colgan) third in the 8U 1,500m (7:24.58), Dayton Hughes (Columbus) fourth in the 12 year old high jump (4’02”), Cecilia Brown (St. Mary’s-Colgan) fourth in 9U high jump (2’10”), Hollis Shay (Frontenac) fifth in 13 year old 100 hurdles (17.24), Grant Reissig (Erie) fifth in 17-18 year old javelin (125’04”), Tanner Scott (Columbus) fifth in 14 year old pole vault (7’00”).
