Area athletes wrap up season

One of the best things about the Missouri State track and field tournament is that, with so many things going on at once, everybody can get their share of the glory.
Last weekend, plenty of Panthers, Tigers, Mustangs and a plethora of other members of the animal kingdom were lucky enough to do just that.
On the team level, the Marion County Lady Mustangs climbed highest on the podium. The Philadelphia girls put together a combined 34 team points and tied for the third place trophy with Rock Port High School.
Much of that success had to do with the team’s championship-caliber performance on Friday. The team picked up two state. The combined efforts of the Lady Mustangs’ 4x800-meter relay team, which consisted of Kayla Bridgman, Jesse Mitchell, Randi Lee Plunkett and Morgan Spratt, and the individual effort of Jessica Redd in the high jump catapulted the team into the top spot for the entire first day. Spratt’s seventh-place finish in the 3,200-meter run (13:01.16) also helped widen Friday’s margin. Before all was said and done, Southwest High School and Mound City High School would surpass the Lady The Lady Mustangs were not the only ones to stand atop the podium. Mark Twain’s Jon Hughes also earned that honor after logging a time of 1:56.44 in the 800-meter run.
The Mark Twain girls’ 4x800-meter relay team of Deidra Jarman, Samantha Brolaski, Taylor Stuart and Allisa Keil took third place in state with a mark of 9:59.74. Stuart also took eighth place in the 300-meter hurdles.
For Monroe City, perennial champion added another top finish to her decorated record. Shelby Franklin took first place in the pole vault, an event that she set the State record at 12-feet during her freshman year. This year, the junior was a foot short of that mark but still took home the title. Senior Acacia Hays and freshman Dahrea Hays took fourth and sixth place, respectively, in the event as well for the Lady Panthers. Christian Berry was just three inches off of a State title with his mark of 13-feet-9-inches. Mike Grindle also placed for the Panthers, taking eighth with a height of 12-feet-6-inches.
For the girls from Palmyra, Danielle Boulware took sixth place in the long jump with a mark of 16-feet-2.75-inches.
For the boys, Brandon Leffler was the top finisher, taking third in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:59.36