District runner-up S-C advances 11

The Smith-Cotton boys track and field team may have made history on Monday in Springfield.

The Tigers placed second in the Class 4, District 6, meet at JFK Stadium.

S-C coach Brad Hagedorn said he knows the team hasn’t won a plaque —awarded to the top two teams — since 1990. He said no district boys track and field plaques are in the school’s trophy case.

The Tigers finished with 90 points Monday, second to Ozark’s 111.

S-C will send seven athletes in 11 events to the sectional meet Saturday in Camdenton.

The top four finishers in each event advanced.

Blake Price recorded the Tigers’ best individual finish, placing second in the discus.

Sharaden Staten placed third in the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches) and the 110 hurdles.

Andrew Byrd placed third in the 400. Ethan Warren was third in the long jump.

Brandon Katzing placed fourth in the 400. Brett Katzing took fourth in the high jump (6-2).

Shawn Tompkins finished fourth in the 110 hurdles.

Three S-C relay teams advanced to the sectionals even without standout Solomon Watkins.

“Solomon got hurt in the 100, and we had to scratch him from two relays and the 200,” coach Brad Hagedorn said. “We shuffled the kids  around. ... The kids did what they’ve done all year. They stepped up and got the job done.”

Byrd, Tompkins, Brett Katzing and Brandon Katzing took second in the 400 relay.

Byrd, Brett Katzing, Warren and Brandon Katzing placed second in the 1600 relay in a season-record 3 minutes, 28.89 seconds. They beat the old mark by about four seconds.

Byrd, Tompkins, Warren and Staten placed fourth in the 800 relay.

While they didn’t qualify for state, Darren Heaton and Jose Ojeda earned the Tigers some important points, according to Hagedorn.

Heaton placed fifth in the 800. Ojeda took sixth in the 1600 and seventh in the 3200.

Not all times and distances were available at press time.