Bulldog athletes loaded up on medals over the weekend
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Gallatin’s 2001 varsity track season began in March with a lot of new athletes competing around the oval. It ended Saturday with a lot of first-time faces on the awards stand at the MSHSAA Championships held in Jefferson City.
Bulldog athletes loaded up on medals over the weekend after participating in the 1A state meet at Lincoln University. The Lady Bulldogs came away with hardware in 4 events while the Bulldog boys brought home medals in 6 events. With 14 points, Gallatin’s girls tied for 15th in the team competition, won for the 2nd straight year by Worth County. The GHS boys totaled 28 points, good enough for a 9th place tie along with Tri-County. College Heights Christian Academy (Joplin) won the 1A boys title with 44 points.
GHS teams came up big medal winners in the relay events. Both 4×800-meter relay teams placed. Both 4×400-meter relay squads medaled. The Bulldog boys also excelled in the 4×200-meter relay event.
The Lady Bulldog 4×800-meter relay team of Rochelle Davitt, Roxi Davitt, Kayli Burrell and Kamille Burrell raced to a 3rd place finish in 10:15.83 on Friday. The girls 4×400-meter relay team of Burrell, Burrell, Lindsey Love and Katie Ward placed 6th in 4:27.5.
The boys 4×800-meter relay team of Zac Osgood, Colby Swanstone, Austin Story and Brian Youtsey finished 8th on Saturday with a time of 8:36.81. The 4×200-meter relay team of Osgood, Robert Heldenbrand, Nathan Henderson and Randy Eaton placed 3rd in 1:35.44 and set a new GHS mark. The quartet of Heldenbrand, Youtsey, Henderson and Eaton set a GHS record in the 4×400-meter relay event when they finished 2nd in 3:32.06.
An individual girls medal fell to Kayli Burrell, who finished 8th in the 400-meter dash (1:04). Randy Eaton also grabbed a medal in the 400-meter dash with a 7th place finish (53.11). Justin Kerns threw the discus 123’3″ and took to the award’s podium to receive an 8th place medal. Heldenbrand grabbed 5th in both the shot put (45’7″) and high jump (5’10”) events. Rochelle Davitt placed 7th in the 3200-meter run (12:38.58).
Saturday turned out to be the best day ever for GHS pole vaulters. Henderson won a 7th place medal with a vault of 11′. Freshman Tyler Nichols did not medal but placed 10th with a personal-best 10′ vault. Freshmen Katie Ward and Cori Nichols captured the first ever state pole vault medals for the Lady Bulldogs. The two first-year vaulters tied for 7th and in doing so established the GHS girls record in that event at 7’6″.
Non-medal performances include Kayli Burrell’s 10th place finish in the 800-meter run, Roxi Davitt’s 10th place finish in the 1600- meter run and 12th place finish in the 3200-meter run, Rochelle Davitt’s 13th place finish in the 1600-meter run, Austin Story’s 13th place finish in the 1600-meter run and Osgood’s 12th place finish in the 800-meter run.
Freshman Keira Story finished 6th in her 100-meter hurdles preliminary heat. She took 5th in her 300-meter hurdles heat on Friday. The girls 4×200-meter relay team also did not qualify for Saturday’s final.