Barker fails to defend state title but knocks off another defending champ

Hannah Barker wasn’t able to defend her state title in the 100-meter hurdles race over the weekend, but she made up for her misfortune by knocking off the defending state champion in the Class 1 high jump.

Battling a hamstring injury since the May 12 sectional competition, Barker was forced to withdraw from Friday’s hurdles preliminary race, in which she was the defending state champion. Later on Friday, she posted a career-best 5’3" leap in the high jump to edge Hardin-Central’s Kala Fields, who also cleared 5’3" with more misses.

Barker also placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (13.20) on Saturday after grabbing the final qualifying spot in Friday’s prelims. In doing so, the Winston High School senior ran her career state medal total to four since her sophomore year.

Gallatin athletes brought home a pair of medals in the 4×800-meter relay events. The Lady Bulldog quartet of Kaddie Mott, Casey Sweatman, Courtney Ray and Ashley Beck finished fourth in 10:23.13, four seconds better than their winning time at sectional.

The Bulldog boys team of Ben Adams, Mitch King, Kevin Chadwick and Kayle Hefley took eighth with a time of 8:42.66 on the Lincoln University track. They entered the race with the sixth best qualifying time, but could not move up the podium despite tying their best time of the season in the final.

Pattonsburg’s Jeff Parton finished ninth in the Class 1 1600-meter race in 4:40.34. Gallatin’s Nic Burrell qualified for state in the shot put but did not compete at state.

The weekend’s Class 1 and 2 state meets turned out to be a highlight reel for Northwest Missouri schools. Polo won the Class 1 boys title for the third straight year, while the Panther girls finished in fourth overall, behind first place Worth County and second place Norborne. Princeton’s boys also finished third in Class 1.

Hamilton’s Class 2 girls won their school’s first track and field title to go with recent successes in cross country.