By Brad Ziegler
Long after the graduation parties are over and the last days of school are celebrated, many area high school spring sports teams continued to practice and to compete, as they prepared for the ultimate prize: a strong finish at the Missouri State Championships in their sports.
Girls Track and Field
Track and field awards state titles to both the top individuals and top teams and several area athletes and schools excelled at just the right time to top off their season.
Addison Grossenbacher scored points in several events to lead her Kansas City Lutheran girls’ team to a second-place finish at the Missouri Class 1 track and field team championships in Jefferson City. The junior finished first in the 100-meter dash (12.45), and second in the 200 meters (25.55) and in the 400 meters (58.98), setting new school record times in both the 200- and 400-meter events. Junior Caroline Linderman also scored well, finishing 3rd in the 3200 meters (11:48.37), a new school record time, sixth in the 1600 meters (5:31) and anchoring the 4X800 meter relay team (10:31.79), which finished eighth. Sophomore Avery Harmon finished eighth in the 100-meter hurdles (16.65) and fifth in the triple jump (34’3”).
Jordin McGee led her Grandview Bulldogs girls’ team to a fifth-place finish at the Class 4 girls team championships with second place finishes in the 100-meter dash (12.01) and 100-meter hurdles (13.86) and a state championship in the long jump (19 feet). The senior also anchored her 4X100 meter relay team to a state championship (47.84).
In the girls Class 2 state championships, Barstow sophomore Norah Culver finished sixth in the javelin with a throw of 116’8”. Ruskin senior Rahkia Moore finished sixth in the Class 4 100-meter dash (12.35).
Notre Dame de Sion sophomore Evelyn Cramer finished sixth in the Class 3 1600 meters (5:26.82).
Boys Track and Field
Rockhurst High School captured the Class 5 boys team title, their first track and field state team title since 1976. They were led by first place finishes by senior Henry Acorn in the 1600 meters (4:05.42), senior William Hayes in the 800 meters (1:52.56) and the school’s 4X800 meter relay team (7:40.91). Junior Jack Meyer finished in second place in the long jump for the Hawklets (23’0”)
Acorn also finished fourth in the 3200 meters (9:09.10) and joined Hayes, senior Andrew Davis and junior Jacob Bond on the 4X800 meter relay team. The 4X800 meter relay team is the second fastest in the country this season, running a 7:33.83 earlier this season at the Penn Relays. Davis finished second in the open 800 meters (1:54.08) and Bond finished sixth (1:55.37).
Freshman Jack McGovern finished sixth in the 3200 meters (9:14.97) and tenth in the 1600 meters (4:15.63). McGovern’s time in the 1600 meters is the seventh fastest by a freshman in the nation this season. Senior Kai Somasegaran finished tenth in the 3200 meters (9:23.12). The Rockhurst 4X400 meter relay team, made up of Hayes, Bond, Davis and Brody Finigan, finished seventh (3:19.43).
Center High School’s boys 4X400 relay team finished sixth in Class 4 at the state meet (3:22.57). Junior Demariyon Pruett finished fifth in the 400 meters (49.13) and Senior Xavier Byers won the Class 4 title in the high jump (6’8.75”).
Kansas City Lutheran sophomore Graham Nord finished third in the 800 meters (1:59.18) at the Boys State Class 1 Championships and sixth in the 3200 meters (10:03.23). Grandview’s 4X100 boys relay team finished fourth at the Class 4 meet (42.11).
Boys Tennis
The Rockhurst tennis team finished second in the Class 3 State Tennis Tournament in Springfield, falling to John Burroughs in the championship match, and their doubles team of seniors Bobby King and Henry Stevens captured the state doubles title, defeating the top doubles team from John Burroughs.
Boys Golf
The Rockhurst golf team finished third in the Class 5 State Golf Championships in New Bloomfield, led by sophomore Henry Mayor, who finished eleventh individually, freshman Charlie Homsey who finished fifteenth and senior Blake Hartner, who finished nineteenth.
Girls Soccer
State titles have not yet been awarded in girls’ soccer this spring, with Barstow (8-10) facing Elsberry in the Class 1 state semifinals on June 6 and Notre Dame de Sion (12-10) facing Ft. Zumwalt in the Class 3 state semifinals on the same day.
Boys Volleyball
Several area teams recently concluded successful boys’ volleyball seasons, including Rockhurst, who finished 23-5 and third at the state championship tournament in Class 1, Grandview, who finished 17-12-2 after losing to Rockhurst in the Class 1 District 13 final, and Belton, who finished 19-14-3 after losing to Lee’s Summit West in the Class 1 District 12 semifinal.
Boys’ volleyball is just in its second season as a MSHSAA sanctioned sport and continues to add additional programs around the area.