By Jason Peake
For the track and field squads from Webb City and Joplin, Friday's Redbird Relays acted as a final tuneup ahead of next week's Central Ozark Conference meet.
The Cardinals weren't exactly gracious hosts. Competing inside the friendly confines of Cardinal Stadium against seven other squads, Webb City swept the team titles.
On the boys side, Webb City compiled 206 points, while Joplin was second with 183 and Glendale was a distant third (90).
"We're starting to click in a lot of places," Webb City coach Dustin Miller said. "For the most part, we had a solid day as a program. We're going to go to the conference meet next week and fight and we'll see what happens."
Webb City's boys won seven events.
Bailey Smith topped the field in the pole vault by clearing 13 feet, 6 inches, Zetthew Meister won the discus with a heave of 136-8 and Luke Brumit took firstin the high jump (6-2). Mekhi Garrard won the triple jump (44-0) and Joseph Dawson crossed the line first in the 1600 with a time of 4 minutes, 38 seconds.
The Cardinals won both the 4x800 relay (Cole Cooper, Haddon Spikereit, Owen Weller, Roman Borboa) and the 4x400 (Brayden Bond, Logan Dean, James Morgan, Cooper).
Webb City was second in both the 4x200 and the 4x100 relays, with Joshua Sigua, Kane Parks, Morgan and Carson Oliver competing in both events.
Second-place finishers were Gavin Surber (javelin), Garrard (triple jump), Dawson (800), Spikereit (3200) and Morgan (110 and 300 hurdles).
"We ran aggressively in a lot of events today and that's what we were looking for," Miller said. "Surber and Meister beat some guys they'll face next week and our distance guys had a solid day. It was also great to see three pole vaulters (Smith, Treyton Simmons, Pryce Mason) clear 13 feet."
Appearing to be in postseason form, Joplin's boys won eight events.
"We're happy," Joplin coach Brandon Taute said. "We moved some kids around before conference and we were pretty good across the board. We had a lot of personal bests. We got what we were looking for out of this meet."
Isaiah Davis won the javelin with a new personal best toss of 189-3.
"Isaiah's throw puts him 23rd in the nation," Taute said. "That was big and it was great to see."
Da'Ron Morgan won both the 100-meter dash (11.06) and the 200 (22.42), while Micah Bruggeman crossed the line first in the 3200 (9:46). Kaian Roberts-Day took first in the 110 hurdles (15.77) and teammate Nathan Glades won the 300 hurdles (41.08) and Zach Westmoreland won the long jump (21-6) "Morgan, Kaian and Glades ran really well and Westmoreland looked good again," Taute said.
The Eagles took first in the 4x200 relay, with Donovyn Fowler, Raymond Carrion, Westmoreland and Morgan competing. Finishing second in their respective events were Eli Eminger (400), Dylan Wemer (shot put), Fowler (triple jump) and Westmoreland (200).
College Heights' Caleb Wicklund took third in the 400.
Joplin Globe 04/27/2019 (Used by permission)