Kewpies’ Cornell defends title

Runners and fans from around the state gathered at Dwight T. Reed Stadium at Lincoln University in Jefferson City on Friday and Saturday for the 2005 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships.

For most of the runners Friday was the day to win their heat and make it to the finals, but for Hickman senior Tim Cornell it was the last race of his high school career.

Last year, Cornell ran the 1600 meters in 4 minutes, 13.35 seconds to win the title. On Friday he defended his title and set a Hickman record in 4:11.01. Teammates Jake Viers and Sewart Denson cheered on Cornell.

“Just wait, he will pick it up here at the end, this is how he does it,” yelled Viers as Cornell made his last lap around the track Friday afternoon.

Said Cornell: “I just try and hang in there until my last 100 to 300 meters and then I give it my all. I just wanted to defend my title, that was it.”

The Hickman boys’ 4x100-meter relay team had to make some adjustments two weeks ago which might have been the reason they were unable to make it to finals and placed 13th overall in the event.

Jake Viers, a junior, was injured and only able to cheer for the team while he watched teammate Ryan Florence, another junior, run in his place along with seniors Cedric Alvis, Stewart Denson and Brady Bounds in their heat on Friday afternoon.

Denson also ran the 100-meter dash but was unable to make it the finals.

However, Saturday Denson earned seventh in the long jump with a jump at 21 feet, 4.25 inches, moving up one place from last year’s championship and increasing his jump by more than three inches.

Overall the Hickman boys team tied for 21st out of the 53 teams.

Shana White, a Hickman sophomore, ran in preliminaries for two of her three events Friday, qualifying for the finals in both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

“I love the 200!” White said.

White felt the most confident in this event despite running it for the first time at the state level. But her lack of experience did not hinder her. She finished third in 25.06, .16 seconds short of her personal record.

White pulled off a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash. Her last event proved to be her weakest. She was unable to make it to the finals in the triple jump which put her at 10th-place overall.

Aileen and Brianne Gallagher, Hickman seniors, were left to battle rain and cold as well as the other runners in the 3200-meter run finals on Friday.

Aileen Gallagher, who finished the race in fifth, seemed to battle the weather better than her twin sister Brianne, who finished in 10th.

Aileen Gallagher ran the 1600-meter Saturday without battling the weather. Gallagher improved her time from last year by more than two seconds and moved from fifth last year to a fourth Saturday afternoon.

Asia Walker, a Hickman sophomore, did not earn a medal but put in a good effort in the long jump where she placed 10th and the 400-meter dash where she finished 11th.

Overall the Hickman girls team tied for 14th with St. Joseph Central out of the 49 teams that competed.

Rock Bridge did not qualify any boys for the State Championships, however, they sent 11 girls to compete in the 4x400 meter relay, the 4x800-meter relay, the shot put and the 800-meter run.

In their first event of the championship, sophomore Casy Dodam, and freshmen Becca Sullinger, Andrea Seabough and Lauren Borduin finished in sixth in the girls 4x800 meter relay.

Junior Lindsay Whitten, sophomore Allie Smith and freshmen Libby Schleider and Lauren Borduin made it to the finals of the 4x400-meter relay, placing 13th.

On Saturday, junior Hannah Terwelp placed fourth in the shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 3 1/2 inches. They also had their biggest victory when freshman, Lauren Borduin placed second in the 800-meter run.

Overall the Rock Bridge girls team placed 17th out of 49 teams.