Leigh Distance Sweep Highlights Class 5 Section 2

LADUE, Mo. -- Howell junior Maddi Leigh has taken on the challenge of the distance quad, and so far she's had nothing but success.

At Saturday's Class 5 Sectional 2 meet at MICDS, Leigh won all four distance events, starting with a come-from-behind anchor leg in the 4x800 meter relay (9:50.84). She added victories in the 800 (2:18.66), 1,600 (5:09.40) and 3,200-meter runs (11:28.05).

The difference from last year is the addition of the 1,600, and she's ran all four distance events for the last three weeks. She's unsure if it will continue for the state meet next weekend when the coaches may opt to scratch her out of a race to keep her fresh.

"It is a lot," Leigh said. "I'm going for two and hopefully see how the other ones go, and if I have to scratch one I have to scratch one. I want to do my best in all the events I want to do.

"The 3,200 is my favorite event so that one I'd like to do well in. If I scratch, possibly the 800. The relay is up in the air, but we've got a lot of girls that would want to run. It's up to coach and what fits best."

She was able to hold back a little in her races and conserve some energy throughout the day, but she said every week the task has grown more difficult as the competition grew tougher and she had to push herself more and more.

"This race (the 3,200) was probably hardest pace-wise, but I felt a lot better," Leigh said. "Last week the 800 was hard after doing the 1,600 and 4x800. At conference and districts I got to do the 3,200 pretty easy and that relieved me.

"For these I was just qualifying," Leigh said. "I got to run at KU and go under 11, and that was my goal for this year. Hopefully I can get a little lower than that. That's the event I want to go my hardest in."

Leigh, who ran a PR of 10:55.47 in the 3,200 meter run at the KU Relays earlier this year, finished fourth in the event at state last year. She's looking for another fast race and hoping for another PR performance. Leigh said the top competition helps to push the times lower for everyone.

"Everyone combined creates a great race, great competitive race for PRing or doing your best; and they're all fun to race against," Leigh said.

It was Leigh's first time going under 2:20 in the 800 this year, which she said was another goal she was able to cross off and gives the coaches more reason to consider loading her up at the state meet again.

Jasmine Barge, a senior at McCluer North, came in as a known entity after winning the 100 and 300 hurdles last year. As defending champ, she knows she has to keep pushing herself to post fast times. She had little trouble in capturing sectional title in the 100 hurdles (14.54) and 300 hurdles (42.47) at MICDS Saturday.

"In the 300s, I clipped a hurdle and it slowed me down, and I didn't let the wind affect me too much," said Barge, who will run for the University of Nebraska next year. "I'm planning on winning it. Hopefully I can come out with three (wins) with the 200 ... we'll see how that goes."

Saturday she added victories in the 200 (24.91) and a leg on the 4x400 (3:51.74). That gave her three races in the last five events.

"It's really tough, but training-wise it's really good. I feel stronger," Barge said. "(The 4x400) is one of my favorite races ... you get so much adrenaline from running it. I don't know, it just feels good, especially competing against other really good runners."

No matter how much she likes the relays, her focus will still be squarely on the two hurdle races at next weekend's state meet.

"Hopefully I can run another 13 in the 100 hurdles and I'm going for a 40.x in the 300s. That's my biggest goals."

Barge won her titles last year with a 14.53 and a 41.79, respectively.

McCluer North (98) finished runner-up to Hazelwood Central (125) in the Class 5 team competition. Hazelwood Central secured victories by Brittney Johnson in the 100 (12.40), Destiney Nash in the 400 (56.24), the 4x100 relay (47.95), 4x200 relay (1:41.35) and Taylor Ramsey in the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches).

Battle senior Benjamin Brooks won one of the closest photo-finish races of the day when he captured the Class 5 boys 100-meter dash 11.09 to Hazelwood Central's Tahj Williams' 11.10. Brooks gave up some ground in the 200 (22.34) and took third.

"I just focused on myself ... just driving and accelerating," said Brooks, who is the defending 100 state champion. "I've had a couple of bad starts the last couple of weeks so I had to get in the drive phase, and I guess it paid off. I've got a lot to improve on by next week.

"I know (the 200) could've been better. I definitely don't like longer curves and this track has a longer curve. I feel like I should do better at least."

Brooks helped his Spartans to the 4x200 victory (1:28.66), and he added a leg on the third-place 4x400 (3:25.14). Expanding to the 400 is a little new to Brooks, who said he might still have a leg on that relay next weekend.

"They're considering it. They want to make sure I'm healthy for the 100, 200 and 4x200," Brooks said. "I used to love the 400, but now it's not the most enjoyable of races. I used to be a 400 runner, but they transitioned me into sprints and I haven't done it in two years.

The 4x200 team put a PR time, and Brooks said he was excited to be taking a whole new team of first-timers to state. In the coming days, he said the team will try to work on the little things just to make sure everyone is ready for racing in Jefferson City.

"We've had a PR (in the 4x200) almost every meet; we just have to keep climbing," Brooks said. "No point in getting all the way here and having a dropped baton or slip up or anything like that. Just reiteration. We know how to run it so just focusing on the little things."

Timberland boys followed their district title with a sectional title after tallying 82 points to edge runner-up Hazelwood Central (78).

Timberland moved into the lead with 16 points in the 3,200-meter run after Austin Crowe and Dylan Goodyear went first (9:55.55) and third (10:07.59), respectively. That vaulted the Wolves into first with enough pad that even Hazelwood Central's victory in the 4x400 relay couldn't overtake first place.

Crowe led start to finish, and he was said he was trying to help pull Goodyear along, too.

"I didn't really know what I was going to do, and I got out there and I felt pretty good so I decided to stay up front," Crowe said. "We have both been PRing almost every meet, and Dylan just PR'd by 11 seconds. I think it's given us a lot of confidence, and I know it gave me some confidence today