By DAR STAFF
OAKVILLE, Mo. --Heading into the last running event Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 meet, the Poplar Bluff Mules held a six-point lead on defending champion Jackson.
The Indians won the race but could only pick up two points. Poplar Bluff's javelin throwers took the top two spots as the Mules won the team title 155-137 over Jackson.
"It was a little bit more comfortable than last year," Mules coach Mark Barousse said.
The Indians edged Poplar Bluff for the title last year when runners from both teams got tangled up in the final race, the 1600-meter relay, and the Mules were disqualified.
Poplar Bluff won five events, led by Wyatt Murphy's wins in the 100 and 200 meters, while Logan Bell threw 156-feet, 10-inches to win the javelin. Makarius Bell went from eighth to first on his second-to-last throw and ended up winning the shot with a 52-foot toss and also advanced to the sectional meet in the discus by finishing fourth.
In all, the Mules advanced three relays and 14 individuals.
Poplar Bluff's girls finished fourth in the team standings but advanced nine individuals and one relay.
Khelie Spence won the 100 hurdles by over half a second in 15.04 and advanced in the 300 hurdles by finishing third at 49.66. Krisman Eakin won the 400 in 59.5, took second in the 200 at 25.35, was third in the 100 at 12.63 and ran a leg on the 400 relay that took fourth.
Shelby Sievers placed second in the shot at 36-7 and advanced in the discus by finishing third in 103-4. Kaylee Eakin advanced in the long jump by clearing 16-4.
Paige Bradley was third in the 400 in 64.01 seconds to advance but missed the cut in the high jump when she lost a jump-off with Northwest's Lanie Bartelsen after both cleared 4-10. The Lady Mules were fifth in the 3200 relay.
RaShawn McCain placed fifth in the discus behind Makarius Bell. Jadarius Pigg missed the last spot in the 110 hurdles by 0.18 of a second. The Mules also had three sixth-place performances and two more finish in the top eight to earn points.
"All those points add up," Coach Barousse said.
Brett Barousse placed second in the pole vault by clearing 13-0 while Gage Rowland was third at 12-6.
Rufus Ward finished second in the 110 hurdles at 15.16, then won the 300 hurdles in 41.74.
Murphy won the 100 by 0.27 of a second in 10.96 and took the 200 in 22.22. His 400 time of 51.432 took the last qualifying spot by 0.007 of a second in front of Allen Unterreiner of Fox.
Josiah Kilgore was third in the 100 at 11.49 while Jaden Deaton advanced in both the 1600 and 3200, finishing in third place with times of 4:39 and 9:56, respectively.
Poplar Bluff's 400 relay of Barousse, Kilgore, Austin Tinsley and Colby Tomlinson was second in 44.39. Xzavier Bartlett, Tyler Cline, Ward and Murphy were second in the 1600 relay at 3:32.17. Bartlett, Dominique Hardimon, Marquis Johnson and Tomlinson were third in the 800 relay at 1:33.63.
Bradley, Krisman Eakin, Isabel Esquivel and Katie Sliger advanced in the 1600 relay at 4:17 but the Mules were disqualified in the 800 relay.
Lindbergh won the girls title by 95 points as Northwest finished second. Jackson edged the Lady Mules for third 91-85.