JACKSON, Mo. — Luke Barousse and the Poplar Bluff boys 400-meter relay won Saturday at the Jackson Invitational while John-Paul Godwin, the Mules 800-relay and Emilee Cheek had runner-up finishes.
Poplar Bluff’s boys finished fifth in the team standings while the girls were seven in the 16-team event as Cheek also placed third in another event along with Haile Hall and the 800-relay.
Barousse won the pole vault by clearing 13-feet, 11.75-inches (4.26 meters) while Josh Savat, Justin Mitchell, Devin Gatewood and Kasen Hoss won the 400 relay in 43.92 seconds, beating Cape Central by 0.17 of a second.
“Some of the young guys are starting to come around, starting to get into shape,” Mules coach Jeff Mannon said. “Just trying to get everything to where it needs to be, the problem is we’ve got a whole bunch of sprinters we’re trying to find spots.”
The Mules showed their depth in the sprints as the JV 400-relay’s time would have finished fifth in the varsity race.
“We’re trying to plus people into a little longer race from what they’re used to, make some of those 100 guys stretch out to 400,” Mannon said. “It will come with time.”
Cape Central won the boys team title, 34.5 points ahead of host Jackson, at 135.5 followed by Kirkwood (96), Hillsboro (88), Poplar Bluff (73) and Notre Dame (46).
Cheek was 0.07 of a second behind Saxony Lutheran’s Anna Thomason in the 100, finishing at 13.55 seconds, and ran the 200 in 27.42.
Kirkwood won the girls team title by eight points over Jackson, 114-106, while the Mules were six points behind Sikeston.
Hall was third in the javelin at 93-2 (28.41 meters) while Sydni Halliburtonm, McKenzie Cassie, Caitlin Paumen, Koryenna Williams were third in the 800 relay at 1:56.88 and fourth in the 400 relay at 54.22 seconds. Cheek, Hall, Paumen and Tianna Hall-Patton placed seventh in the 1600-relay at 4:42.38.
“We were able to find some extra 400 runners and hurdlers,” Mules coach Beth Lewis-Muse said. “No we can start filling in spots.”
Adrianne Casey cleared 7-5.75 (2.28 meters) to place fourth in the pole vault while Paumen was fifth in the 400 at 1:06.26.
Hoss was fourth in the 100 at 11.86 while Mitchell placed fourth in the 200 at 23.12. Cayden Larkins, Makel McFarland, Payton Rogers and Dalton Gatewood placed fifth in the 1600 relay at 3:49.6. Alex Clinton and Isaiah Nevel both placed fifth in the high jump by clearing 5-11.5 (1.82 meters). Devin Gatewood finished sixth in the long jump at 19-9 (6.02 meters) while Jakeim Pigg was sixth in the shot at 42.6.25 (12.96 meters).
Poplar Bluff’s 3200 relay of Cameron Sisk, Nick Spain, Derrik Burton Burton and Larkins placed seventh at 9:58.
Spencer Nunn placed seventh in the pole vault clearing 10-6 (3.20 meters), Savat was seventh in the 100 at 11.98, Rogers was seventh in the 400 at 56.21 with Larkins ninth at 56.52.
Logan Davis was eighth in the javline at 115-11 (35.34 meters) followed by Kyler Deaton at 115-1 (35.08). Dalton Gatewood was ninth in the long jump at 19-2.75 (5.86 meters).
Lydian Sanders placed eighth in the shot at 27-0.5 (8.24) and 11th in the discus at 74-4 (22.67). Halliburton was ninth in the 100 hurdles at 19.42 while Cassie placed ninth in the long jump at 14-9.75 (4.51) and triple jump at 29-0 (8.84). Salah McCormack was ninth in the 3200 at 14:03 followed by Sophia Leach at 14:03.
Poplar Bluff hosts the Barry Cody JV Invitational on Wednesday while the varsity team competes Friday at Ste. Genevieve.