Chillicothe track teams compete for MEC titles

SMITHVILLE — Chillicothe

High School doubled its number

of Midland Empire Conference

Relays track-and-field event

champions from a year ago to

eight, but that still wasn’t quite

enough for either the Lady Hornets

or Hornets to ascend to the

league throne.

The CHS girls fell just short

of the school’s first MEC girls’

title since 2006 as Smithville

and Maryville held off head

coach Karen Jackson’s squad in

a nip-and-tuck 3-team battle.

Smithville earned 1301⁄2,

Maryville 1241⁄2, and the Lady

Hornets 1241⁄2 in Saturday’s

meet, which was postponed a

day, due to inclement weather.

The Hornets wound up a

strong second behindMaryville,

the Spoofhounds accumulating

171 points and Chillicothe’s

boys 145.

Each CHS team hiked its

number of conference champions

from last year – the girls

from two to five and the boys

from two to three. The Hornets

climbed one spot in the final

team standings from 2011,

while the Lady Hornets remained

third.

Bringing home gold medals to

their personal trophy cases

were CHS’ Erin Gilliland,

champion in both the 100-meters

high and 300-meters low

hurdles, Andrew Jensen in the

3,200-meters run, Alec Whiteside

in the shot put, Lexi Snyder

in the triple jump, and three

relay squads – the girls’ 400-

and 800-meters units and the

boys’ 800 team. The boys’ group

included Austin Busse, Walker

Thomas, Nick Meyers, and

DeEll Midgyett. The girls’

800 contingent was

Madison Williams,

Mackenzie Barnett,

Jordyn

Circo, and

Gilliland, and the 400 quartet

Olivia Hayes, Gilliland,

Williams, and Barnett.

The Lady Hornets’ 400-meters

(4-by-100) group broke the

meet record the same foursome

had reset last year. They toured

the track one time in 51.87 seconds,

.04 quicker than in 2011.