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NHS Track: Sectional track meet awaits
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
NEVADA -- At this point of the season, it's pretty simple -- advance or go home.
Trips to the state meet will be on the line at the MSHSAA Class 3, Sectional 3 track meet on Saturday at Marshfield. The top four in each event will advance to the State Track Championships. Those who don't finish in the top four will see the season come to an end. The top finishers from District 5 and District 6 will compete with state berths on the line.
Nevada is sending four individuals and one relay team to the sectional. All advanced at last weekend's District 6 Meet at Carl Junction.
"We're going to do our best," Nevada Coach Robert Watts said. "We're not going to back down. The kids are excited to be there and they're excited to go. We'll have some fun, too."
Sectional qualifiers
Nevada junior Ashley Shumaker won a district title in the girls high jump by clearing 5-feet-4. On Saturday, Shumaker will be looking to secure a return trip to state.
"As long as she jumps where she jumped last Saturday, she should be okay," Watts said. "I know she's expecting a lot out of herself."
Shumaker nearly cleared 5-6 on Saturday, but clipped the bar with her foot.
One jumper from the District 5, Sara Rhine of Eldon, cleared 5-6 last weekend. Shumaker has the second-best jump of the sectional qualifiers. As a sophomore Shumaker was unable to medal at state, finishing 12th. The girls high jump will begin at noon.
Next, Alex Bledsoe will look to advance to state one final time. A senior, Bledsoe was second in the boys 800-meter run last Saturday at the district meet. He had a scary moment, though, collapsing after the race.
"He went to the doctor and they thought maybe he didn't eat well enough before the meet or he was just dehydrated," Watts said. "They've released him to run again. But he's been nursing a sore leg, too. Hopefully he'll be at his best."
Watts said Bledsoe will need to cut down his time in the event in order to advance.
"He's going to have to run his best race of the year on Saturday to advance," Watts said. "He'll need to be back where he was last year."
Bledsoe advanced to state last year in the event, but failed to advance to the finals. In fact, Bledsoe has competed at state every year he's been in high school.
The boys 800 is scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m.
NHS junior Morgan Hold will look to secure his first trip to state in the boys pole vault. Hold cleared 12-6 last weekend and finished second in the district.
"I think he'll need 13 feet or 13-6, depending on the weather and what else is going on," Watts said. "If he can just get back to his PR, he'll be okay."
Hold has cleared 13-6 this season. He did have a minor setback, with a splinter from his pole entering his hand. It shouldn't be an issue, the coaching staff said. The boys pole vault is set to begin at noon.
Next, freshman McKayla Hoselton will compete in the girls discus. Hoselton took third in the event at the district meet with a toss of 102-08. Watts noted the competition will be very tough in the event.
"She's set a new PR at the last couple of meets," Watts noted. "She's been working on some technique things. And I expect her to set a new PR, whether she moves on or not."
The fourth place finisher in the other district recorded a throw of 106-01.
The girls discus will start at 2 p.m.
Nevada's girls 4x100 relay team was very close to advancing last year. They'll look to get over the hump this year. Seniors Bailey Harbit and Rees Noble, and sophomores Megan Mason and Kelsey McCall make up the team. The team was fourth at the district meet, finishing with a time of 53.39. The Tigers will likely need a faster time than that to qualify, as the the top four in District 5 were all under 53 seconds.
"The relay team is going to have to step it up," Watts said. "But in the 4x100, any little mistake by anybody and they're out of it. Anything can happen."
Watts added he's confident his girls can qualify.
"They've been working really hard on their handoffs," he said. "If everybody can take a quarter-second off, it will make a big difference. On paper, it looks bad. But it's not as bad as it looks. You can make up a lot of ground with nice handoffs."
The girls 4x100 relay is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
NOTES: Gates open at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Marshfield High School. Admission is $5. There is a coaches meeting at 11 a.m., and events are scheduled to begin at noon.
Again, state berths will be up for grabs. The 2012 MSHSAA Class 3 Track Championships will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 25-26, at Jefferson City's Lincoln University.
Marshfield Sectional track meet schedule
Field events
Noon -- Boys pole vault, girls high jump, girls shot put, boys discus.
1 p.m. -- Girls long jump, boys triple jump.
2 -- Boys high jump, boys shot put, girls discus, girls pole vault.
3 -- Girls triple jump, boys long jump.
Running events
Noon -- Boys 4x800 relay
12:15 -- Girls 4x800 relay
12:30 -- Boys 110 hurdles
12:40 -- Girls 100 hurdles
12:50 -- Boys 100
1 -- Girls 100
1:10 -- Boys 4x200 relay
1:20 -- Girls 4x200 relay
1:30 -- Boys 1600
1:40 -- Girls 1600
1:50 -- Boys 4x100
2 -- Girls 4x100
2:10 -- Boys 400
2:20 -- Girls 400
Half-hour break
2:50 -- Boys 300 hurdles
3 -- Girls 300 hurdles
3:10 -- Boys 800
3:20 -- Girls 800
3:30 -- Boys 200
3:40 -- Girls 200
3:50 -- Boys 3200
4:05 -- Girls 3200
4:20 -- Boys 4x400
4:30 --Girls 4x400