HHS track team gains valuable experience against best in state

Houston track coach David Williams admittedly didn’t know what to expect from his track team this season. He was new to the district, and the team was awfully young.

Turns out, he had a few of the state’s top runners on his team.

Four members of the girls’ team competed Friday and Saturday at the 2011 MSHSAA track and field championships in Jefferson City. Although they placed near the bottom of the standings — Houston had two 15th place and two 16th place finishes — the experience was one Williams believes his inexperienced team can build on.

“The competition level is a little different there than what we ordinarily see,” Williams said. “It was a good experience for them.”

Only three events were held during Friday’s prelims before inclement weather arrived at Dwight T. Reed Stadium. All competitors in the remaining events advanced directly to Saturday’s finals.

Junior Lauren Hoover finished 15th in the 100-meter prelims on Friday with a time of 13.55. She did not advance to the finals, which were won by Spice Brown of Barat Academy in 12.34.

Freshman Maddie Vandiver ran a 27.42 in the 200 to place 15th. She was one of two freshmen in the field. Melanie Bower of Linn won the event in 25.54.

“I thought they did well,” Williams said. “We knew going in that we were probably in the bottom third of the times turned in.”

The 4×100 relay team of Hoover, Vandiver, freshman Taylor Franklin and sophomore Kayla Herndon finished 15th with a time of 53.12. Trenton High School won the relay in 50.76.

The 4×200 relay — consisting of the same team members — finished 16th in 1:46.67. Trenton also won that event.

Both relay times were season-bests for Houston.

“They worked hard and ran pretty consistently all year,” Williams said. “Their times gradually went down through the year.”

The entire girls’ track team, which had no seniors this season, is eligible to return next season.

“Those girls that were the core of the team, if they work at it and get a little stronger and faster during the offseason, our expectations would be we could move up a little in those times and be competitive in placing in the top eight,” Williams said.