HMS track athletes compete at SCA championships meet

The South Central Association conference middle school track and field championships meet was held Tuesday (May 6) at Mountain Grove.

The event saw 11 SCA records set, including six by Houston athletes. The top-8 finishers in each event earned team points.

In the 7^th-grade team standings, Houston’s boys took second while the girls placed fifth. In the 8^th-grade standings, the HMS girls were third and the boys were fourth. Salem took first in 7^th-grade boys and girls and 8^th-grade boys competition, while Mountain Grove took first in the 8^th-grade girls standings.

Led by head coach Mike Tottingham, HMS athletes had several top-3 performances.

7^th-GRADE GIRLS

• 800-meter run: Myles Copley, 1^st, 2:36.35 (new SCA record).
• 1,600-meter run: Myles Copley, 1^st, 5:44.03 (new SCA record).
• High jump: Myles Copley, 3^rd, 1.22m.
• Triple jump: Nola Manier, 3^rd, 8.1m.
• Pole vault: Nola Manier, 1^st, 2.01m.

8^TH-GRADE GIRLS

• 800-meter run: Lyla Huffman, 1^st, 2:28.47 (new SCA record).
• 1,600-meter run: Lyla Huffman, 1^st, 5:37.90.
• 100-meter hurdles: Millie Manier, 2^nd, 18.00.
• 4X400 relay: Houston, 1^st, 4:47.23 (Hope Bieller, Alli Huffman, Myles Copley, Lyla Huffman).
• Long jump: Millie Manier, 2^nd, 4.42m.
• Triple jump: Millie Manier, 2^nd, 8.86m.
• Pole vault: Millie Manier, 1^st, 2.01m.
• Discus: Davney Shelton, 2^nd, 20.98m.

Manier scored 34 points at the meet – more than any other athlete. 

“She was somewhat on the wrong side of history, taking second place in two events that had new SCA records set,” Tottingham said.

Huffman’s time in the 800 is faster than the Houston High School record of 2:28.65.

“Lyla has been battling injuries this season, but she really came into form for this meet,” Tottingham said. “She missed the SCA record for the 1,600-meter run by 1 second.” 

7^TH-GRADE BOYS

• 400-meter dash: Liam Stickel, 3^rd, 1:03.00.
• 800-meter run: Oliver Choate, 1^st, 2:17.99 (new SCA record); Charlie Benoist, 2^nd, 2:28.10.
• 1,600-meter run: Oliver Choate, 1^st, 4:48.72 (news SCA record); Charlie Benoist, 2^nd, 5:26.49.
• 4X400 relay: Houston, 2^nd, 4:19.23 (Rocky Gilbert, Liam Stickel, Charlie Benoist, Oliver Choate).
• High jump: Oliver Choate, 2^nd, 1.45m; Charlie Benoist, 3^rd, 1.42m.

“Oliver capped off his state championship with two new SCA records,” Tottingham said. “His record in the 1,600 was 18 seconds faster than the previous record and might be as close to untouchable as any SCA record on the books. He also finished 2nd in high jump, proving that he’s not a one-trick pony.”

8^TH-GRADE BOYS

• 100-meter dash: Tucker Venn, 2^nd, 12.15.
• 200-meter dash: Tucker Venn, 1^st, 24.70; Matthew Wilson, 3^rd, 25.65.

“Tucker has been running great all year but found another gear last night missing the school record by .05 seconds in the 200-meter dash,” Tottingham said.

• 400-meter dash: Alex Flores, 1^st, 59.23.
• 4X100 relay: Houston, 1^st, 48.05 (new SCA record – old mark stood since 1986; Alex Flores, Stryker Sloan, Matt Wilson, Tucker Venn).
• 4X200 relay: Houston, 1^st, 1:44.92 (Alex Flores, Griffin Aaron, Matt Wilson, Stryker Sloan).
• Long jump: Alex Flores, 2^nd, 4.95m.
• Discus: Tucker Venn, 1^st, 36.07m.