Two Houston High School juniors will compete this weekend on Missouri’s biggest track stage.
Abby Casper makes a return trip to Jefferson City by qualifying in both the 100 and 200 meters in Saturday’s sectional round. She’ll be joined by teammate Trenton Best, who advanced in the 110 hurdles.
The duo will square off Saturday with the rest of the remaining athletes in Class 3 in the 2016 Missouri State High School Activities Association track and field championships. The event is held at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.
It will be a return trip for Casper, who last year as a sophomore bolted her way to a sixth-place finish in the 100 and seventh in the 200.
“It’s cool to be able to do it two years in a row,” Casper said. “I definitely have higher expectations for myself this year since it’s not a new thing. I’ve done this before.”
It is a new experience for Best, who hadn’t competed in the 110 hurdles since he was in middle school before this season.
“I’m excited,” he said. “This has been my dream and goal since I was a freshman. It’s a pretty big deal to be going to state.”
Casper sped her way to the championships by winning the 200 at sectionals in 26.21 seconds. She finished fourth in the 100 with a time of 12.76 to again advance in both events.
Casper said she was disappointed in her 100 performance.
“It wasn’t a bad time but watching video, there are things I need to do differently,” she said. “I had a good start, but through the middle of it I didn’t get my knees up and messed up my stride. It was just a bad race.”
The 200 was a different story.
“That was probably one of the best corners I’ve ever run,” Casper said. “Coming out of the corner, the last 100 I focused on getting my knees up and doing what I didn’t do in the 100.”
Best qualified for state for the first time with a fourth-place finish at sectionals. His time of 15.6 seconds was a personal record.
Best credited coach Barry Wheeler with encouraging him to compete in the 110 hurdles and helping him make state. He improved his time by more than a full second from the beginning of the year.
“Coach Wheeler pushed me to do it. He knows his stuff,” Best said. “He has sent several guys to state. He said he could get me there, and he was right.”
His advice for the weekend, Best said, is the same strategy he has implemented since districts.
“He’s telling me not to be nervous and be prepared,” Best said. “That’s what I did at sectionals, and it worked.”