The Republic girls track team claimed its second consecutive Central Ozark Conference championship at Joplin on Friday. The Lady Tigers amassed an impressive 139.5 points, leaving Nixa (121), Ozark (85.5), and the rest of the field in their wake.
Three Lady Tigers stood out with double gold medal performances individually:
– Gracie Troester conquered the distance events, winning the 1600 meter (5:11.77) and 3200 meter (11:34.64) runs.
– Alaina Norman showcased her strength, claiming victories in the shot put (11.41m) and javelin (41.68m).
– Jenna Belcher leaped to the top of the podium in the long jump (5.60m) and triple jump (11.26m), breaking her own school record in the long jump with a mark of 5.60m.
The Lady Tigers also excelled in the relays, with the 4×800 meter team of Reese Finley, Kristin Probst, Gracie Woods, and Troester cruising to victory in 9:46.92. The 4×400 meter relay squad of Finley, Probst, Woods, and Norman clocked a winning time of 4:07.76. The 4×200 meter team of Finley, Woods, Belcher, and Brooklyn Douglas narrowly missed gold but broke their own school record, finishing in 1:45.36.
Other notable performances included Troester’s second-place finish and Probst’s third-place finish in the 800m run, Probst’s fourth-place finish in the 1600m run, and Avery Rossow’s fourth-place finish in the discus throw.
The Republic girls track team’s dominant conference championship is our Performance of the Week.
