Republic’s boys and girls track and field teams opened the 2026 season with a pair of team championships Monday at the Republic Classic, sweeping titles in a 12-team field.
The Tigers scored 206 points to hold off Springfield Catholic (109) and Clever (100). The Lady Tigers posted 205 points, with Clever (126.5) and Fair Grove (112) the next-closest finishers.
Junior Ekene Chukwu broke his own school record in the discus with a throw of 54.54 meters, topping his previous mark of 49.96 by more than four and a half meters. Chukwu also placed fifth in the shot put.
Junior Alex Johnson swept the boys sprints, winning the 100 meters (10.83) and the 200 meters (22.33). He also anchored the first-place 4×100 relay (44.18) with Jacob Duran, Treyton Gray, and Gavin Lawhon, and ran on the second-place 4×200 relay. Johnson, Gray, and Lawhon went 1-2-3 in the 100.
Freshman Maura Lander won two events in her first high school meet, taking the long jump (4.81 meters) and the triple jump (10.80).
Keiran Govan won the triple jump (12.92 meters) and placed third in the high jump (1.77). Jance Mercado placed second in the high jump (1.82) and competed in both hurdle events, finishing seventh in the 300 hurdles and ninth in the 110 hurdles.
Freshman Kyndall Snider won the 200 meters (27.65) and placed second in the 400 (1:06.60).
Zoey Johns won the 3200 meters (13:07.80) and placed second in the 1600 (5:50.49). Brylie Harris was second in the 3200 (13:21.61) and fourth in the 800.
Avery Rossow placed second in the shot put (10.01) and third in the discus (31.10). AJ Uhl was second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.71) and sixth in the high jump.
The throws were strong across the board for the boys. Izaiah Hull won the javelin (51.60 meters) and Kaleb Norman placed second (47.67). Aiden Schaefer was runner-up in the discus (45.96). Baelor Cutbirth placed fourth in the shot put.
Trenten Coleman took second in the long jump (6.00), and Danny Fair was runner-up in the pole vault (3.81). Freshman Reese Tate won the girls pole vault (2.74 meters). Emma Ellison was second in the javelin (33.50).
The girls 4×800 relay team of Josie Stalzer, Johns, Peyton Bodoin, and Harris won in 10:43.60. The 4×100 relay of Maddlyn Nystrom, Victoria Johnson, Aryanna Kucij, and Quinnlyn Keller took second, and the 4×200 relay of Cayera Higgins, Keller, Kucij, and Snider also placed second.
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