Eight Republic athletes qualified for state Saturday at the Class 5 sectional in Waynesville. The boys 4×100 relay broke a school record to do it.
As he has been most of the season, Alex Johnson was at the center of the action for the boys team. The junior placed third in the 100 meters in 10.70 and third in the 200 in 21.53, setting personal bests in both. He also anchored the 4×100 to a second-place finish in 42.17. The mark erased the previous school record of 42.66, set at the Bearcat Classic at Southwest Baptist University earlier this season. Jacob Duran, Gavin Lawhon and Treyton Gray ran the first three legs.
Republic will have two competitors at state in the javelin. Kaleb Norman, who did not compete from the second week of the season until districts because of an injury, placed second with a throw of 50.94 meters to earn his second career state berth. Izaiah Hull qualified fourth at 49.47 meters to make it for the first time. The two flipped their district results from a week ago, when Hull placed second and Norman fourth.
Ekene Chukwu was the first state qualifier of the day, making it through in the discus with a fourth-place throw of 49.20 meters.
Freshman Maura Lander finished third in the triple jump at 11.31 meters. She’s the first freshman girl to qualify for state in a field event since her older sister, Haven Lander, did it in the pole vault in 2014. Lander’s jump was a personal best.
AJ Uhl placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.46. Brylie Harris ran 2:27.81 for seventh in the 800. The girls 4×800 relay of Harris, Josie Stalzer, Jovi Kirby and Zoey Johns finished fifth in 10:09.58. Reese Tate placed sixth in the pole vault at 2.90 meters.
The Class 5 state meet is scheduled for next Friday and Saturday in Jefferson City.
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