Area Athletes Capture Medals at Class 1

By David Sharp

Student-Athletes from Knox County, Grundy County/Newtown-Harris, and Green City won State Championships at the May 19-20, 2023 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships held at Jefferson City, Missouri.

Knox County Senior Jennifer Hinkle became the sixth individual, and the seventh event participant to win a State Track and Field Championship. The University of Missouri bound field athlete tossed the Javelin 141’4" for the gold medal.

Asher Buggs-Tipton battled injuries to claim his ninth track and field state championship in a row. Buggs-Tipton won the 2023 Class 1 Boys 110m hurdles with a time of 14.92 seconds.

Green City junior Asher Buggs-Tipton came away with four state medals. He won the seventh place medal in the boys 100m dash in 11.33 seconds. Buggs-Tipton earned a bronze long jump medal at 21’8 ¾". He was edged by Grundy Co/Newtown-Harris junior Zackary Cross in the finals of the boys 300m hurdles

Zackary Cross ran the low hurdles in 39.96 seconds. Asher Buggs-Tipton had a mis step and claimed the 300m hurdles Silver medal in 40.01 seconds.

Grundy County/Newtown-Harris had a strong team performance winning seventh place in the Class 1 boys final team standings. The Lady Tigers placed 31st with eight points. Green City tied their inter county rival for seventh place with 26 team points.

Hermitage tied with Hayti for the boys Class 1 Team Championship with 42 points each. Tarkio won the Class 1 Girls Team championship with 70 points. North Shelby was 15th with 19 points. Atlanta placed 16th with 18 points. Knox County tied for 22nd place with 11 girls’ team points.

The Eagle boys did not score team points. Grundy County/Newtown-Harris placed 31st in the final girls standings with eight points.

Knox County had another medal winning performance. Senior weight thrower Cassidy Goodwin heaved the steel ball 33’5", winning the Class 1 girls show put eighth place medal.

Cassidy Goodwin, Class of 2023 Secretary Jennifer Hinkle and Senior Class President Austin Jansen were among the 38 Graduates from Knox County High School observed wearing state track and field medals across the stage at Graduation Ceremonies on May 21, 2023.

Austin Jansen was the last of the Knox County Boys 2021 Class 1 State Championship 4x400m Relay team members to graduate from KCHS.

NEMO News Media Group schools had great accomplishments in the Class 2 portion of the May 19-20, 2023 State Track Meet. Hayden Dixon won two gold medals in the Class 2 Shot put and Discus. Jeremy Bennett won the boys Class 2 long jump for Milan HS. Bennett took the Class 2 Triple Jump silver medal.

Highland Senior Shon Stark won the Class 2 discus silver medal. Stark participated in an epic Class 2 boys shot put finals. Stark finished fourth behind a state record Hayden Dixon throw of 19.75 meters.

Lady Cougar freshman Chevie Sharpe won the Class 2 Fourth place medal in the girls 400m dash. The Lady Cougar 4x800m relay team got on the medal stand as well.

In an effort to make these state track stories more specific and to help distribute space. We will feature a Class 1 and a Class 2 story from this point forward. Class 1 will be featured here, while Class 2 results are featured on page 11.

May 19, 2023 Class 1 Results are listed here. Some day one events will be finals. Some will be preliminary qualifying contests for Championship Day on May 20. All results listed below this point will be from Class 1.

Princeton junior Talan Holt won the boys Class 1 High Jump finals with a height of 6’6". Richland HS senior Breah Morris won the girls Long Jump finals at 17’ 1 ¼". Atlanta senior Kyley Magers won the bronze medal at 16’9 ¾".

Nodaway-Holt HS sophomore Ava Graham won the girls Class 1 Shot Put gold medal with a heave of 39’1 ¾". Knox County senior Cassidy Goodwin took the eighth place medal with a final distance of 33’5 ¼".

Rock Port HS won the Class 1 Girls gold medals with a time of 10:13.23 seconds. Green city junior Asher-Buggs Tipton qualified first for the boys 110m hurdles in 15.87 seconds. Grundy Co/Newtown Harris junior Zachary Cross qualified fourth in 16.38 seconds. Newtown-Harris senior Brian Peterson qualified seventh in 16.76 seconds.

Drexel Junior Josie Parks qualified first in the girls 100m dash with a time of 13.06 seconds. North Shelby senior Whitney Shinn qualified third in 13.33 seconds.

Canton senior Nariah Clay placed ninth overall in the girls Class 1 100m dash in 13.58 seconds. The winner of each heat and next best six times advance to the finals in track events using a qualifier system.

Tarkio senior Jarrett Spinnatto qualified first in the boys 100m dash with a time of 11.21 seconds. Asher Buggs-Tipton qualified seventh with a time of11.57 seconds.

Hayti High School qualified first in the boys Class 1, 4x200m relay in 1:30.81 seconds. Hayti qualified first in the boys 4x100m relay in 43.43 seconds.

Knox County placed 11th overall in the boys 4x200m relay at 1:36.76 seconds. Seniors Keaton Strange and Austin Jansen along with freshmen Alious Hunolt and Cooper Clair were Eagle boys 4x200m relay participants.

Nodaway-Holt junior Riley Blay won the Class 1 Boys 1600m run gold medal in 4:27.22 seconds. The 1600m run does not have a qualifying event. 1600m and 3200m Results listed here are final.

Grundy Co./Newtown-Harris junior Gauge MacGregor won the Class 1 boys 1600m eighth place medal in 4:445.80 seconds.

Tarkio senior Faith Anderson won the Class 1 girls high jump at 5’2 ½". Atlanta senior Kyley Magers took the silver medal at 5’1 ¾".

Tyson Gibson took the Class 1 boys Triple Jump gold medal at 42’11 ¾". Atlanta senior Landon Gilliland won the silver medal at 42’2".

Tina-Avalon junior Tucker Singer won the Class 1 Boys shot put gold medal at 58’ 9¼". Brashear junior Nate Triplett won the shot put sixth place medal at 46’9".

Wellington-Napoleon junior Trotter Hughes qualified first for the Class 1 boys 400m dash in 50.79 seconds. Knox County senior Austin Jansen placed tenth overall in 53.70 seconds. Brashear senior Alex Houghton placed 12th overall in 53.96 seconds.

Asher Buggs-Tipton qualified first in the boys 300m hurdles preliminary round at 40.22 seconds. Zackary Cross qualified second for Grundy Co./Newtown-Harris in 40.85 seconds. Newtown-Harris Senior Brian Peterson placed 11th overall in 44.05 seconds.

Dora HS sophomore Cade Nold won the Class 1 Boys 800m run gold medal in 1:57.53 seconds. Grundy County/Newtown-Harris junior Payton Miller placed tenth overall at 2:07.24 seconds.

King City senior Ty Mooney qualified first for the Class 1 Boys 200m dash in 23.21 seconds. Zackary Cross of Grundy County/Newtown-Harris placed tenth in 24.15 seconds. Atlanta senior Landon Gilliland placed 11th in 24.24 seconds.

Tarkio qualified first for the Class 1 Girls 4x400m Relay in 4:15.72 seconds. Newtown-Harris placed 12th overall in 4:31.87 seconds. Skylar Bonnett, Kinsley Allnutt, Lexa Stonger and Molly Milazzo were the Lady Tiger state 1600m relay runners.

Braymer qualified first in the Class 1 Boys 4x400m relay in 3:35.86 seconds. Hunter Miller, Brian Peterson, Payton Miller and Zackary Cross qualified sixth for Newtown-Harris in 3:40.05 seconds.

Knox County seniors Keaton Strange, Austin Jansen, Freshman Grayson Miller and junior Collin Hayes placed ninth overall in 3:42.08 seconds. Anthony Shaw, Cole Erwin, Carson Erwin and senior Alex Houghton placed 13th overall in 3:44.18 seconds.

May 20, 2023 final Class 1 Results included St. Elizabeth HS junior Kade Wright winning the Class 1 Boys Pole Vault at 13’ 5¼". Green City sophomore Tristin Harrison placed 11th at 9’ 11¼."

Polo sophomore Maverick Gentry won the boys Class 1 discus throw with a distance of 155’ even. Brashear junior Nate Triplett placed 14th overall at 120’5".

Knox County senior Jennifer Hinkle entered the final Javelin competition of a stellar high school career. Like most if not all Missouri Class 2023 seconds, Covid mitigation measures robbed her of a chance to make the state Track and Field meet four times.

The Missouri University at Columbia Track and Field signee was going for her third Class 1 State Javelin medal. Hinkle was ranked third in the Nation by at least one service. She medaled in two previous state meets, but the gold medal dangled just out of reach.

"It feels good," Jennifer Hinkle said after completing her desire to leave Knox County High School as a state Javelin champion. "I felt like I belonged there a long time ago, but it's on record now. So it's great."

Jennifer Hinkle told assembled reporters that she had problems with the runway, but she just had to adjust to it. "I came here to show up. I wish I had hit a bigger mark, but it's completely fine."

"I’m happy with the way things turned out. Getting a state medal, especially first place," Jennifer Hinkle said. "I was kind of disappointed with it," Hinkle said of her desire to establish a new Class 1 girls Javelin state record and win the gold medal.

"I had hit it so many times before this year. I go to Mizzou next year. I can hit it then. First place is first place. I can't complain too much."

Jennifer Hinkle won the 2023 girls Class 1 Javelin Championship with a distance of 141’4". That is nearly 20 feet more than her nearest competitor. Jolene Sorrells of Jamestown HS tossed the disc 121’10" for the silver medal.

Brashear junior Aubrey Borgmeyer placed 12th overall with a distance of 101’4".

Hermitage won the Class 1 Boys 4x800m relay in 8:07.82 seconds. Knox County's Grayson Miller, Austin Jansen, Collin Hayes and John Clark placed 11th overall with a time of 8:53.18 seconds.

Green City junior Asher Buggs-Tipton won the 110m hurdles Class 1 boys championship with a time of 14.92 seconds. Grundy County/Newtown-Harris junior Zackary Cross claimed the bronze medal in15.96 seconds. Brian Peterson took the seventh place medal for the Tigers in 16.69 seconds.

Jarrett Spinnatto won the boy's 100m dash for Tarkio in 11.08 seconds. Asher Buggs Tipton won a Green city seventh place medal in 11.33 seconds.

Myra Wray of South Nodaway HS won the girls 16000m run gold medal in 5:18.99 seconds. Gundy Co/Newtown-Harris junior Molly Milazzo took the fifth place medal in 5:35.70 seconds.

Rylee Jenkins of Rock Port threw the Class 1 girls discus 127’11", winning the gold medal. Knox County senior Jennifer Hinkle placed 11th overall with a distance of 99’7".

Kanden Bolton won the Class 1 boys long jump for Crystal City in 21’ 11¾". Asher Buggs-Tipton won the long jump bronze medal in 21’ 8¾".

Grundy County/Newtown-Harris junior Zackary Cross won the boys 300m low hurdles in 39.96 seconds. Green City junior Asher Buggs-Tipton finished a close second, winning the silver medal in 40.01 seconds.

Tommi Martin won the girls 800m run for Tarkio in 2:19.95 seconds. Canton senior Nariah Clay won the fourth place medal in 2:25.17 seconds. Molly Milazzo won the fifth place medal for Grundy Co./Newtown Harris in 2:26.14 seconds.

Riley Blay won the Class 1 Boys 3200m run gold medal in 9:37.16 seconds. Grundy Co./Newtown-Harris junior Gauge MacGregor took the seventh place medal in 10:30.02 seconds.

Braymer won the boys Class 1 4x400m Relay in 3:31.03 seconds. Hunter Miller, Brian Peterson, Payton miller and Zackary Cross took home 4th pace medals for Grundy Co./Newtown-Harris in 3:34.91 seconds.