Southwest’s Fab Four fly through sectionals
The Fab Four: Otis Rainer, Caden Uthe, Christian Long, and Travis Sickles
May 19, 2021
Lee Stubblefield
Caden Uthe’s miraculous finishing kick in the 400 meter race capped off a historic day for the Southwest Trojans track and field program.The Fab Four qualified for state in the 4x800 meter relay, and both Travis Sickles and Uthe qualified in their individual events, albeit in stark contrast.
Like the week before at Reeds Spring, the weather figured heavily in the meet. Only one running event - the Class 1 girls 3200 meter run - was completed before nearby lightning strikes caused a stadium-clearing delay. Competition resumed at 11:20, although the Class 2 girls shrieked in dismay as heavy rain bathed the start of their two mile event.
But a window of good weather appeared just in time for the boys long run.
TWENTY ONE SECONDS
Then Sickles, already the Southwest record holder with the only sub-10 minute 3200s in school history, ran a stunning 9:36.47 for second place behind state cross country champ, Sam Shuman of Spokane. Sickles lowered his own record by 21 seconds in that race. TWENTY ONE SECONDS. To put that in perspective, that’s like beating his former self by over 100 meters.
After getting smoked by Shuman in the last 400 at districts, Sickles was more mentally prepared at Sarcoxie. He hit the first mile in 4:50, trailing Shuman and Plato’s David Held. A lap later, it was just Shuman and Sickles, as Held faltered. While Shuman held on for a narrow win, Sickles ran 4:45 over the final four laps and moved into rare air for high school distance runners with his sub 9:40 performance.
9:36.47 is a Southwest school record that may last forever. Or at least until next week at state.
Fab x Four = state qualifier
“We changed our relay order so we would know what was in front of us,” said Southwest’s Steve Voyak before the longest relay event. Sophomore Otis Rainer led off, followed by 400 specialist Uthe, and distance horses Christian Long and Sickles. Voyak’s strategy paid off, with Long moving up into second, and Sickles cruising home in fourth place with a tactical run to secure the final qualifying spot in the event in 8:43.04.
Sectional champ
With a decent recovery after the relay, Sickles was pumped for the 1600 meter race. After a slow first lap when none of the stud runners wanted to lead, Sickles burst out in front and never looked back. He beat Shuman for the first time at any distance, posting a personal best 4:30.64 to earn a gold medal.
“It’s incredibly difficult to qualify for state in three races in three hours,” Steve Voyak reflected after Sickles won the 1600. “He set the tone in the two mile and just rode that momentum the rest of the day. I thought he might be a little sluggish in the mile, but he ran away from some of the best milers in the state to a fairly easy win.”
Worst to fourth
Next up, Caden Uthe in the Class 2 boys 400 meter. A lackadaisical start put Uthe behind schedule, and he trailed the field of eight runners at the 200 meter mark. But the Southwest junior came to life in the home stretch, driving past runners to the finish to claim fourth place. His 53.89 state-qualifying time was a personal best.
Big PR, no cigar
The only disappointment of the day for the Trojans fell on the shoulders of Christian Long.
Long’s best previous 800 meter time was 2:07.09. He hung in against a star-studded field, running 2:05.15, but finished fifth and did not qualify in his individual event.
But Southwest has some big goals for state.
The Trojans have never medalled at state in a relay event. No Southwest boy has ever won an individual event at the state meet. Likewise, no Southwest boy has ever won more than two medals at the state meet. Daniel Stubblefield, the former school record holder in the 3200, pulled that feat back in 2004, taking 4th in the 3200 and 6th in the 1600.
The Fab Four relay could threaten for a medal with a season’s PR. Sickles has a chance for three medals as he takes aim at the top spots in the 1600 and 3200 meter races.
The Class 2 state track meet will be held on Friday at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.
Wheaton’s Chad Myer qualifies for state track in three events
Chad Myer of Wheaton pulled the trifecta at Sarcoxie on Saturday, qualifying for the Class 1 state track meet in three individual events. Myer won the 200 meter dash (23.12), finished second in the 100 (11.69), and placed third in the javelin (42.49m).
Monica Hinojosa will travel to state with Myer, after claiming second in the shot (9.52m).
The Class 1 state track meet will be held on Saturday at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.
Lee Stubblefield
Caden Uthe’s miraculous finishing kick in the 400 meter race capped off a historic day for the Southwest Trojans track and field program.The Fab Four qualified for state in the 4x800 meter relay, and both Travis Sickles and Uthe qualified in their individual events, albeit in stark contrast.
Like the week before at Reeds Spring, the weather figured heavily in the meet. Only one running event - the Class 1 girls 3200 meter run - was completed before nearby lightning strikes caused a stadium-clearing delay. Competition resumed at 11:20, although the Class 2 girls shrieked in dismay as heavy rain bathed the start of their two mile event.
But a window of good weather appeared just in time for the boys long run.
TWENTY ONE SECONDS
Then Sickles, already the Southwest record holder with the only sub-10 minute 3200s in school history, ran a stunning 9:36.47 for second place behind state cross country champ, Sam Shuman of Spokane. Sickles lowered his own record by 21 seconds in that race. TWENTY ONE SECONDS. To put that in perspective, that’s like beating his former self by over 100 meters.
After getting smoked by Shuman in the last 400 at districts, Sickles was more mentally prepared at Sarcoxie. He hit the first mile in 4:50, trailing Shuman and Plato’s David Held. A lap later, it was just Shuman and Sickles, as Held faltered. While Shuman held on for a narrow win, Sickles ran 4:45 over the final four laps and moved into rare air for high school distance runners with his sub 9:40 performance.
9:36.47 is a Southwest school record that may last forever. Or at least until next week at state.
Fab x Four = state qualifier
“We changed our relay order so we would know what was in front of us,” said Southwest’s Steve Voyak before the longest relay event. Sophomore Otis Rainer led off, followed by 400 specialist Uthe, and distance horses Christian Long and Sickles. Voyak’s strategy paid off, with Long moving up into second, and Sickles cruising home in fourth place with a tactical run to secure the final qualifying spot in the event in 8:43.04.
Sectional champ
With a decent recovery after the relay, Sickles was pumped for the 1600 meter race. After a slow first lap when none of the stud runners wanted to lead, Sickles burst out in front and never looked back. He beat Shuman for the first time at any distance, posting a personal best 4:30.64 to earn a gold medal.
“It’s incredibly difficult to qualify for state in three races in three hours,” Steve Voyak reflected after Sickles won the 1600. “He set the tone in the two mile and just rode that momentum the rest of the day. I thought he might be a little sluggish in the mile, but he ran away from some of the best milers in the state to a fairly easy win.”
Worst to fourth
Next up, Caden Uthe in the Class 2 boys 400 meter. A lackadaisical start put Uthe behind schedule, and he trailed the field of eight runners at the 200 meter mark. But the Southwest junior came to life in the home stretch, driving past runners to the finish to claim fourth place. His 53.89 state-qualifying time was a personal best.
Big PR, no cigar
The only disappointment of the day for the Trojans fell on the shoulders of Christian Long.
Long’s best previous 800 meter time was 2:07.09. He hung in against a star-studded field, running 2:05.15, but finished fifth and did not qualify in his individual event.
But Southwest has some big goals for state.
The Trojans have never medalled at state in a relay event. No Southwest boy has ever won an individual event at the state meet. Likewise, no Southwest boy has ever won more than two medals at the state meet. Daniel Stubblefield, the former school record holder in the 3200, pulled that feat back in 2004, taking 4th in the 3200 and 6th in the 1600.
The Fab Four relay could threaten for a medal with a season’s PR. Sickles has a chance for three medals as he takes aim at the top spots in the 1600 and 3200 meter races.
The Class 2 state track meet will be held on Friday at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.
Wheaton’s Chad Myer qualifies for state track in three events
Chad Myer of Wheaton pulled the trifecta at Sarcoxie on Saturday, qualifying for the Class 1 state track meet in three individual events. Myer won the 200 meter dash (23.12), finished second in the 100 (11.69), and placed third in the javelin (42.49m).
Monica Hinojosa will travel to state with Myer, after claiming second in the shot (9.52m).
The Class 1 state track meet will be held on Saturday at Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.