Five Eagles Headed To State Meet From Holden Boys Track And Field Team

Holden boys track and field team members Masyn Powell, Cole Zillner, Marshall Doogs, Aiden Christian, and Jayden Ring earned qualifications for the Class 3 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships by recording top-four placings at the Class 3, Sectional 4 Meet held at Holden High School Saturday, May 11.

Powell and Christian recorded sectional titles in events, Powell and Doogs each earned two state meet qualifications in events. Powell and Zillner both return to the state meet as Doogs, Christian, and Ring will make their first state meet appearances. In total, Holden will send five Eagles and four Lady Eagles to the state meet.

“Today was such a great day for Holden track and field,” said Holden track and field coach David Diener. “For us to be able to qualify nine individuals is outstanding. Along with todays successes we had lots of fifth-place finishes. For those athletes to put in the effort and work to fall just short is hard to swallow, but I couldn’t be more proud of how our program has grown this year and how competitive we have become across all areas of the track and field events. I am looking forward to seeing how our athletes perform at state and the progress these athletes will make for next year.”

Powell followed up a district championship in the 110m hurdles the week before by notching a sectional title in the race with a time of 14.81 seconds.
Powell placed second in the 300m hurdles at the sectional meet with a time of 41.19 seconds as the previous hurdles state medalist and 110m hurdles school record holder returns to the state meet in Jefferson City for the third consecutive season. Powell stepped onto the state medal podium last year as he gathered a third-place all-state medal in the 110m hurdles, and a fourth-place all-state medal in the 300m hurdles.

“Masyn is set to cap off his great hurdling career here this weekend,” said coach Diener of the senior four-year team member. “I know he is ready. He proved that this week in his races. I am proud of his season and his career, but ready to cap it with some more state medals.”

Christian won shot put at the sectional meet by posting a sectional championship distance of 15.32m.

Doogs took third place in the shot put with a distance of 14.8m, and earned a second state meet qualification by finishing as runner-up in discus with a second-place toss of 42.62m.

The Holden track program will send a total of three shot putters to the state meet as Lady Eagle freshman Brionna Johnson placed third on the girls side to join the senior Doogs and the junior Christian in state meet qualifications.

“I am proud of the job coach Weddle has done getting our athletes ready for the state series run,” said coach Diener in regard to throwers coach Mark Weddle. “They have continued to PR in almost every meet this year and that goes to their athletic ability and attention to coach Weddle’s instructions. They are set up for a fun weekend on both days.”

Zillner placed fourth in high jump at the sectional meet with a height of 1.86m as the senior is set to return to the state meet in the event after placing ninth at the state meet last year with top-eight finishers earning all-state medals.

“He has had the goal of getting a state medal and now has that chance, and I believe he will have a good day,” said coach Diener of Zillner.
Ring soared to a sectional meet third-place finish in pole vault with a height of 3.42m. The junior Ring will be joined by sophomore Lady Eagle pole vaulter Addilyn Wooster on the girls side.

“Both of our pole vaulters have worked really hard this year with coach Hankins perfecting their craft,” said coach Diener in reference to vault coach Kim Hankins. “So many things go into being a successful vaulter, and they have pieced their season together to be jumping their highest at the right time.”

Eagle athletes turning in fifth-place finishes at the sectional meet included juniors Rett Hankins who timed out in a personal record time of 4:34.91 in the 1600m run, and Sauren Folson who placed fifth in javelin with a throw of 40.13m.

Eagle hurdler Daniel Mailath placed sixth in the 300m hurdles with a time of 17.24m to close out his junior year postseason run. The Holden boys 4x200m relay team of freshman Brody Bockover, junior Sam Comer, and seniors Powell and Reco Jenkins placed sixth at the sectional meet with a time of 1:33.63.

“Many of our athletes put their best marks and times down for the year and came up just short,” said coach Diener. “All I can ask of them is their best, and they gave it on Saturday. When the best falls just short of qualification it makes it tough, but overall I am proud of them.”

The Holden boys track and field team placed third in the team standings among 25 teams represented at the Class 3, Sectional 4 Meet.

The Class 3 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships are set for this Friday and Saturday, May 17 – 18, at Adkins Stadium on the campus of Jefferson City High School.