Lawson track and field athlete achieves rare feat

Jasmine Kassanavoid of Lawson had cause for refection last Saturday after concluding her high school track and field career with a second-place finish in the shot put event in the Missouri Class 2 state track and field championships in Jefferson City.

According to information given her, Kassanavoid became only the second girl in Lawson high school history to win a state medal in the same event for four years. Her highlights include a state championship as a sophomore.

“Coming here four years in a row is fun,” said Kassanavoid, whose second-place put spanned 39 feet, 9 ¼ inches. “I guess I’m glad that I’m done with high school now and can move on.”

Kassanavoid will soon begin life at Park University where she expects to play volleyball and basketball.

The Orrick girls scored 16 points in the Class 1 championships on the strength of three medal-earning performances on the first day of competition last Friday. Even the Bearcats’ 3,200-meter relay team, once stinging from an injury to a veteran member, recovered well and finished fifth, thanks to a surprise contribution from newest member Bailee Jeffries, a sophomore.

“We didn’t know she could run an 800,” junior Meghan Swartz said, “and she did.”

Early in the season, the team needed to replace Amanda Rodenburg, who suffered a knee injury from participating in another sport. This 3,200 team had previously won a medal at state, so it needed a strong runner to keep the streak alive.

West Platte junior Dirk Hudson scored the Blue Jays boys’ only eight points with a second-place finish in the 3,200. He held off Ash Grove sophomore Austin Slagle to finish the race in 9 minutes, 51 seconds.

Lawson sophomore Jordan Akers and the 800-meter relay team won points. Akers placed eighth in the high jump, and the relay team of sophomore Jake Akers, senior Steven Aquino, sophomore Derek Biddix and junior Marcus Hales was seventh.

submitted by CANDACE BUCKNER - 2009-05-26 14:15:01

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