Olathe East’s Reid wins 6A high jump on last attempt

Source: The Star

ALLISON LONG | The Kansas City Star

With the bar at 5 feet, 2 inches, Olathe East senior Ashley Reid (above) appeared on course to win the 6A high jump Friday at Cessna Stadium in Wichita. But Tahlia Pope of Wichita Heights made Reid earn the gold.

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WICHITA | There was plenty on the line for the final attempt of Olathe East high jumper Ashley Reid’s high school career.

Well, mainly a state title. But her legacy was at stake, too. Another gold medal at the Kansas state track meet and Reid, a senior, would win the event for the third year in a row.

Problem was, she needed to clear 5 feet, 6 inches — a mark she had already failed at twice on Friday — on her third attempt or she would take second place.

Enough to make anyone sweat a little, right?

But Reid rose to the occasion, clearing the mark and clinching her third consecutive 6A state title at Cessna Stadium.

“It was either jump higher or go home,” she said.

Until that point, both Reid and Wichita Heights sophomore Tahlia Pope, the second-place finisher, had been able to only clear 5-4. However, Pope would have won in a tie breaker because Reid had scratched on more jumps.

Reid wasn’t the only girl from Olathe East to bring home an individual title. Senior Courtney Reinke won the 6A girls triple jump with a mark of 39-9 ¼.

The Hawks lead the 6A girls’ team competition heading into today with 37 points. SM Northwest is second with 26.

•MALLORY SOARS: Injuries have hampered Gardner Edgerton senior Isaac Mallory all season, but he put it all together when it mattered.

Mallory, who won the 5A boys pole vault for the second year in a row with a mark of 16-3, missed the first month of the season because of knee problems and didn’t pick up his first victory in the event until last week’s regional.

Mallory was just happy he could return in time to win another title.

“This season has been a little up and down,” Mallory said. “But if I would have been injured all season, I would have missed out on this.”

Gardner Edgerton leads the boys’ team title race with a score of 30 points, but Newton is right behind with 28.5. On the girls’ side in 5A, Mill Valley leads with 30 points.

•SWANEPOEL TOPS BYERS: Shawnee Mission South junior Johannes Swanepoel defended his 6A state title in the javelin by winning with a throw of 214-5.

Swanepoel also managed to exact a little revenge. He beat Wichita East senior Matt Byers, who finished second, in their first meeting since Byers beat Swanepoel head to head at the Kansas Relays in April.

“That made me want to beat him a little more,” Swanepoel said.

•HARPER MEDALS AGAIN: Leavenworth senior Chey Harper won the 6A state title in the shot put for the second time in three years with a throw of 43-7 ½.

Harper, who last won the event in 2007, said she was happy to end her high school career on a championship note.

“I knew I could win,” Harper said. “I just figured: ‘Why not go out on top?’ ”

•WILLIAMS REPEATS: Maranatha junior Keegan Williams won the 2A girls pole vault for the second year in a row with a mark of 10-6.

Etc.•Washington sophomore Le’Tristan Pledger won the 5A girls long jump with a mark of 19-10¾. The victory gives her four career gold medals (all in individual events) at state.

•The KC area produced several individual first-time champions on Friday:

Leavenworth junior Jacob Rowe won the 6A boys triple jump (46 feet, 6¼ inches), Bishop Miege senior Cameron Taylor won the 5A boys long jump (23-1), Mill Valley junior Jasa DuMontelle won the 5A girls high jump (5-4), Lawrence Free State junior Drue Davis won the girls 6A pole vault (11-6), Louisburg senior Vernon Sublett III won the 4A boys triple jump (46-2), Olathe South senior Reggie Harris won the 6A boys long jump (22-5½), and Immaculata senior Louis Novak won the 2A boys shot put (53-11).

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2009-05-29 23:18:01