TRACK TEAM BOASTS MAGIC AND WHIZARDRY: Bartlesville thinclads show potential of glory
On the eve of this weekend’s tune-up at the Frontier Valley Conference meet, Bartlesville High’s track team could produce a rash of success this postseason.
The FVC championships are a launching pad into next week’s Class 6A regionals, which will determine what athletes advance to state (May 13-14).
The conference meet “is where we kind of fine-tune where we’re at,” Bartlesville head track coach David Ayres said. “We’ll look to settle on relay run orders, what people are going to be running. It’s a final chance where we want things to be at the regional.”
Heading into the conference test, Bartlesville boasts several of state’s top marks.
Going into this weekend, senior girls pole vaulter Quincy Turner is the only female so far to have cleared 12-feet (12-feet-6) in 6A.
“Quincey has had some great practices this week,” Ayres said. “She’s super motivated for the regionals and state.”
Turner is the returning state silver medalist from last season.
Bartlesville’s Ragen Hodge is tied for the best high jump mark (5-feet-6) in Class 6A.
“Ragen is continuing to jump well,” Ayres said. Hodge was hampered last season by injuries but has come close this season to the school record.
A pair of Lady Bruin long jumpers are establishing themselves as the best in the state — freshman Kadance Barnett owns the top mark (18-feet-6.75) and sophomore Campbell Barta has reached 17-feet-10.
Barnett smashed the previous school record (17-10) on her last jump at the John Jacobs (Oklahoma) Invitational a week ago, Ayres noted.
“Campbell was beating her at 17-foot-8. Kadance had jumped 17-2,” Ayres said. But, Barnett put it all together on her last attempt to soar well past 18 feet.
“I’m real proud of her,” Ayres said. “She and Campbell are definitely the best long jump duo in the state. … Both are tops in the region. Kadance is a great kid. She’s very coachable and fun to coach.”
Both young ladies also have plenty of propulsion as runners.
Barta has ran state’s third-fastest time in the girls 200m mark (:25.07) and set a new school mark. Barta and Barnett are tied for 11th-quickest 100m time (:12.54).
Bartlesville girls also are ranked in the Top 10 in both the 4x200m and 4x400m relays.
The Lady Bruins also are the only team with two girls in the top eight in the shot put — Jaiden Stevenson, No. 7 (37-feet-8.75) and Logan Cates, No. 8 (37-feet-8.5).
Cates ranks No. 9 in the girls discus (115-8).
Ayres also highlighted the progress of Chloe Robbins and Parker Fielder.
He said he’s looking forward to seeing Stevenson compete for the first time in regionals and hopefully state for Bartlesville.
The transfer student-athlete “is a real nice kid,” Ayres said. “She has a lot of fun throwing the shot and discus.”
On the boys side, Jack Wahl is tied for second in the state in the high jump (6-6).
Kade Bostwick sits at No. 8 in the boys pole vault (13-0, tied).
Providing strong senior leadership for the boys are Dayton Austin, Charlie Cutts, Evan Gunter, Gage Keaton, Morgan King and Charlie Olsen, Ayres said.
Cutts “is like having another coach,” Ayres said.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Focus on Bartlesville High track
