The Wright City boys track and field team used five first place finishes to earn a second place finish at last weekend’s district competition. 

The Wright City boys track and field team placed fourth or better in seven events at last weekend’s Class 3, District 3 meet. The Wildcats earned 89 team points, just 5.5 points short of the team district title. The Wright City girls track and field team advanced to sectionals in four events. 

“We ran really, really well,” Wright City track and field coach Fred Ross said. “I think we had seven or eight personal records on Saturday. So you’re really pleased with that. Especially how we reacted with the schedule being delayed and rain delay and cool down and warm up.”

Wright City senior Jeremiah Davis led the Wildcats with four first place finishes in the district competition. Davis won the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. Davis ran the 400-meter dash in 50.05 to set a school record. He also set a school record in the 200-meter preliminary race with a time of 21.94. He also anchored the 4x200-meter relay to a first place finish, along with Devin Myers, Blake Hogan and David Riggs. The four Wildcat athletes set a new school record time. They ran the relay in 1:31.05. They won the relay by 0.12 seconds. 

“He’s just getting better and better and peaking at the right time,” Ross said. “I think he set a couple more school records in the individuals and did what needed to be done. He had probably the hardest day and it may have actually helped him out to have some breaks. Having to run prelims in the 100 and 200 and so actually it helped him out in that aspect.”

Isaiah Yoder also registered a first place finish for the Wildcats. He will compete at next week’s sectional meet in two events. Yoder won the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:24.02. He placed third in the 1600-meter run. He ran the 1600-meter race in 4:50.15. 

Riggs will compete in the 800-meter run at the sectional meet. He placed second at the district competition with a time of 2:01.08. 

The Lady Wildcats will compete in four events at the sectional meet after placing fourth or better in the events at the district meet. Kaedyn Johnson placed first in the pole vault at last weekend’s district meet. She finished with a mark of 2.43 meters. Elizabeth Riggs placed third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.71 seconds. Emma Staats will also compete in the sectional meet after placing fourth in the javelin. She finished with a mark of 28.39 meters, 

The Lady Wildcats placed third in the 4x400-meter relay to advance to this weekend’s sectional meet. Lindsay Pettus, Teagen Riley, Riggs and Lydia Clubb ran the relay in 4:25.70. 

The sectional qualifiers will compete at the Class 3, Sectional 2 competition Saturday at Mexico High School. The top four finishers in each event will advance to the state meet later this month. 

“It gets a little tighter,” Ross said. “There’s no room for mistakes because all these teams are really good. We’ve got some good times going in and hopefully we can improve on those times and move up. Like I told the kids, it doesn’t really matter about time and distances now. It’s top four. So you just have to beat four other people and you get to go.”