Experiment results in record
Stephenson sets new mark during initial foray into long jump
KHS JUNIOR Ally Stephenson, who already owned the school record in the high jump, set a new mark in the long jump during last weekend’s meet at Bethany. It was her first time to compete in the event. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug
Try it and see what happens.
Though not always great advice to follow depending on the circumstances, those words of wisdom worked out well last weekend for Ally Stephenson.
In her first long jump competition ever, Stephenson not only won the event at the Bethany High School Invitational, she also set a new school record.
The Kingfisher High School junior covered 17 feet, 4 inches to beat the runner-up by 11 inches.
It also broke the top KHS mark of 16-7.5 set by Kristi McMullin in 2003.
Stephenson also won the high jump (an event in which she’s the reigning 4A state champ and school record holder) and was a part of the gold medal-winning 800 meter relay team and third-place mile relay team.
She led KHS to 123.5 team points, just one-half point shy of Bishop McGuinness, which won the team title.
Despite being a prolific high jumper, Stephenson had never competed in the long jump at any level.
“Most high jumpers can long jump as well, so we thought Ally would have a great chance at being successful,” coach Kerri Lafferty said.
“We told her to try it this first meet just to see what would happen.”
History happened.
That despite Stephenson having limited practice in the event.
“I probably practiced three or four times for about 30 minutes each time,” she said.
With this being the first meet of the season, Stephenson and her coach are confident she will only improve.
“I feel like the more I practice and learn the techniques, it will help me improve,” Stephenson said.
Lafferty agreed: “She will be flying by the end of the season.”
Stephenson won the high jump with a leap of 5-2.
She was joined by Andrea Becerra, Demi Roden and Makina Frost to win the 800 relay.
Becerra, Frost, Stephenson and Emmy Lunsford joined up to take bronze in the mile relay.
Frost also won individual gold as she claimed first in the 100 hurdles. She was also third in the 300 hurdles as teammate Emily Myers took second.
The two-mile relay squad of Zoey Evans, Lunsford, Jacee Mueggenborg and Becerra also took first place.
Matthew Stone had an impressive showing in his first appearance as a KHS track team member.
Stone won the 400, was second in the long jump and part of the silver medal mile relay team. He also took eighth in the 100.
The KHS boys scored 80.5 points to finish fourth overall.
Bethany won the event with 141 points while Shawnee was second with 93.
Stone ran the 400 in 52.29 and leapt 20-4 in the long jump.
Connor Hine, Dynton Townsend and Mason Mecklenburg, who also had a standout day, were his teammates on the relay team.
Hine, Townsend, Mecklenburg and Max Washington were also third in the 800 relay.
Mecklenburg also medaled in the 200 (second) and 100 (third).
Following are the top-five team standings and events in which KHS athletes scored points for their respective teams:
Boys
Bethany 141
Shawnee 93
McGuinness 90
Kingfisher 80.5
Mustang 66.5
(12 teams total)
110 hurdles - Ben Reherman, 2nd, 18.21
800 - Maddox Mecklenburg, 8th, 2:16.94
800 relay - (Max Washington, Connor Hine, Dynton Townsend, Mason Mecklenburg), 3rd, 1:35.93
100 - Mason Mecklenburg, 3rd, 11.40; Matthew Stone, 8th, 11.85
400 - Stone, 1st, 52.29300 hurdles - Reherman, 4th, 46.01
200 - Mason Mecklenburg, 2nd, 23.73
1,600 - Jayden Newkirk, 7th, 5:02.12
1,600 relay - (Hine, Stone, Townsend, Mason Mecklenburg), 2nd, 3:44.85
Pole vault - Kase Simon, 6th, 7-0
Long jump - Stone, 2nd, 20-4
Shot put - Harrison Evans, 8th, 36-8
Girls
McGuinness 124
Kingfisher 123.5
Shawnee 79.5
Woodward 75
Bethany 60
(14 teams total)
400 relay - (Ally Scammahorn, Hannah Francis, Zaylynn Lopez, Ashley Casillas), 7th, 58.67
3,200 relay - (Zoey Evans, Emmy Lunsford, Jacee Mueggenborg, Andrea Becerra), 1st, 11:02.94
100 hurdles - Makina Frost, 1st, 18.32; Emily Myers, 5th, 18.75
800 - Emmy Lunsford, 8th, 2:53.7
800 relay - (Becerra, Demi Roden, Frost, Ally Stephenson), 1st, 1:53.22
3,200 - Zoey Evans, 2nd, 13:05.06; Jacee Mueggenborg, 5th, 13:53.15
300 hurdles - Myers, 2nd, 53.12; Frost, 3rd, 54.08; Demi Roden, 5th, 56.36
1,600 - Evans, 6th, 6:10.37
1,600 relay - (Becerra, Lunsford, Frost, Stephenson), 3rd, 4:38.12
High jump - Stephenson, 1st, 5-2
Pole vault - Dani Rios-Ramirez, 5th, 6-0
Long jump - Stephenson, 1st, 17-4