Meaningful mile for KHS

Katon Lunsford locked up a spot in the Class 4A state track and field meet early on in the day at last Saturday’s regional.

Then came the disappointments.

The Kingfisher High School senior took fourth in the 800 meter run and later was fifth in the mile on the track at Chisholm High School.

Only the top three placers in each event are guaranteed spots at state.

Lunsford’s times in the 800 and mile left her just out of the mix as an additional qualifier.

Her time in the 800 missed out by less than a half-second.

Toward the end of the meet, Lunsford ran the mile. Again, she barely missed the cut.

She had one more chance: The 1,600 meter relay.

Working against her was the fact the two events were back-to-back.

The relay race was just minutes after Lunsford finished the mile.

Lunsford was set to run the anchor leg. Fellow senior Demi Roden would get the Lady Jackets started, then hand off to yet another senior, Kina Frost.

Taylor Mills was set to run the third leg.

The gun sounded on the race and just as Roden was catching steam on her leg, the gun sounded again.

Timing issues forced them to stop the race.

Instead of immediately restarting, meet officials decided to run the relays for the 3A and 4A boys before restarting the 4A girls race.

“I’m sure Demi was ready to run, but that gave me over an hour to catch my breath and recover from the mile before running again, which was great.”

By the time Lunsford got the baton, Kingfisher was in third place.

She knew what was at stake.

“After missing out on qualifying for state in the mile, I wasn’t only determined to make it for myself, but the relay team as well,” she said. “Three of us are seniors, so it’s our last chance to ever get to compete at state.

“That really gave me a good mindset and helped fuel me to keep our spot.”

Normally, Lunsford is a fast starter. She’s not known for a strong kick down the stretch.

“But I knew I had to dig in during that last 200,” she said. “I needed to dig in to finish hard and get us to state.”

Lunsford did just that. KHS finished third, four seconds ahead of Perkins-Tryon, sending the quartet to state.

It capped a long day that saw the KHS girls finish as regional runners-up.

Weatherford, the defending 4A state champ, raced to the regional title with 203 points.

KHS secured 92 points and Cushing was third with 80.

Lunsford and the other Lady Jacket qualifiers will compete at state Friday and Saturday at Catoosa High School.

Four events at that meet will feature Ally Stephenson.

Once again, Stephenson won four gold medals - three of them in dominating fashion.

Her closest event is the one in which she owns two state titles - the high jump.

Stephenson, who has signed to compete in track and field at the University of Oklahoma, won the regional championship after clearing 5 feet, 4 inches.

That bested Weatherford’s Peyton Foster, whose best jump was 5-2.

Foster also finished as the runner-up to Stephenson in the long jump and the 100 meter hurdles.

Stephenson’s best effort in the long jump was 18-0. Foster’s was 16-5.5.

In the 100 hurdles, Stephenson crossed the line in 15.12, nearly a second faster than Foster’s 16.07.

She was even more dominant in the 300 hurdles.

Stephenson captured her fourth win of the day in 45.35 seconds. Gracie Kimball of Mannford was second in 48.62.

Stephenson’s two hurdles times were the second-fastest among 4A regional competitors.

The best times belonged to Madi Surber of Tuttle, the defending state champion in both events.

Stephenson will also go up against the reigning state champion in the long jump in Cache’s Madisyn Crandall, who edged Stephenson in the event a year ago.

Mills will join Lunsford in competing in two relays at state.

The two were joined by Chesni Newkirk and Jacee Mueggenborg to finish second behind Weatherford in the 3,200 meter relay.

Liberty Starr locked up a spot at state in the two-mile run by taking third.

Dani Rios-Ramirez was fourth in the pole vault, but her best jump of 8-0 was good enough to get her in state as an additional qualifier.

“I thought we competed very well,” head coach Kerri Lafferty said. “Our relays ran PRs (personal records), which is what you want heading into state.

“I thought we might be able to slip in more individual runners, but we fell just a little short in some races. But we’re excited for those who made it and we know the kids are anxious to get there and compete.”