Mecklenburg, Washington capture gold
KHS boys earn fifth place at home invitational meet
KHS SENIOR Braxton Mecklenburg clears the bar at 5 feet, 8 inches to win first in the high jump last Friday. The height was the only one Mecklenburg attempted on the day. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
Braxton Mecklenburg had a nice, easy day at the track last week.
The Kingfisher High School senior attempted only two jumps, but one was good enough to win the boys’ high jump during the 11th annual Kingfisher High School Track and Field Invitational last Friday.
Mecklenburg didn’t make an attempt until the bar reached 5 feet, 8 inches, by which time all but one competitor had bowed out of the competition.
The only other jumper to clear 5-6 was Merritt’s Luke Peffer, who was unable to do the same at 5-8.
Mecklenburg, last year’s Class 4A state runner-up in the event, made his first attempt of the meet at 5-8… and grazed the bar.
On his second attempt, however, he cleared it with ease to win the gold medal.
Mecklenburg and Muldrow’s Trenden Collins have the two best jumps in 4A this year at 6-2. Collins was the state
Collins was the state champ last season.
Mecklenburg is currently nursing a left knee injury after hyper-extending it during the long jump at the Watonga meet on April 1. He made no further attempts after securing the first-place finish on his home track.
He was one of two KHS boys athletes to win events.
Fellow senior Maximus Washington, who earlier in the day was beaten for the first time this season in the 100 meter dash, came back to win the 200.
He finished in 24.24 to edge Casady’s Blake Mahoney (24.42) and Anadarko’s Terrance Johnson (24.76).
Washington was the runner-up in the 100 with a time of 12.00. Devin Simmons of Elk City won in 11.6.
Connor Hine, Kale Hart, Washington and Cade Cooper combined to take home silver in the 800 relay.
Hine was also the runner-up in the 400.
Harrison Evans was the silver medalist in the shot put with a throw of 41-8.
The KHS boys netted 74 points to finish fifth in the team standings.
Elk City’s 106 points were three better than Tuttle in the team race.
Anadarko was third with 97 and Casady fourth with 93.5.
Boys Team Standings
Elk City 106
Tuttle 103
Anadarko 97
Casady 93.5
Kingfisher 74
Merritt 47
OKC Knights 28
Woodward 20.5
Clinton 20
Cashion 7