Running down records
Lady Jackets take down 2 school records, medal in 6 events at state
KHS SOPHOMORE Scout Snodgrass (above) is pictured at the start of the 800 meter run at the Class 4A state track and field meet. Snodgrass won four medals at state, including in two relays that also set school records. The second of those was the 1,600 met
TALOR MECKLENBURG (far right, top photo) set a PR in Saturday’s finals of the 100 meter hurdles at the Class 4A state track and field meet. She finished sixth to make the medal stand. Below is Mattie Slezickey running the third leg of the 1,600 meter re
Gold medals didn’t come home with the Kingfisher High School girls track and field team from last weekend’s Class 4A state meet.
But two school records and several personal-best performances did take place, which made it a successful two days at Catoosa High School.
KHS scored in six of the seven events in which it qualified, good for 41 points and eighth place in the team standings.
In fact, the Lady Jackets didn’t just score in those events - they earned medals in each of them, which meant a top-six finish or better.
On top of that, Kingfisher set a personal record (PR) at least - in every individual event and relay at state.
“All of them ran PR, which is how you want to end the year,” said head coach Kerri Lafferty.
“We could not have asked for anything more.”
Kingfisher began its run through the meet on Friday with a medal-winning and record-breaking performance.
At the regional meet last Monday, the foursome of Kinley Taylor, Mattie Slezickey, Lily Lunsford and Scout Snodgrass broke a 22-year-old school record in the 3,200 meter relay.
Their time of 9:54.25 eclipsed the old mark of 9:57.10.
That record lasted all of four days.
That same group ran 9:48.17 at state, good for second place behind Pauls Valley.
In less than a week, the quartet had shaved nearly nine seconds off the former school record.
Three of them weren’t done.
In the last race of the meet late Saturday afternoon, Abbie Myers joined Taylor, Slezickey and Snodgrass in the 1,600 meter relay.
They had missed the school record by just .04 second during the regional meet.
They didn’t fall short this time around.
Snodgrass burned the final leg, made up two spots on the field and crossed the finish line at the 4:04.41 mark.
That broke the 48-year-old record of 4:06.6 set in 1976 by (maiden names) Kim Hallren, Robin Blair, Kara Cowell and Susan Mueggenborg.
In a reply on the Times & Free Press Facebook page post about the new record, Susan (Mueggenborg) Donnelly posted a photo of the former record holders from the May 13, 1976, edition of the Kingfisher Times.
“Congratulations from the 1976 record holders!” she wrote.
In another reply, Kara (Cowell) Gill wrote: “Wow. 48 years ago. Can’t believe that!”
Lafferty said both of those school records were within her relay teams’ sights from the beginning of this season.
“We set a goal to try to break both of those records,” Lafferty said.
“We knew we had the talent to accomplish it and finally made it happen. We’re so proud of the girls and the hard work they put in.”
In between those two races, Kingfisher made multiple other trips to the medal stand.
Two of them were by Snodgrass.
The sophomore had a busy Saturday as she ran the finals of both the 800 meter run and the 400 meter dash prior to her anchor leg in the mile relay.
She finished both races in fourth place.
Snodgrass ran the 800 in 2:18.21, nearly two seconds faster than the time she ran Monday to win the regional.
She followed that up with a 58.72 in the 400, nearly a half-second faster than at the regional.
After her 400, Snodgrass said she felt “off” that day. “For some reason, I just feel drained today,” she said.
Her times didn’t show it. Despite feeling “drained,” Snodgrass ran her leg of the mile relay in 58.55.
She got the baton in seventh place and made up two spots, nearly running down Tuttle for fourth.
“Scout was phenomenal,” said Lafferty. “She showed a lot of determination and heart both days. I’m so proud of her.”
KHS also medaled in both hurdle events.
Myers was fifth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 47.98.
That time was nearly two seconds faster than her best time of the season going into the regional.
She trimmed it down to 48.44 at the regional in Moore and then knocked nearly a half-second more off her PR at state.
Talor Mecklenburg did much the same thing in the 100 meter hurdles.
The junior’s best time of the season was 17.28 seconds going into the postseason.
During Friday’s prelims, Mecklenburg ran a 16.95, good for the seventh seed and a spot in the finals.
In the finals on Saturday, Mecklenburg chewed more time off of her PR with a 16.75, placing her sixth overall.
Douglass won the state title with 76 points, five more than runner-up Pauls Valley.
Weatherford was third with 70.
Every athlete who scored points for KHS returns next season.
“We set school records and we set a bunch of PRs,” Lafferty said. “The girls worked hard and were rewarded and, as coaches, that’s what we love to see.”