The New Bloomfield boys left Monroe City on Saturday with several state qualifiers.
The Wildcats competed in the Class 2 Sectional 2 meet, earning five state nods. Senior Nathan Hinrichs won the 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run, sophomore Hunter Dawson won the 110-meter hurdles and was the runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles, and the 4x400-meter relay team will compete Friday and Saturday at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City.
Hinrichs raced to a season-best time of 4:30.48 in the 1,600 meters, which was better than the runner-up time of 4:33.46 owned by Calvary Lutheran’s Kyle Hagemeyer. Hinrichs also finished with a season-best time of 10:04.46 in the 3,200 meters, beating the runner-up time of 10:26.96 set by South Shelby’s Noah Wilt.
Dawson finished each of his hurdle events with a couple of personal bests, winning the 110 meters with a time of 15.83 and taking second in the 300 meters with a time of 42.72. Highland’s Robert Goehl was the runner-up in the 110 with a time of 15.92, and Harrisburg’s Travis Gardiner edged Dawson in the 300 with a time of 42.41.
The New Bloomfield boys sent all four relay teams to sectionals and will take the 4x400-meter team to state this week after they finished third with a time of 3:34.57. The team of sophomore Ben Speaks and seniors Andrew Brooks, Jace Pitzen and Brian Figard beat fourth-place Harrisburg by a little more than a second after the Bulldogs edged the Wildcats for first at districts by less than a second. Monroe City won the event with a time of 3:32.13, and runner-up Mark Twain edged New Bloomfield with a time of 3:34.54.
No Lady Wildcat qualified for the state meet. Among the best finishers were senior Ellie Emerson, who finished sixth in the javelin with a throw of 33.20 meters, senior Brooke Talbot was sixth in the pole vault with a height of 2.59 meters and freshman Makayla Wohlers took sixth in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 13:48.96.