NIXA — Smith Wheeler was able to walk off his home track at Nixa on Saturday for the final time after a meet with a feeling of fulfillment.
Wheeler won gold medals in four events as the Eagles and Lady Eagles both took Class 5 District 6 team titles.
"This a good way to go out," said Wheeler, a senior sprinter. "I'm glad we got a District championship because that's something we've been chasing all year.
"This definitely puts me at peace, with this being my last race on this track," he added. "There have been a lot of memories over the last four years. Every day you want to go home with nothing but gold and today that happened. I couldn't be happier."
Wheeler has been used to winning, but was in position to gain revenge on Joplin's Donovyn Fowler in the 200. At last week's COC Meet, Fowler was second in the 200 and Wheeler was third.
This time around, Wheeler was first with a 22.9, while Fowler was second with a 23.42.
"I knew he was going to be the competition," Wheeler said. "I started out in front of him, so my goal was to make sure at no point in the race I would see him. It worked out. He was never there. I had a great block start and a good drive face. Once I got off the corner and couldn't see anyone in my peripheral (vision), I knew I had it."
Wheeler also won the 400 (50.68) and ran the anchor leg on Nixa's winning 4 x 100 relay (44.31) and 4 x 400 relay (3:27).
In the 4 x 400 relay, the Eagles gained the lead during Spencer Ward's third leg. However, Ward was involved in a collision with a Republic runner after handing the baton to Wheeler.
Republic went from leading the race after two legs to finishing sixth.
The Eagles felt fortunate not to have had their relay disqualified for obstruction.
"Earlier this year at the SBU Meet and I'm pretty sure it was the same officials as today, Spencer slowed down and stopped and got hit by somebody in the back," Wheeler said. "The officials said it was iffy and they weren't sure if they were going to disqualify him. They didn't DQ him, but said to keep that in mind because they won't let that slide at Districts and State. We've told him when he hands it off to me, just keep going to a slow jog, let everyone pass and then walk off the track. There would be nothing worse than DQ'd like that. That would have been terrible."
Nixa's Brumley records upset
Nixa's Carlee Brumley won the 300 hurdles in 49.02 while beating runner-up Kailtyn Ragsdale, of Republic, for the first time. Ragsdale ran a 49.83.
"She has always beaten me and I did not expect to beat her today," Brumley said.
Brumley felt her start was the difference.
"This entire season, I haven't been taking off as quickly as I needed to because I was afraid I would be drained at the end," Brumley said. "But at COC last week I told myself, 'Let's just do it.' I ran my PR. That gave me much-needed confidence I could start quickly and running cross country during the fall, the endurance I gained there saved me."
Nixa boys finished with 158 points to win the title and Joplin was runner-up at 125. Alongside Wheeler, Michael Sportsman (high jump) and Tony Perez (discus) won individual titles in their respective events. The team of Dylan Sanders, Steven and Spencer Ward and Austin McCracken won the 4x100 at 44.31. The Eagles also received runner-up finishes from McCracken (100), Afton Hopkins (pole vault), Jayden Antonelli (shot put) and Koby Graham (javelin).
Nixa girls finished with 168.5 points to capture the title and Ozark came in at second with 120. Accompanying Brumley as individual champions were Lily Simmons (high jump) and Dakota Hale (javelin). The team of Camilia Figueroa, Reagan Thomason, Ali Kamies and Hayden Meyer capture the 4x100 at 52.35. Seven Lady Eagles in Kamies (100), Brumley (100 hurdles), Alicen Ashley (3200), Faith Chepkondol (long jump), Ashlyn Allison (discus) and Lauren Loney (javelin) all placed second in their respective event. The 4x200 (Brumley, Thomason, Kamies and Chepkondol) also placed second.
Up next for Nixa is the Class 5 Sectional 3 meet at Carthage High School on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at noon, where the top-four finishes advance to the state meet on May 27.
The full district meet results can be found here.
Photos of the district meet can be found here.
