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Tyree Meadows enjoyed a couple of firsts, and a very special last, to lead the Missouri all-star track team to a 74-49 victory over Kansas in the first high school seniors-only Champions Meet Wednesday night at William Chrisman High School.
Meadows, a senior from Grain Valley High School, wore two gold medals around his neck and sported a million-dollar smile as his titles in the 800 and 1,500 propelled the Missouri boys all-star team to victory in the first of what Chris Earley hopes will become an annual event.
“We got over some bumps and had a pretty nice meet,” said Earley, a cross country and track coach at Fort Osage High School, who came up with the idea for the meet.
“It’s really special to see a kid like Tyree rise to the occasion. It’s his last high school track meet, and he wins two gold medals. That’s why we wanted to have a meet like this, to give seniors the chance to have one more chance for success.”
Meadows, who will attend West Point Academy in the fall, edged Kansas’ Preston Newsome 4:11.12 to 4:11.80 in the 1,500 and ran away from the pack in the 800.
“After the 1,500, I thought I was done, then Coach (Mike) Painting (the Grain Valley cross country and assistant track coach) asked me if I wanted to run the 800,” Meadows said.
“I asked him when they were running and it, and he said as soon as you put your cleats on. I really wanted to end with that victory in the 1,500, but he looked at me and said, ‘If you’re scared, you don’t have to run.’
“He knew I’d run after that comment.”
When Meadows was informed that his two victories helped push the Missouri team past Kansas, that smiled reappeared.
“Now, I feel doubly blessed. I wanted to end with a win in my last high school meet, and I wind up winning two medals and helping Missouri win the championship.
“This has been a very good night.”
It was also a good night for Blue Springs High School’s Monet Jackson, who followed up her shot put victory at state with a victory in the Champions Meet, as Missouri girls downed Kansas 69-45.
When Blue Springs boys track standout Jayce Thomas called up to Jackson after she had competed in the event and asked what she threw, she said, “I threw 39-11.5.”
Tyree Meadows enjoyed a couple of firsts, and a very special last, to lead the Missouri all-star track team to a 74-49 victory over Kansas in the first high school seniors-only Champions Meet Wednesday night at William Chrisman High School.
Meadows, a senior from Grain Valley High School, wore two gold medals around his neck and sported a million-dollar smile as his titles in the 800 and 1,500 propelled the Missouri boys all-star team to victory in the first of what Chris Earley hopes will become an annual event.
“We got over some bumps and had a pretty nice meet,” said Earley, a cross country and track coach at Fort Osage High School, who came up with the idea for the meet.
“It’s really special to see a kid like Tyree rise to the occasion. It’s his last high school track meet, and he wins two gold medals. That’s why we wanted to have a meet like this, to give seniors the chance to have one more chance for success.”
Meadows, who will attend West Point Academy in the fall, edged Kansas’ Preston Newsome 4:11.12 to 4:11.80 in the 1,500 and ran away from the pack in the 800.
“After the 1,500, I thought I was done, then Coach (Mike) Painting (the Grain Valley cross country and assistant track coach) asked me if I wanted to run the 800,” Meadows said.
“I asked him when they were running and it, and he said as soon as you put your cleats on. I really wanted to end with that victory in the 1,500, but he looked at me and said, ‘If you’re scared, you don’t have to run.’
“He knew I’d run after that comment.”
When Meadows was informed that his two victories helped push the Missouri team past Kansas, that smiled reappeared.
“Now, I feel doubly blessed. I wanted to end with a win in my last high school meet, and I wind up winning two medals and helping Missouri win the championship.
“This has been a very good night.”
It was also a good night for Blue Springs High School’s Monet Jackson, who followed up her shot put victory at state with a victory in the Champions Meet, as Missouri girls downed Kansas 69-45.
When Blue Springs boys track standout Jayce Thomas called up to Jackson after she had competed in the event and asked what she threw, she said, “I threw 39-11.5.”
He gave her a quick glance, and shook his head.
She won the Class 4 state title with a throw of 43-7.25.
“I haven’t thrown a shot put since state. So I’m very happy and a little surprised I won,” Jackson said rolling her eyes. “My high school career is over, done with. I’m finished. Today was more of a day to visit with friends. But I am very happy to have won the event.”
One of the most anticipated events was the opening 100 girls hurdles, that featured Lee’s Summit North grad and state champion Madison Smith.
Smith lost to Kansas’ Le’Tristan Pledger, 14.26 to 15:12.
As she crossed the finish line, Smith grabbed the back of her left leg.
“I’m finished for the day,” Smith said as she said she experienced minor pain in her left quad. “I kind of hurt my quad early in the season and didn’t run that much because of the rain and cold weather.
“I was going to run the 300 (hurdles) today but not now. I can’t risk getting hurt with college coming up.”
She will compete for the University of Central Missouri Track and Field team.
Blue Springs South’s Khadrun Black won the high jump.
Mixed in with the senior competitors were events that featured Earley’s Eastern Jackson County Track Club and young participants from the YMCA.
“We learned a lot at this first event,” Earley said. “We had about 140 kids commit to the event, and as you could tell by the number of runners in some events, not all of them showed up (many events had just one runner).
“But I think the kids who showed up had fun, and we had a nice turnout. So we’ll do our best to make it even bigger and better next year.”
