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Blue Springs, MO —
Gabby Hall set the bar so high at her first Suburban Big Six Conference track and field meet that the freshman might not be able to reach it, even if she stands on the top rung of a ladder.
Hall won the prestigious Golden Shoe Award, given to the athlete who scores the most points in the meet, by winning the 100, 200, 400 and running the second leg of the winning 800 relay team.
“Gabby was amazing,” Blue Springs coach Jennifer Reeder said, “but as amazing as she was, what was really amazing about winning conference was the total team effort from all the girls.
“Gabby is going to get a lot of attention for her performance, but she is so good that I know she can handle the pressure next Saturday (at district in Belton). We knew she was going to be good, but we didn’t know she was going to be this good.”
The same might be said of her Wildcats, who ended Lee’s Summit North’s five-year run as the Big Six Conference champion Friday.
The Wildcats gained points in all but one event – the 300 hurdles – and placed at least three girls in eight events and came away with points from each girl.
When the final gun sounded and the points were tallied, the Wildcats had 197 points and the second-place Broncos had 185.5.
“It might have been the most exciting track meet I’ve ever been a part of,” said Reeder, who competed for the Wildcats in the 1990s.
“We had the girls we knew would do well, and then we had the girls who rose to the occasion and scored those important points that you need to win the championship,” said Reeder, who handed out the individual medals to her girls before Monday’s practice. “We have great leaders on this team. The girls talk about their family, rather than their teammates. I think that’s what makes the difference – how much they care for each other.”
The low-key Hall didn’t want any part of the spotlight that comes with winning the Golden Shoe Award.
“This was for the seniors,” Hall said. “We came into the meet wanting to win the conference championship. It was a team effort. Every point we scored was as important as the points I scored.”
Joining Hall in the winner’s circle were Tyonna Snow, who won the long jump and was on the 800 relay team; Bri Starr, triple jump; Tyra Bickham, shot and discus, and Reyven Lawrence and Lizzy Wendell, who were also on the 800 relay team.
Gabby Hall set the bar so high at her first Suburban Big Six Conference track and field meet that the freshman might not be able to reach it, even if she stands on the top rung of a ladder.
Hall won the prestigious Golden Shoe Award, given to the athlete who scores the most points in the meet, by winning the 100, 200, 400 and running the second leg of the winning 800 relay team.
“Gabby was amazing,” Blue Springs coach Jennifer Reeder said, “but as amazing as she was, what was really amazing about winning conference was the total team effort from all the girls.
“Gabby is going to get a lot of attention for her performance, but she is so good that I know she can handle the pressure next Saturday (at district in Belton). We knew she was going to be good, but we didn’t know she was going to be this good.”
The same might be said of her Wildcats, who ended Lee’s Summit North’s five-year run as the Big Six Conference champion Friday.
The Wildcats gained points in all but one event – the 300 hurdles – and placed at least three girls in eight events and came away with points from each girl.
When the final gun sounded and the points were tallied, the Wildcats had 197 points and the second-place Broncos had 185.5.
“It might have been the most exciting track meet I’ve ever been a part of,” said Reeder, who competed for the Wildcats in the 1990s.
“We had the girls we knew would do well, and then we had the girls who rose to the occasion and scored those important points that you need to win the championship,” said Reeder, who handed out the individual medals to her girls before Monday’s practice. “We have great leaders on this team. The girls talk about their family, rather than their teammates. I think that’s what makes the difference – how much they care for each other.”
The low-key Hall didn’t want any part of the spotlight that comes with winning the Golden Shoe Award.
“This was for the seniors,” Hall said. “We came into the meet wanting to win the conference championship. It was a team effort. Every point we scored was as important as the points I scored.”
Joining Hall in the winner’s circle were Tyonna Snow, who won the long jump and was on the 800 relay team; Bri Starr, triple jump; Tyra Bickham, shot and discus, and Reyven Lawrence and Lizzy Wendell, who were also on the 800 relay team.
It was a memorable night for Snow, who is competing on the track team for the first time.
She broke her own school record in the long jump, which she set a week ago, with an effort of 18-2 3/4.
“I went out for track for my mom, because she loves the sport so much,” said Snow, who was The Examiner’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year. “I loved playing with the girls on the basketball team and I love the girls on this team. I wish I wouldn’t have waited until my senior year to run track.”
Bickham, who won the Rusty Hodge Award (which is named after the late Blue Springs South track and field coach and is given to the top thrower), won the shot put and discus.
“Winning the Rusty Hodge Award is special,” Bickham said. “I came close to winning it last year and really wanted to win it this year.”
Joining the Wildcat girls in the winner’s circle were members of coach Joe Cusack’s boys team. It was the first time since 1998 that both teams won the conference title the same season.
“That makes it even better, even more special,” Reeder said, “because I know how hard Joe and his boys work. It was just one of those nights you have to experience to really understand just how special it was.”
