Steelville High School’s track and field team traveled to Lutheran North High School on May 9 in St. Louis to compete in the Class 2 District 2 Tournament with hopes of keeping their seasons alive by advancing to sectionals.

In order to advance to Sectionals, each athlete or relay team had to finish in the top-four of their respective competitions.

Despite competing in a crowded field, six Cardinals advanced to the Class 2 Sectional 1 Tournament in Dexter on May 16 in individual events and one more joined the party as a part of the relay teams. Steelville’s athletes didn’t just squeak by into sectionals, two earned first-place finishes and district championships as individuals and a pair of relay teams also stood on the first-place podiums.

Junior Emeri Perkins and freshman Brooklyn Thomas were the Lady Cardinal’s representatives who prolonged their seasons and Hunter Starbeck, Owen Rutledge, Landon Rutledge, Alexander Martin and Max Harmon were Steelville’s boys who advanced to sectionals. Perkins, Starbeck, Harmon and both Rutledge brothers qualified for districts in multiple events.

Perkins, Thomas keep their season alive

Junior Emeri Perkins is already a two-time all-district basketball player. She now is a stand out as an all-district track and field athlete in multiple events.

Perkins ran the 300 meter hurdles in 51.03 seconds to take third place and leapt 10.1 meters in the triple jump to finish in four place to advance to sectionals in both events.

Thomas advanced to sectionals in the javelin competition in her debut in districts. Thomas heaved the javelin 30.97 meters, which earned her a third-place medal. She also competed in the 100 meter dash, crossing the finish line in 14.20 seconds to take 14th place.

While Perkins and Thomas were the only Lady Cardinals to continue their seasons in sections, numerous Steelville athletes had strong showings and just missed out on advancing.

Freshman standout Adalei Perkins took sixth place in the 1600 and 3200 meter races and finished in seventh in the triple jump. Perkins ran the 1600m in 5:55.88, the 3200m in 13:50.89 and leapt 9.62 meters in the triple jump. 

Fellow freshmen Alex Helms and Ila Pfeiffer narrowly missed out on advancing to sectionals after finishing in fifth place in their respective events. Helms took fifth place in the 100 meter hurdles after crossing the finish line in 18.62 seconds and Pfeiffer earned fifth place in the pole-vault competition after hosting herself over the 2.13 meter bar. Helms also ran the 300-meter hurdles in 56.74 seconds to finish in eighth place.

Senior Elivia Pryor, junior Jayla Schmidt and freshman Vivian West all earned sixth place in their respective events. 

Pryor threw the javelin 24.48 meters to earn sixth place in the javelin competition, Schmidt made it over 1.83 meters in the pole-vault competition to take sixth place and West ran the 400-meter race in 1:07.66 to earn sixth place. 

Senior Peyton Brooks capped her athletic career in Steelville with an eighth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles after crossing the finish line in 19.75 seconds. 

Freshman Cami Mason competed in the discus and shot-put competitions, placing eighth in both events, with a 23.73-meter discus throw and an 8.56-meter heave in the shot put.

Junior Regan Bratcher threw the discus 20.43 meters to take 13th place and Annabella Haines finished 20th overall in the shot put competition with a 6.41 meter toss to round out the Lady Cardinal’s performances. 

Landon Rutledge, Hunter Starback break school records in historic performances

Seniors Landon Rutledge and Hunter Starbeck cemented themselves in the history of Steelville High School’s track and field with record-shattering performances in districts.

Rutledge set the record for the fastest 110 meter hurdles finish in Steelville history with a 15.60-second time that broke the previous record set by Will Eilert in 2003. He also broke his own record in the 300 meter hurdles that he set last year with a 41.10-second finish. Rutledge earned third place in each of those races in districts to advance to sectionals.

After coming within a second of breaking the Steelville school record of 50.15 seconds in the 400 meter dash by Tyler DeClue in 2009 multiple times in the season, Starbeck turned on the after burners to finish the 400m in 49.94 seconds, earning him first place in districts, while setting the school record. Starbeck also ran the 200 meter dash in 22.98, taking third place and advancing to sectionals in that competition as well.

Owen Rutledge advanced to sectionals in the 800m and 1600m races after finishing in third place in both races. Rutledge ran the 800m in 2:03.07 and completed the 1600m in 4:49.10.

Rutledge was also a member of Steelville’s district champion 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams along with Landon Rutledge, Starbeck and Alexander Martin. The speedy quartet ran the 4x400 in 3:33.95 and completed the 4x800 in 8:33.93.

Individually, Martin just missed qualifying for districts in the 100 meter dash, earning fifth place despite running a blistering time of 11.59 seconds. Martin also earned eighth place in the high-jump competition after clearing 1.57 meters. 

Junior Max Harmon became a district champion in the discus competition after launching it a season-high 44.44 meters. He also advanced to sectionals in the shot put competition after earning fourth place with a 13.1 meter toss.

Senior Aiden Retkowski narrowly missed prolonging his track and field career after finishing in fifth in the shot put event and sixth in the discus competition. Retkowski heaved the shot put 12.6 meters and threw the discus 39.13 meters.

Freshman Andy Riley competed in the high jump and triple jump competitions, clearing 1.67 meters in the high jump to finish in sixth and leapt 10.05m in the triple jump to earn eighth place.

Junior Will Bailey cleared 2.59m in the pole vault competition for seventh place and threw the javelin 36.15m to finish in sixth place.

Aiden Greenwalt competed in the 200 meter dash and in the long-jump competition. He ran the 200m in 24.84 to finish in 11th and hopped 5.46m in the long jump, earning him 10th place.

Jacoby Eaton competed in multiple events for the Cardinals, running a 2:50.97 in the 800-meter race, 53.96 in the 300-meter hurdles, and cleared 2.13m in the pole-vault competition.  

Lucas Garms competed in the 1600m and 3200m races, placing ninth in the 1600m with a time of 5:42.45 and eighth place in the 3200m with a 13:40.31 finish.

Darion Signaigo competed in the 110-meter hurdles race and in the long-jump competition, placing eighth in the 110m hurdles with 19.50 time and 13th in the long jump with a 4.78 meter leap.