JOPLIN — Afton Hopkins became just the fifth Nixa pole-vaulter to clear 15-0 while turning in a first-place effort with a PR of 15-3 at the COC Championships on Friday.
Hopkins smashed his former PR of 14-5 and beat the rest of the field by more than a foot. No one else cleared 13-10.
Hopkins joins Nixa grads Cole Phillips, Seaton Owensby, Matt Codling and Joseph Nickell in the Eagles’ 15-0 club. Phillips holds the school record with a vault of 15-6 in 2012.
Hopkins was one of four individual champions for Nixa’s boys. The Eagles also had three relays claim championships, as they rolled to the team title.
Randy Flint won the 200 with a PR of 22.21. His best had been 22.65.
Jackson Cantwell took first in both the shot put (69-7 1/2) and discus (192-2).
Both Flint and Cantwell are sophomores.
Jaren Davis, a freshman, won the long jump and set a PR with a leap of 22-9 1/4. His PR had been 21-9.
Nixa also received firsts from its 4 x 100 relay (42.38), 4 x 200 relay (1:29.09) and 4 x 800 relay (8:01).
Runner-ups for the Eagles included Hayden Mays in the discus (184-8 1/4) and shot put (54-9 1/2), Aaron Ashley in the 1,600 (4:25) and 3,200 (9:39) and their 4 x 400 relay (3:27).
Ozark’s Napela Naihe matched his PR while winning the high jump (6-4 3/4). He beat the rest of the field by two inches.
The Tigers’ Kannon Williams was second in the 100 and set a PR with a 10.87.
Ozark’s 4 x 100 relay (43.37) and 4 x 200 relay (1:30) were both second.
On the girls side, Ozark’s Macy Humble and the Lady Tigers' 4 x 200 relay, along with Nixa’s Taylor Hopper and Eva Williams, all claimed championships.
Humble took first in the high jump with a leap of 5-1. No one else cleared 5-0.
The Lady Tigers’ 4 x 200 relay was clocked in 1:45.07, edging Republic by three-tenths of a second.
Ozark’s Bria Wright was second in the 300 hurdles (47.41), as was the Lady Tigers’ 4 x 400 relay (4:11) and 4 x 800 relay (9:59).
Hopper won the 200 with a time of 25.88. She was second in the 100 (12.49).
Williams won the pole vault by clearing 10-6. She was second in the 100 hurdles (15.54).
The Lady Eagles’ Rylee Eng was second in the long jump (18-0 1/2) and triple jump (35-5 1/4).
