Holt repeats Class 1 HJ title, Rhoades earns four medals

Holt ties his own school record, barely misses setting new standard. Rhoades ends spectacular senior with four medals, including second in PV. Duo combine for 28 points, tie for fifth place

PRESTON COLE Princeton Post-Telegraph

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Princeton High School junior

Talan Holt continued his mastery of Missouri’s smallschool high jumpers Friday morning (May 19), as he won his second-straight Class 1 title during the 98th MSHSAA Boys Track & Field championships.

Meanwhile, graduate senior Andrew Rhoades finished second in the pole vault en route to earning medals (for top-8 finishes) in all four events in which he competed.

Holt won the title in relatively ease, clinching the crown (over Zane Becker of Rich Hill) when he cleared 6 feet, 6 inches, tying his school record he set in early April. Both cleared 6-5 on one attempt each, and the bar was set at 6-6. Becker missed all three of his tries before Holt, who missed his first two attempts, cleared the bar to win the title.

Holt then had the bar set at 6-63/4 to try to break his record, but missed all three tries.

He also ran in the 100 meters, finishing seventh in his heat, and 12th overall, in 11.76 seconds.

Meanwhile, Rhoades had all four of his finals Sat- urday. He qualified Friday in the 200 meters by finishing second in his qualifying heat, in 23.62 seconds, the second-best overall qualifying time. Earlier, he qualified for the 400 finals by finishing third in his heat in 51.17

It’s where every high school track and field athlete wants to be after his or her event is donealone, on top of the awards stand, wearing their championship medal. Princeton’s Talan Holt stood in that position Friday morning after winning the Class 1 high jump for the second-straight year.

4x200

Andrew Rhoades cleared 13 feet, 21/2 inches in the Class 1 state pole vault competition Saturday morning (May 20). He finished second to Kade Wright of St. Elizabeth.

Saturday was Rhoades’ busy day, starting at 9 a.m. with the pole vault, where he battled Kade Wright of St. Elizabeth for the title. They were tied after clearing 12-31/2 on their first attempts. Wright then pulled a gutsy, unconventional move when he passed at the See Princeton track, Page 3