Warrenton’s Courtney Richardson survived one of the closest races at Saturday’s Class 4, Sectional 2 meet at Mexico. She finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 49.02 seconds, …
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Warrenton’s Courtney Richardson survived one of the closest races at Saturday’s Class 4, Sectional 2 meet at Mexico.
She finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 49.02 seconds, beating out Fort Zumwalt East’s CeMaria Woodard by less than one-tenth of a second.
University City’s Jasmin Pointer won the race in 48.4 seconds.
Richardson, Pointer, Incarnate Word’s Tyler Flowers and Fort Zumwalt South’s Cloey Connelly advanced to the Class 4 meet Friday and Saturday in Jefferson City.
“I was quite surprised,” Richardson said. “My coach from college wanted me to break a 48, and I didn’t think I could do it. But I was pretty close. I think I can do it, though, if I push myself a little more. Especially on the straightaway.”
Her coach thought she could have done even better.
“I watched that race from the far side and she had third,” Warrenton Head Coach Steve Wurtzel said. “She had it, and she would have had a 48. She must have clipped a hurdle with her foot just barely, and it was that reaction that might have hurt her. But I was really happy with her focus.”
The mark puts her in contention for a top-eight finish and spot on the podium at the state meet.
“I want to get a 48, and I think that would get me to fifth or sixth place,” she said. “I’m pretty close.”
Saturday Richardson received help from teammate Allison Tonioli leading up to her race.
The duo had run in the 100 and 300 hurdles together most of the season.
“I was nervous a little bit, but when I got up there Allison helped calm me down a little bit, and that helped,” Richardson said. “She’s the best and has really pushed me a lot.”
The difference between the two events is drastic, Richardson said.
“For the 100s, you basically have to do a sprinter’s workout,” she said. “You do 100s, 200s, 300s. But for the 300 hurdles, you have to do 400s, 500s and 600s. The workouts are a lot longer. The 300 kills you. It’s tough because when you get to the last 100, you don’t know if you have enough gas left. You have to have the endurance.”
The 300-hurdle prelims are scheduled for Friday at 2:50 p.m. at Jefferson City High School.
The finals are set for Saturday at 1:40 p.m.
“I just want her to run a good strong prelim and go from ther,” Wurtzel said. “I’m hoping she can have a good, strong race. If she gets to the finals, great. If not, we still know she capped off a great high school career and she’s going on to better places.”
.LEADING THE WAY — Courtney Richardson clears a hurdle during the 300-meter hurdles at the Class 4 sectional. Richardson qualified for the state meet with a fourth-place finish. Kory Carpenter photo.
