Members of the Warrenton sprint relay team have a penchant for clowning around. Rarely can they be found not cracking jokes and laughing at one another's antics, particularly those of senior Devin …
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Warrenton Sprinters Qualify for State
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
Members of the Warrenton sprint relay team have a penchant for clowning around.Rarely can they be found not cracking jokes and laughing at one another's antics, particularly those of senior Devin Ray.But on Saturday during the Class 3 sectional track meet at Mexico High School, the charismatic group put their light-hearted banter on the backburner.For a few hours, it was all business for the Warriors’ fleet-feeted cast.“You have to come out with confidence, knowing what you need to accomplish that day,” asserted Ray. “We knew it could potentially have been our last track meet, so we pushed ourselves a lot harder.”Their combination of speed and determined focus yielded exceptional results, helping Warrenton advance to this weekend’s MSHSAA Championships in four events.“It was a fantastic day for us to have that many kids make it through to state,” said Coach Steve McDowell. “I’ve been so proud of what they’ve achieved all season long. It’s awesome.”The 800-meter relay team, consisting of freshman Justin McBroom, sophomore Jordon Washington, junior Drake Wagner and Ray, broke its own school record en route to becoming the sectional champion.Warrenton ran a 1:30.09, narrowly eclipsing Soldan with a stellar finish by Ray in the anchor position.“We knew we’d be good this year, but now we’re proving it,” said Washington.The same group also qualified for state in the 400-meter relay with a surging fourth-place finish.“I just handed it off to Devin and yelled ‘Go!’ as loud as I could,” recalled McBroom. “He took off and was so quick that I knew he’d catch the runners ahead of him.”Taking the baton in sixth place, Ray made up considerable ground in the final 100 meters.“I was kind of scared for a while, but I knew Devin could bring us back,” added Washington.The Warriors edged St. Charles West by one-tenth of a second, clocking a 43.8-second finish.“I knew I had to catch him or that was it for us,” said Ray. “I guess that’s what really pushed me.”Ray, who missed qualifying for state as an individual by one spot last season, ran with a vengeance on Saturday. Entering the sectional meet, he wasn’t even seeded among the Top 4 in most events.Ray ignored the statistics — and persevered.“I think last year’s letdown has been on his mind, and he knew what he wanted to accomplish today,” said McDowell.He opened the day by cruising to a first-place finish in the 100-meter race.“The past two years I’d gotten fifth,” said Ray. “I never expected first. I was just looking to get Top 4.”Ray concluded the day by securing a state berth in the open 200, taking second in 22.84 seconds.Wagner also advanced in the same event, placing fourth with a time of 23 seconds flat. But his fate wasn’t immediately clear, as the first-year runner initially thought he had taken fifth. His disappointment was lifted once the official results were announced.“I was hoping to beat my personal best,” said Wagner. “My time wasn’t that great, but I was happy to make it to state.”Washington had faced a similar predicament earlier in the day, barely failing to advance in the 100-meter dash for a second straight spring. His time of 11.14 seconds landed him in fifth.“Another kid tripped into my lane, and it kind of messed up my footing and slowed me down a little bit,” said Washington. “I should have been up there in the Top 4.”Senior Nick Wallace also came up shy of qualifying in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing in seventh at 43.49 seconds.“I’ve been so proud of Nick and what he’s been able to do,” said McDowell. “He’s set records for us and had such a good career.”
Members of the Warrenton sprint relay team qualified for the MSHSAA Championships in the 100- and 200-meter relay races.
