Mules, Lady Mules take second at districts; Van Buren beats Greenville for district title

FESTUS — The Poplar Bluff Mules and Lady Mules track and field teams won seven individual district championships at the Class 5 District 1 meet which began Saturday and finished Monday with the javelin throw.

As a team, both the Mules and Lady Mules finished second in their respective divisions.

On the boys side, Darius Graham won district titles in the long jump, high jump and triple jump, while Alex Larkins won a district title in the javelin.

Also placing well enough at districts to qualify for sectionals were Isaiah Nevel long jump, high jump and triple jump), Kolyn McBride (400 meters), Spencer Nunn (110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and pole vault), Patrick Slack (110-meter hurdles), Neco Gaddy (discus), the 4x100-meter relay team (Xzavir Jones, McBride, Graham and Colt Clifford), the 4x200-meter relay team (Brenden Durden, Dereck Burton, Clifford and Jones) and the 4x400-meter relay team (Durden, Mason West, Jones and Nunn).

On the girls side, Koryenna Williams won district titles in the 100 meters and 200 meters, while Kennedy Zgaynor won a district title in the javelin.

Also performing well at districts and punching their tickets to sectionals were Trynitee Watkins (100-meter hurdles and high jump), Kelsey Kramer (long jump), Lilly Wilson (pole vault), Bella Halliburton (shot put), the 4x100-meter relay team (Hannah Tinsley, Williams, McKinzie Kendle, Watkins) and the 4x200-meter relay team (Tinsley, Keeley Reynolds, Watkins, Williams).

The Class 5 sectional meet is Saturday at Hillsboro.

Baseball

Van Buren 3, Greenville 2

At Ellsinore, the second-seeded Bulldogs avenged an earlier loss to Greenville and took down the top-seeded Bears to win the Class 2 District 2 championship.

Brady Smith was lights out on the hill for Van Buren after coming in with nobody out in the top of the first inning.

After Trey Porter reached on an error, Smith retired 21 of the next 22 batters he faced, including the final 16. He finished the game with 11 strikeouts, no hits and no walks.

Greenville took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the third inning on Brady Smith’s two-run single to right which scored Chase Carter and Noah Keeney.

Van Buren took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning on Gage Vanlandingham’s sacrifice fly to right, which plated Nathan Smith with the go-ahead run.

Brady Smith had three hits to pace the Bulldogs, while Jonah Reed added a pair.

Porter started and took the loss for Greenville, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks in three-plus innings while striking out five. Sturgeon tossed four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief for the Bears.

Van Buren takes on Portageville Monday in sectional action.