Class 1 state track and field: Delta's Kendall Holweg claims three championships in final meet of her career

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Kendall Holweg’s final state meet ended up having a little more frantic pace than she expected.

The Delta senior ended up winning three state championships and was a runner-up in another during the Class 1 MSHSAA State Track and Field Championships on Saturday at Jefferson City High School's Licklider Track.

Holweg became the first Delta girl to win a state championship in track and field and only the second person ever – following John Foster who won two titles in 1966. Her showing also helped the Bobcats bring home the school’s first-ever trophy in the sport, taking third place with 38 points.

Delta's Kendall Holweg poses for a photo after receiving one of her three gold medals on the second day of the MSHSAA Class 1 State Championships on Saturday at Jefferson City High School.Cody Thorn ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

The final meet of her career was slated to start at 9:30 a.m., but with rain in the area, the meet’s start was pushed back twice. Finally, at 1 p.m. it started with a rolling schedule and Holweg stayed busy.

She started with the 100-meter dash and maintained her top mark after prelims by winning in 12.54 seconds. Next up was the 300-meter hurdles where she was again the favorite after prelims. Holweg won the title in 47.36 seconds. Her third championship came later in the day in the 200-meter dash, which she won in 26.59 after again earning the top seed in prelims.

“It was kind of stressful, oh gosh, I didn’t know what to do,” Holweg said. “I medaled in the 300 (hurdles) but I was called to do the 200 and I was like, what do I do? It was pretty tough. I started out with the 100 and then I had a little downtime, but then I had the long jump and then the 300 and then straight to the 200.”

She added a runner-up finish in the long jump, coming only half an inch away from first. Holweg noted the weather – going from rainy, to somewhat sunny, to cold and windy and back to rainy made it tough.

She improved on all of her marks compared to last year when she was the runner-up in the 200 and fourth in the long jump and 100.

“It reminded me a lot like last year but last year was all in one day and everything was bunched up,” Holweg said. “The only thing I wish I could’ve done better was the long jump, distance-wise. I wasn’t happy with how I jumped. I don’t jump very well in the cold, but other than that, I am pretty happy.”

The Bobcats had a close call from Presley Holweg, who missed the medal stand with a ninth-place showing in the javelin.

Richland's Bailee Hux throws the shot put during the first day of the MSHSAA Class 1 State Championships on Saturday at Jefferson City High School.Cody Thorn ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

Bailee Hux also became her school’s first-ever state champion by winning the shot put on Friday. She threw 12.54 meters (41-1 ¾) with her winning throw coming on her first attempt in the finals. Hux had the best distance out of the 16 qualifiers coming out of sectionals into the state meet.

“It has been my goal since my freshman year,” Hux said of winning a state title. “It is the best feeling ever. I know I worked so hard and there are so many feelings to be up there (in first). Last year I got seventh in shot put. When coming in and being the favorite you know you have people coming after you, it motivated me more.”

Hux added another medal by taking third in the discus event on Saturday with a throw of 36.32 meters (119-02).

Marquand-Zion’s Kaylee Stafford, her school’s first state qualifier in the program’s first year, also made the shot put finals but just missed the medal stand, finishing ninth.

On the boys' side, there were only two medalists.

Bo Lacy took fifth place in the discus with a throw of 40.68 meters. On Friday, Kennett Rampley took sixth place in the 3,200-meter run (10:38.17) – the second year in a row he took sixth.

St. Vincent’s Jackson Unterreiner took ninth in the 1,600-meter, just missing a spot on the podium.

Click here for the full list of Class 1 State Championship results.