Soaring to new records
Stephenson wins 4 golds, breaks own school mark in long jump at inaugural Cashion meet
ALLY STEPHENSON glides through the air during one of her long jump attempts at the Cashion Wildcat Relays last Friday. Stephenson won the event and set a new school record in the process. It was part of a day in which she won four gold medals, a feat she
A pair of local athletes expected to contend for respective state championships in the long jump squared off last Friday.
As with every other event in which she competed over two days, Ally Stephenson won.
The Kingfisher High School senior set yet another school record as she leapt just over 18 feet, 4 inches to win gold at the inaugural Cashion Wildcat Relays.
Stephenson’s winning jump eclipsed her old school record, set last season, by just about an inch.
Crescent’s Kinidi Taylor, the reigning Class 2A state champ in the event, was the runner-up with a leap of 17-5.
No other jumper in the event got within four inches of 16 feet.
Stephenson was the 4A state runner-up in the long jump a year ago despite it being her first year to compete in the event.
She broke the school record in her first meet of the season and has reset it multiple times.
“She jumped well before the board or she probably would have cleared 19 feet,” said KHS track coach Kerri Lafferty of Stephenson’s jump at Cashion.
The meet was Kingfisher’s second in two days. On Thursday, KHS took part in the Fairview High School Invitational.
The Lady Jackets won that meet with 156 points and Stephenson did her part by winning gold in the high jump, long jump and both the 100 and 300 hurdles.
She came back Friday to win both hurdles, the long jump and the 100 meter dash. That helped KHS to 114 team points, second behind Chisholm’s 162.
“She’s the most talented athlete I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach,” Lafferty said.
Kingfisher also got gold in the 3,200 meter relay. The quartet of Jacee Mueggenborg, Chesni Newkirk, Taylor Mills and Katon Lunsford finished in 10:49.24, about 16 seconds ahead of Chisholm.
Cashion got gold out of Issy Reeves in the shot put. Her best throw of 32-4 won the event by a foot.
Crescent’s Kinzie Bell was the discus champ with a heave of 103-4 3/4. That was the best throw by nearly five feet.
Cashion was third in the girls’ team standings with 76 points while Crescent was sixth with 70.
• • • Maximus Washington has several new gold medals to add to his collection.
Kingfisher’s Washington swept the 100 and 200 meter dashes at both Fairview and Cashion.
He won the 100 on Cashion’s brand-new surface in 11.38, edging Garber’s Solomon Bishop.
The 200 saw him beat Bishop again as Washington crossed the line in 23.70, more than a second ahead of the Wolverine runner.
“He had fantastic meets,” Lafferty said of Washington. “He’s been very impressive so far. His times will be some of the best in the state in 4A.”
Washington picked up yet more gold as Kingfisher won the 800 relay.
He was joined by Connor Hine, Cade Cooper and Kale Hart.
Braxton Mecklenburg just missed out on sweeping the jumping events.
The KHS senior won the high jump by clearing 6-2, besting Watonga’s Deondre Dunn.
An inch separated Mecklenburg and North Rock Creek’s Kaden Woodard in the long jump.
Woodard won the event with a jump of 19-6 while Mecklenburg was 19-5.
Mecklenburg also won the high jump at the Fairview meet.
KHS junior Harrison Evans was the boys shot put champ with a throw of 41-3.
That was nearly two feet further than runner-up Stone Fisher of Crescent.
North Rock Creek won the boys title with 204 points. Chisholm was the runner-up with 139.
KHS took third with 84. Cashion was seventh with 31 points while Crescent claimed 15 points and was ninth.