JEFFERSON CITY — Ending her junior season of Belle High School (BHS) track and field as a state champion in the Class 2 Girls Javelin, senior Aubrey Rehmert looked to cap her BHS track and field career as the school’s first-ever back-to-back state champion in track during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Classes 1-3 State Track and Field Championships held over Memorial Day week at the Dennis and Roberta Licklider Track Complex inside Jefferson City High School’s Adkins Stadium.

Posting a throw of 38.95 meters on her first throw in the second flight of the preliminary round, Rehmert led the field.

St. Pius (Festus) senior Elena Ruble posted a mark of 41.16 during her second attempt putting Rehmert in second place before her next throw.

Posting a mark of 42.81m on her second throw, Rehmert took the lead for good even in spite of a throw of 41.16m from Ruble on her third attempt.

Seeing none of her fellow competitors break 40 meters in the finals of the event, Rehmert left Jefferson City a two-time state champion in the Class 2 Girls Javelin.

“I went into the event confident but knew that they were gunning for me since I was the defending state champion,” Rehmert said. “It felt great posting that throw of nearly 43 meters in the preliminaries which ultimately won me a second state title.”

Joining Rehmert as part of the top eight in the MSHSAA Class 2 Girls Javelin were Ruble (41.16m), Licking senior Jadyn Barnes (38.74m), South Harrison junior Bailey Barnett (38.49m), Highland senior Bailie Crist (38.26m), Barstow junior Norah Culver (36.45m), Miller senior Loghann Levian (35.74m) and Westran senior Kate Hollmann (35.24m).

Rehmert was not the only Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) athlete on the medal stand during the state track festivities held over Memorial Day weekend.

Steelville senior Hunter Starbeck posted a second-place time of 49.24 in the Class 2 Boys 400m dash while fellow Cardinal senior Landon Rutledge also posted a sixth-place time of 40.22 during the finals of the Class 2 Boys 300m hurdles.

Steelville’s boys 4x400m relay team also found their place on the medal stand with a fourth-place time of 3:29.31 by the Cardinal quartet of Alexander Martin, Owen Rutledge, Landon Rutledge and Starbeck.