Capping an excellent season with four trips to the medal stand, the Vienna High School track team came home with four all-state finishes - including a pair of state championships - at the Missouri Class 1 Track and Field State Championships, held Friday and Saturday, May 22-23 at Adkins Stadium on the campus of Jefferson City.

Highlighting the Eagle boys’ squad was sophomore Kevin Russell, who captured the long jump state title with a school-record leap of 22-7 1/4. And for the Lady Eagles senior Aubrey Schwartze ended her prep career with the state crown in the shot put, winning with a throw of 37-0 1/4.

It is the first time since 2011 that the Vienna track program has had two state champions in the same season.

Also bringing home all-state hardware were sophomore Talan Reeves, who placed seventh in the boys’ triple jump at 40-9 ½, and senior Eli Crum, who was eighth in the boys’ discus with a P.R. throw of 134-10.

The top eight finishers in each event earned all-state honors.

It was the third straight season in which Schwartze was all-state in the shot put. She placed third in the event last year with what proved to be her high school P.R. and was fourth as a sophomore.

“I’m feeling all the emotions,” Schwartze said of winning a state title in the final meet of her career. “I was super-excited. But it’s a little bitter-sweet, being my last meet.

“I feel like this has been my most consistent season. I felt confident going in; this being my sixth year throwing shot.”

Schwartze will be attending the University of Central Missouri and plans on majoring in radiologic technology/sports medicine. She will not compete in athletics in college, making this last state meet all the more special.

“I knew I did the best I could,” she said. “It’s definitely sad; there were a lot of years of hard work (in track). But I’m happy.”

An all-state long-jumper as a freshman (7th-place), Russell climbed to the top step of the all-state podium this time around with his school-record leap. He also made it to the state meet in the high jump, finishing 12th at 5-10 3/4, and as part of the Eagles’ 4x100-meter relay squad, which also included sophomore Ethan LeStarge, Reeves and freshman Ethan Herigon which finished 16th overall at :46.86.

“I felt good,” said Russell, who polished his game at the New Balance Track and Field Nationals last summer. “I think just my form (has improved) and the confidence I have going through it.

“It’s probably maturity, really. And getting my form down.”

A two-time all-stater and state champion as a sophomore, what’s next for the Eagles’ talented junior-to-be?

“Do it again,” Russell said. “And again. And get the state record.”

A big point producer throughout the season, Reeves capped things off with an all-state medal in his first trip to the state meet.

“I was excited,” he said. “I love the triple jump. Whenever we went to New Bloomfield and I hit 11.99 (meters) I thought I could get to state. And I think it helped me that we had a lot of kids there.”

Reeves, also on the 4x100-meter Eagle state-qualifying relay team,  hopes to return to state next year in perhaps more than two events.

“I think I can,” he said. “In the 4x1, triple jump and maybe the high jump, if I work at it.”

In his first state meet appearance, Crum made his mark in Eagle track with his all-state performance.

“It was fun; discus is my best event,” Crum said. “I wish I could have thrown farther, but it was my P.R.”

Crum certainly answered the challenge at state. It was his second throw in the final round that got him on the state podium.

“I was ranked last (among state qualifiers) and came up to eighth,” he said.

Crum isn’t sure where he will go to college, and says collegiate track may be in his future.

“I’ll just have to wait; I’m not sure,” he said. “I’ll probably throw unattached (in college meets) for a year. I’ve got some offers. But I’m just glad I got a medal (at state).”

Also for the Vienna boys at the state meet, senior Troy Wulff was 15th in the long jump at 18-1; freshman Cooper Kleffner no-heighted in the pole vault, and the 4x800-meter relay squad of Wulff, freshman Paxten Jeremy, sophomore Tyler Hallahan and sophomore Bryce Ewers was 12th at 8:58.65. And junior Hunter Schwartze qualified for state in the 800-meter and 3,200-meter runs and as part of the 4x100-meter and 4x800-meter relay squads but could not compete due to an ankle injury suffered earlier in the week during the Vienna baseball team’s district tournament.

For the Lady Eagles freshman Liberty Rowden finished 14th in the javelin at 103-5.

In the team standings, North Shelby won the boys’ championship with 46 points while the Eagles tied for 25th with 13 points. In the girls’ standings, Mound City won the team crown with 52 points while the Lady Eagles were tied for 26th with 10 points.

Missouri Class 1

State Championships

May 22-23

At Jefferson City H.S.

Boys

Top-10 Team Standings: 1. North Shelby 46, 2. Thomas Jefferson Independent 40, 3. Knox County 38, 4. Mound City 28, 5. Hermitage 27, 6. Tina-Avalon 26, 6. Drexel 26, 6. Lutheran KC 26, 9. Van Buren 25, 9. Wellington-Napoleon 25; T-25. Vienna 13.

Event winners and Vienna results:

100-meter dash: 1. Tanner Briddle, Tina-Avalon :10.96.

200-meter dash: 1. Cooper Clair, Knox County :22.01.

400-meter dash: 1. Griffith Camden, Gilman City, :49.47.

800-meter run: 1. Coby Tagtmeyer 1:55.41. Vienna: Hunter Schwartze DNS.

1,600-meter run: 1. Graham Nord, Lutheran KC 4:23.75.

3,200-meter run: 1. William Twiss, Thomas Jefferson 9:34.02. Vienna: Hunter Schwartze DNS.

110-meter hurdles: 1. Sean Contreras, Lockwood :15.05.

300-meter hurdles: 1. Miles Wheeler, Drexel :39.69.

4x100-meter relay: 1. Knox County :44.25; 16. Vienna (Kevin Russell, Ethan LeStarge, Talan Reeves, Ethan Herigon) :46.86.

4x200-meter relay: 1. Knox County 1:30.98.

4x400-meter relay: 1. Smithton 3:30.90.

4x800-meter relay: 1. Thomas Jefferson 8:01.62; 12. Vienna (Troy Wulff, Paxten Jeremy, Tyler Hallahan, Bryce Ewers) 8:58.65.

Shot put: 1. Drake Prange, North Shelby 55-3 3/4.

Discus: 1. Kolby Stafford, Marquand-Zion 168-6; Vienna: 8. Eli Crum 134-10*.

Javelin: 1. Levi George, Hermitage 179-5.

High jump: 1. Justin Weathers, Hermitage 6-9. Vienna: 12. Kevin Russell 5-10 3/4.

Pole vault: 1. Ernest Peters, Mound City 13-7 1/4. Vienna: Cooper Kleffner NH.

Long jump: 1. Kevin Russell, Vienna 22-7 1/4*. Vienna: 15. Troy Wulff 18-1.

Triple jump: 1. Ben Dingman, Liberal 44-11 3/4. Vienna: 7. Talan Reeves 40-9 ½.

*-All-State

Girls

Top-10 Team Standings:1. Mound City 52, 2. Christian Fellowship 48, 3. Rock Port 47, 4. St. Vincent 43, 5. St. Joseph Christian 38, 6. Valley 32, 7. Gilman City 28, 8. Prairie Home 23, 9. Stanberry 22, 9. St. Elizabeth 22; T-26. Vienna 10.

Event winners and Vienna results:

100-meter dash: 1. Grace Heston, Christian Fellowship :12.45.

200-meter dash: 1. Heston, Christian Fellowship :25.54.

400-meter dash: 1. Heston, Christian Fellowship :57.64.

800-meter run: 1. Reagan Meyer, St. Vincent 2:13.46.

1,600-meter run: 1. Meyer, St. Vincent 5:02.58.

3,200-meter run: 1. Lillian Bender, Christian Fellowship 12:00.77.

100-meter hurdles: 1. Daisy Kearns, Valley :14.52.

300-meter hurdles: 1. Ella Meyerkorth, Rock Port :44.39.

4x100-meter relay: 1. St. Joseph Christian :50.89.

4x200-meter relay: 1. St. Joseph Christian 1:47.46.

4x400-meter relay: 1. St. Vincent 4:06.75.

4x800-meter relay: 1. St. Joseph Christian 10:08.89.

Shot put: 1. Aubrey Schwartze, Vienna 37-0 1/4*.

Discus: 1. Maggie Osburn, Mound City 126-11.

Javelin: 1. Haley Perkins, Dora 129-5. Vienna: 14. Liberty Rowden 103-5.

High jump: 1. Khloey Sperry, Gilman City 5-3 3/4.

Pole vault: 1. Pressly Wright, St. Elizabeth 10-2.

Long jump: 1. Ruth Hodges, Prairie Home 17-2 3/4.

Triple jump: 1. Dakota Reynolds, Concordia 35-11 1/4.

*-All-State