In a thrilling finish that came down to the wire, the Pierce City boys' track and field team claimed the Class 2 District 6 championship title last weekend in Lamar, edging out Stockton by just three points. With a final score of 119 points to Stockton's 116, it was a nail-biter that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Miller secured third place with 83 points, followed by Sarcoxie (81) and McAuley Catholic (71).
Pierce City's standout athlete, Eli Genzler, delivered a powerhouse performance, winning the 300-meter hurdles in 41.59 seconds and taking second place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.2 seconds. Genzler also shone in the high jump, clearing 1.83 meters for another runner-up finish. The team's depth was on full display in the pole vault, where Brock Flehmer (3.8 meters) and Levi Knight (3.6 meters) claimed second and third, respectively. In the relays, Genzler teamed up with Landon Iman, Maxwell Brown, and Dyllan Kleiboeker to finish second in the 4x100-meter relay at 45.12 seconds.
Other key contributors for Pierce City included Eli Adams, who took third in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:00.48, and Ethan Dewitt, who achieved a personal best of 12.86 meters to secure third in the shot put. These performances were crucial in building the Eagles' narrow lead over Stockton.
Sarcoxie's Gatlon Malotte was a force to be reckoned with, capturing district titles in both the 110-meter hurdles (15.46 seconds) and the pole vault (3.9 meters). Malotte also anchored the 4x200-meter relay team—alongside Wyatt Root, Austin Hirts, and Joshua Hoffman—to a second-place finish at 1:32.55. Hirtz added a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.62 seconds), and Abel Ibarra posted a personal best of 16.32 seconds to take third in the 110-meter hurdles.
McAuley Catholic's Trae Veer dominated the distance events, winning the 800-meter run in 2:07.01 and the 3,200-meter race in 10:39.59. He also finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.81 seconds. Veer joined forces with Connor Taffner, Rowen Veer, and Azaarel Villanueva to win the 4x800-meter relay in 8:57.56, showcasing the team's endurance and teamwork.
New Heights' Derek Bowman rounded out the highlights with a second-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles at 42.09 seconds. As the district champions, Pierce City now sets its sights on the next level of competition, carrying the momentum from this hard-fought victory.