For one final high school meet, some Centralia girls were happy with how it turned out.

The Lady Panthers picked up several medals on Friday and Saturday of the Class 3 state meet at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City. They medaled in six events, and three seniors — Kenedee Moss, Becca Erisman and Cora King — reached the podium.

Moss and Erisman ran in the 4x800 relay on Saturday along with Katelynn Asbury and Ealynne Bostick. The quartet finished second with a time of 9:50.18 to improve three spots and about 13 seconds from last year’s state meet. 

State Track Day 1 Photo Gallery

State Track Day 2 Photo Gallery

“It feels really good to do it with these people and this team,” Moss said. “We really enjoyed this season, getting to work with one another. To be successful while bonding as a team is really special.”

They were together in the 4x800 last year as well, with the exception that Bostick was an alternate a year ago. Bostick tried to deflect credit on to the others, but the others weren’t having it. Asbury pointed out how she dropped 25 seconds from the beginning of the year, and Moss called her “the best alternate of all time.”

Erisman said their close bond with each other helps find better results. She said “it’s never a bad day when you’re with your friends.”

“Not only do we enjoy being around each other, but it makes us work harder at practice,” Erisman said. “We want to be there and show up every day for each other.”

Head coach Ben Sontheimer said Erisman has been “phenomenal” as she has shown much dedication along with being a good athlete. Erisman medaled in the 300 hurdles as well with a personal-best time of 45.41 to finish fifth. She also qualified for state in the 200 and long jump.

“She’s very enjoyable in practice and very fun to coach,” Sontheimer said. “We always get maximum effort and energy out of her. There are times where she’s pumping people up.”

Erisman earned his first individual state medal in the 300 hurdles in her first state appearance in the event. She said it takes time to get better at hurdles, pointing out she didn’t even have 47-second times last year. 

“Every day, I’m out there practicing,” Erisman said. “I have a great coach (Khaldoon Saleh) that supports me all the way. It would not be possible without him. He hurdled here in high school, and he has a lot of experience.”

Sontheimer said Moss bounced back well after not qualifying for state as a sophomore by medaling in multiple events each of her final two years. That was the 4x800 relay and the 1600. 

Moss ran a personal-best time in the 1600 last year to finish third and had a personal-best time of 5:18.40 to finish sixth in the event this year. She said it was a good finish to her high school career after not medaling at state cross country and not being ranked in the top 10 going into Friday’s 1600.

“I did really believe I was going to go out there and run my race, but to run a 5.18, I didn’t think that was going to happen at all,” Moss said. “At state, I always think to myself, ‘This is my last go-around in the 1600 for the year.’ This time, I was like, ‘This is my last 1600 ever.’ I’m going to go out there and do my best.”

Moss said it was “so surreal” that she ran her last races as a Lady Panther before running in college. She said she values the friendships and remembers running with seniors Wesley Robertson, Zane Deckerd and Lane Chancellor since seventh grade. They have all meant much to her and so has distance coach Jason Watermann, who has supported her since middle school.

Cora King qualified for the discus with her fellow senior Kassena Ridgel and also threw in the shot put. While King missed medaling in the shot put with a 10th-place finish, she threw a personal-best 38.84 meters to finish third in the discus and medal in the event for the second straight year.

“Kassena and Cora have had great careers throwing for us,” Sontheimer said. “They are both great throwers and very dedicated.”

Asbury ran a personal-best 800 time of 2:23.36 on Friday to finish sixth and medal in the event for the sophomore to earn her first individual state medal. This was a different season for Asbury as she competed in the long jump and 800 starting this season. She was close to not medaling but found her kick at the end after counting nine girls in front of her.

“Getting out fast and going out really strong, and you just hold it,” Asbury said about the 800. “The second lap, you give it all you got. You want to kick really early. That last 100, you’re just going.”

Claire Page came close to her personal-best 3.5 meters with her second-place finish in the pole vault. Page cleared 3.45 meters to medal in the event for the second straight year, clearing her first three heights on the first try. She said coach Luke Gramke helped her much this year.

“It definitely is nerve-racking at the beginning,” Page said. “The first jump is always scary, but once you get a few jumps in, it’s not as bad and you settle in.”

Centralia competed for a team trophy on the second day and ultimately finished eighth with 32 points — seven points behind fourth-place Maryville. The Lady Panthers finished first in districts and sectionals. 

“We all wanted to succeed so badly and put in the work every day,” Erisman said. “I don’t think there was a day we showed up to practice and didn’t want to be there.”