Anthony Shivers did not get the best jump off the blocks. A few seconds down the track in the boys 100 meter dash, however, the Mexico runner had sprinted ahead of the field.

“I was just hoping to stay in first,” he said of that exhilarating yet harrowing feeling, knowing the competition is straining to catch you.

Not only did Shivers hold onto his lead on Saturday in the Class 4 District 4 track meet hosted by Mexico, he became one of two Bulldogs to earn district champion honors and one of 11 to qualify for sectionals.

Shivers’ time of 11.1 edged teammate Jordan Mitchell for a Mexico one-two. Both ran personal bests.

Raef Yager cleared 6’02 in the boys high jump competition – also a personal record and six inches higher than second place Andrew Tweedy of Hannibal – to claim the district title.

Moenaisa Sidique finished the day with a pair of silvers. She was part of the second place girls 4x400 relay team with Cora Ransom, Alexis Smythe and Sidney Turlington. In the 400 dash, Sidique ran second to Parkway Central’s Nnenna Okpara.

“I knew it was going to be a challenge,” Sidique said of the 400. “I know how she runs.”

Ian Williams covered the boys 300 meter hurdles course in 44.4 to claim second behind John Clubine of Hannibal.

“It felt like the best race I ran all year,” Williams observed.

The boys 4x200 squad of Mitchell, Shivers, Williams and Keeley DiBlasi finished third on the podium with a time of 1:31.92 – their best mark of the season.

The top four in each event earned a trip to sectionals. Just outside the discus cage, Emma Nowlin waited for results to come in.

Her throw had been a personal best covering 92’10. But two of her rivals – Bailey Burroughs of Hannibal and Parkway Central’s Jadyn Wallis – also beat the 92-foot line.

“I hate that it’s down to decimals,” Nowlin said as she paced. “I just want to know.”

Moments later the marshal announced final results. Nowlin’s tossed edged out Burroughs by a mere five hundredth of an inch, Wallis by nine hundredth.

“I barely made it, but I did it,” she said with a broad smile.

In pole vault, Morgan Grubb battled teammate Ben Clampitt for the final sectional slot through round after round. Grubb claimed fourth, soaring over the 11’5.25 bar. Clampitt topped out at 10’6.0.

But it was Clampitt who survived the most harrowing moment. On one of his jumps he cleared the bar handily, only to watch as the pole slammed against it and skating along its edge for several excruciating seconds.

“I was so stressed,” he said. “I’m surprised it didn’t fall.”

In the girls 400, Smythe pulled away from the field early and held on from the outside lane until caught by Okpara and Sidique at the halfway mark. She fell to sixth, but her 1:06.99 was a personal record.

“My legs felt like they were going to fall off,” the freshman runner said. “I really had to push myself, but I have three more years.”

Also posting personal bests on the day were Tyler Quinlan, who clocked a 2:10.46 in the boys 800 and Thomas Peuster in the 3,200 with a 10:48.

“It was really a mental thing,” said Mexico girls high jumper Messiah Simpson, summing up the challenges of a district meet.