Paris didn’t take many kids to state track this year, but they didn’t need that many.
There were six boys total, yet the Coyotes finished fourth in the Class 2 meet Friday and Saturday at …
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Paris didn’t take many kids to state track this year, but they didn’t need that many.
There were six boys total, yet the Coyotes finished fourth in the Class 2 meet Friday and Saturday at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City for the program’s first team trophy since 1995. Mia Kendrick was the only girl who qualified this season but medaled in all three of her events.
Head coach Gary Crusha has completed his Paris career as he will start a middle school principal job at Mark Twain. The activities director Crusha was also a track and field head coach for 22 years and enjoyed seeing such performances in his final year.
“This was the first time I’ve ever been on a podium in the top four as a team,” Crusha said. “This weekend has been special.”
Landen Chapman is a big reason why the boys were able to score 33 points. The senior defended his 800 and 1600 state championships with a Class 2 state record time of 1:53.95 in the 800 and a school-record time of 4:15.63 in the 1600. He also achieved a personal-best time of 9:37.65 to finish fifth in the 3200 for his third straight state medal in the event, and he was second in the 4x800 relay along with teammates Owen Buie, Case Morgan and Hayden DeOrnellas with a time of 8:19.10.
Crusha said Chapman ran a 1:51 split in the 4x800 on Friday to help the Coyotes jump from ninth to second on the anchor leg. After seeing that, Crusha thought the state 800 record on Saturday was within reach for “a Division I talent” like Chapman, who will run at Columbia College.
“If I had a bunch of him, we would be on the podium every year,” Crusha said. “I’ve had some good athletes like I have had one Division I athlete. Landen is the best track kid that I've ever coached. He’s the best competitor that refuses to lose.”
Chapman said he felt like he could’ve done better than his times at state this weekend. He said he always feels better about his chances when he runs with better competition, which he said is more stacked than last year.
Before the 1600, Chapman even admitted to being worried because he knew Paris was in the team race after finishing the first day in second place. In that race, there was Clark County’s Mason McDaniel and Lexington’s Conner Soendker and Chael Lichte, who all finished on the podium.
“I didn’t know them until last year,” Chapman said. “They’re pretty cool guys. That’s why I enjoy track. You meet all these new people. So many people I meet here are friends now.”
Chapman said he knows Paris didn’t have many state champions before him, so he is glad he was able to defend his titles. The school is very much on his mind even after he goes to college.
“I want to set a good example for upcoming runners, what you need to do and how focused you got to be,” Chapman said.
When it comes to his teammates in the 4x800 relay, Chapman has familiarity with DeOrnellas and fellow graduate and college signee Buie. The team added freshman Case Morgan, who finished eighth in the 800 with a personal-best time of 1:59.61.
“He’s a stud,” Chapman said. “He’s going to come for all my school records. I already know it.”
Crusha said “the sky’s the limit” with Chapman after setting school records in the 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 4x400 and 4x800 relays. His teammates, though, were also good. Morgan, in particular, was “better than we ever expected.” To put into perspective, Crusha said Chapman was running 2:12 in the 800 as a freshman.
“Coming from (Friday) on the 4x800 relay team, he was disappointed,” Crusha said. “We told him, ‘Get your head up. You’re just a freshman.’”
Kendrick set a personal best time of 25.53 in the 200, which is a school record, to finish sixth and was fifth in the 100 to also medal in that Saturday final. The sophomore ran a 100 time of 12.42, and she was fourth in the long jump with a distance of 5.23 meters.
Crusha said Kendrick had state experience going in and recalled that medaling last year in the 200 “boosted her confidence.”
“Last year, she came in as a freshman and was so nervous,” Crusha said. “She didn’t medal in the long jump last year, and she didn’t qualify in the 100-meter dash. This year, she comes back in the same events and medals in all of them.”
Kendrick said she hoped to earn multiple medals going into the season. She finished 15th in the long jump last year at state and ended up needing a better jump than 5.03 meters to make it on this year’s podium. On her last attempt, Kendrick reached 5.23 meters.
“I just try to work really hard and trust God,” Kendrick said. “I just keep practicing in the offseason and work hard even when it’s hard.”
Crusha said Kendrick is a high-quality athlete Paris has for the future, which has been the case for the program.
“I was talking to a coach (at state) and said, ‘We haven’t won a team meet all year,” Crusha said. “If you come here and have good enough athletes in certain events, you can contend for a state championship and be top four with five athletes competing on your team. That tells you the quality of athletes we brought this weekend.”
