Van-Far hopes an upward trend is coming for track and field.

State Track Day 1 Photo Gallery

The program did send its first athletes to state in five years, qualifying senior McKenna Engh-Hoffman in the girls javelin and Gaven Gaston in the boys 100-meter dash for the Class 2 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City. Neither made it out of preliminary rounds on Friday.

Head coach Kris Cross said Engh-Hoffman didn’t throw her best at state, finishing 14th with a throw of 28.75 meters. However, Cross said the senior did go into this year with no javelin experience and advanced further than either Engh-Hoffman or the coaches expected. Engh-Hoffman uncorked her best throw of the year of 35.09 meters to win a district championship.

“Her first throw at districts was a 35, which would probably put her in the finals,” Cross said. “She said her arm was a little tired today. It’s a great way still to end your senior year if you’ve never made it to state ever.”

Gaston missed finals with an 11th place time of 11.32 in the boys 100, which was a personal-best to help him finish further than his 16th spot in the rankings. Cross said he was able to achieve that despite not having a good start.

“He came out of the blocks a little rough, but he hasn’t been the only one,” Cross said. “He stuttered just a little bit coming out, which threw him off a little bit. He made up for it during the run.”

Cross said Gaston is eager to qualify for state again and believes he can if he works more track practice in. She said it was difficult balancing two sports with track and baseball, which won a district championship this season.

Gaston’s teammates that didn’t make it to state like sophomore Evan Utterback, who advanced to sectionals in the boys javelin. Utterback has the school record after a 41.97-meter throw at districts.

Freshman Garrett Hopke fell one place shy of state qualification at sectionals despite running a personal-best 10:53.42 in the boys 3,200-meter run. Cross said there are eighth-grade kids behind Hopke and the other freshmen who have posted good times.

“We have those kids who just missed it this year who are more determined to make it next year,” Cross said. “It’s really going to help the program a lot.”