When Hailey Johnson crossed the finish line in the 4x800 relay at the Madill track meet two weeks ago, the clock read 10:16.87.
That gave Hailey and her Prague teammates - Jocelyn Ward, sister Harley Johnson and Hanna Rolette - the fastest time in the state in Class 3A this season and puts them on track to compete for a state championship in May.
They finished second a year ago, turning in a time of 9:45.04 at the state meet at Plainview.
“I hope they can win state,” said Mandy Rolette, their coach and Hanna’s mother. “We’re training them and I hope they can go win state. We’ll see.”
Now they’re all a year older - Jocelyn and Hanna are sophomores, Hailey is a junior and Harley a senior and success is no stranger to them.
Last year at the state cross-country meet, Prague finished third as a team and Jocelyn took second in the state with a time of 12:05.1.
Harley was sixth, covering the 3.2 kilometer course in 12:20.1, and Hanna was seventh, running 12: 29.6..
Last spring, Hailey, now a junior, placed third in the state in the 800 meters and second in the 1600 with a school record of 5:27.16.
Coach Rolette says senior Harley is the group’s leader “She’s driven and works hard,” she said. “They push each other at practice daily and pray afterwards to give God the glory.”
Along with the Prague 4x800 team, several individuals and relay teams from the area have the best marks in the state a month into the season.
Stroud senior Peyton Davis has the fastest Class 2A time in the state in two events: the 100-meter dash and the 100-meter hurdles.
She set the state record in the 100 hurdles last year with a time of 14.58 at the state meet at Western Heights and turned in a 15.11 at the Hennessey meet in March.
Teammate Aubrey Ackerman has the third best time in the state, a 17.14 at Hennessey, with Stratford’s Addison Owens in between her and Davis with a clocking of 16.27.
In the 100-meter dash in Class 2A, Davis has run the fastest time in the state, 12.30 at the Hennessey meet, with Cashion sophomore Khloe Kastner having the second fastest, a 12.35 at Hennessey.
Davis and Kastner flip positions in the 200-meter dash with Kastner having a 25.21 and Davis running a 25.64, both at the Hennessey meet. Last year, Davis was the state champion with a time of 24.64 and Kastner, then a freshman, was second at 25.03 The defending state champion in the Class 2A high jump, Sophie Young of Stroud has the highest leap so far, twice going 5-4, which matches her height at last year’s state meet.
Stroud senior Amarie Bobo, who won the Class A state championship at Davenport with a distance of 35-07, has the second best 2A distance this year, a 37-02 at Hennessey.
On the boys side in Class 2A, defending state champion Aiden Collins has turned in the best long jump of the season, a 22-02.5 at the Hennessey meet. That’s a quarter of an inch behind the 22-02.75 he turned in last season at the state meet.
Collins also has the fifth best time so far in the 100-meter dash, as well. He ran 11.5 at the Hennessey meet.
Stroud’s 4x100 relay team of Jacob Beck, Gideon Smalley, Collins and Trystan Baker ran a 45.48 at the Stroud meet, second only to Frederick’s 45.08, run at Maysville.
Additionally, Beck has the fifth fastest times in two events: the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.
In Class 4A, North Rock Creek’s C.J. Stephens has the third-best time in the 400 dash. He turned in a 50.69 at Plainview.
NRC’s Evva Baker ran the 200 meters in 26.22, which is the fourth fastest time so far this season.
The NRC girls 4x200 relay team of Ally Fichtner, Baker, Evy Simpson and Abby Bloyed ran a 1:46.91 at Stroud, which is the fdsfadsf clocking this year.
The 4x800 team of Jaynie Ford, Simpson, Fichnter and Bloyed ran a 10:30.64 at Plainview, the fourth fastest time.