Nevada track places fourth

Nevada's Megan Smith and Jessica Ferree clear hurdles during the Southwest Conference meet in Anderson Thursday. Nevada finished fourth in both the girls and boys competition. [Click to enlarge]

The Nevada Tigers and Lady Tigers track team competed in the Southwest Conference meet Thursday, in Anderson.

The boys and girls each finished in fourth as a team, out of the five schools in the conference.

The boys were led by Harrison Gage, who brought home the only conference title in the long jump. His distance was 20-feet, 9-inches, more than two feet longer than second place.

The girls had two victories. Veronica Mosier won the triple jump with a run of 34-0. The 400-meter relay team of Afton Baldwin, Bridget Baldwin, Katelyn Brier and Brittany Pettibon also took first.

Placing second for the boys were the 400 relay team of Eric Atkinson, Bill Fay, Harrison Gage and Blake Sanderson. Atkinson was also second in the high jump.

For the girls, Pettibon was second in the 100. The 800 relay team of Pettibon, Brier and both Baldwin sisters also was second.

Third-place winners were Amanda Wilson in the discus; Pettibon in the 200, Afton Baldwin in the 100; Jim Fay in the 800; Nathan Gragg in the high jump and two boys relay teams. Mason Benn, Mark Reed, Ben Wilson and Fay were third in the 3200 relay; Benn, Fay, Wilson and Sanderson were third in the 1600 relay.

Nevada scored 47 points in boys competition and 51 points for the girls.

The conference winners were Carthage with 124.5 points in the girls' field and Neosho with 126 points in the boys' field. Carthage was second in the boys only eight points behind Neosho.

Nevada beat McDonald County in both boys and girls competition.

Nevada wraps up team competition with the district championships in Joplin Friday and Saturday.