It was a great weekend on the track in western Kansas for the Butler Grizzlies as the Butler men finished Region VI Runner-up while the women crowned some individual champions finishing 6th.
The Butler men, led by their sprinting core, scored 111 points in the meet to finish 2nd overall in the Region VI scoring behind Cloud County (133).
"I am really happy for our teams," said head coach Greg Franklin. "They came out here and competed well and put up some great times. Our focus now shifts to getting healthy and preparing for Nationals in less than two weeks."
Jerod Elcock was named Track Athlete of the Meet after a first and two second place finishes. Elcock stole the show in the men's 100 meter clocking a blazing time of 9.92 to take the gold. Teammate Caleb Jackson was closely behind finishing in second with a time of 10.03. Nazzio John finish 6th in the event running a 10.27.
It was both Joe Williams and Jerod Elcock who starred in the men's 200 meter finals with Williams winning by a nose with times of 20.168 and 20.170 to finish first and second. Shawn Brown also made the finals and ran a 20.83 to take fifth in the event.
Kaleb McDonald, Shawnakay Peart and Kiara Brown all put up some great times on the weekend winning multiple events. Shawnakay Peart won the women's 100 meter with a time of 11.39. The Grizzlies went 1-2-3 in the women's 200 meter with McDonald winning the event with a 23.29. Kiara Brown finished second running a 23.46 and Peart came in third with a 23.52. Kiara Brown and Kaleb McDonald also had bronze finishes as Brown took third in the 100 meter with a 11.54 and McDonald third in the open 400 meter clocking a 57.77.
Both the men's and women's 4x100 meter relay teams brought home the gold as the women's team of Kiara Brown, Shawnakay Peart, Ann Dangha and Kaleb McDonald ran a 45.94. The men, who had to come from behind, saw Joe Wiliiams chase down Coffeyville's Josh Trought on the home stretch to win the event nearly setting the facility record running a 39.55. The men's relay team was made up of Shawn Brown, Caleb Jackson, Jerod Elcock and Joe Williams.
The men's other relay teams did well as the 4x400 relay took second while the 4x800 relay team finished third place. The 4x400 team of Cameron Leiba, Caleb Jackson, Shawn Brown and Jared Sylvester ran a 3:12.09 in the final event of the day, beating out Coffeyville to finish runner-up in Region VI. The 4x800 team ran a 7:44.69 and it was Jared Sylvester, Victor Jumo, Mario Tullis and Zach Trotter who made up that team.
Three Grizzlies also took third in their individual events with Morgan Jamison finishing third in the open 400 meter (47.67), Zach Trotter in the 800 meter (1:55.63) and David Niang in the 110 high hurdles (14.33).
Region VI Top 5 Finishers:
1st Place:
Shawnakay Peart | 100meter – 11.39
Jerod Elcock | 100 meter – 9.92
Kaleb McDonald | 200 meter – 23.29
Joe Williams | 200 meter – 20.17
Women's 4x100 Relay (Kiara Brown, Shawnakay Peart, Ann Dangha, Kaleb McDonald) – 45.94
Men's 4x100 Relay (Shawn Brown, Caleb Jackson, Jerod Elcock, Joe Williams) – 39.55
2nd Place:
Caleb Jackson | 100 meter – 10.03
Kiara Brown | 200 meter – 23.46
Jerod Elcock | 200 meter – 20.17
Men's 4x400 Relay (Cameron Leiba, Caleb Jackson, Shawn Brown, Jared Sylvester) | 3:12.09
3rd Place:
Kiara Brown | 100 meter – 11.54
Shawnakay Peart | 200 meter – 23.52
Kaleb McDonald | 400 meter – 57.77
Morgan Jamison | 400 meter – 47.67
Zach Trotter | 800 meter – 1:55.63
David Niang | 110 hurdles – 14.33
Men's 4x800 Relay (Jared Sylvester, Victor Jumo, Mario Tullis, Zach Trotter) | 7:44.69
4th Place:
Cameron Leiba | 400 meter – 47.84
Victor Jumo | 1500 meter – 4:01.46
Devoy Pinnock | 110 hurdles – 14.42
5th Place:
Shawn Brown | 200 meter – 20.82
Richard Newman | High Jump – 1.92m
The Grizzlies will have 11 days to rest and recover before competing in the NJCAA Outdoor Championships hosted by Hutchinson Community College at Gowans Stadium May 19-21 in Hutchinson, KS.
