STAFF PHOTO BY DELBERT PETERS
Junior Kate Basore’s final javelin throw at this weekend’s state track and field meet allowed her to capture third place in Class 1A, the highest finish for a Centre girl in 26 years.
Basore gives Centre best in 26 years
Junior Kate Basore earned her second straight state medal and became the highest placing Centre girl since 1991 with a 128 foot 3 inch javelin toss last week at the state track meet in Wichita.
Kate had settled into fourth place after the second round of competition but improved by nearly five feet, moving into third, with her sixth and final throw.
Sophomore Madison Lueger of Centralia won the Class 1A event with a throw of 142 feet 4 inches.
As a sophomore last year, Kate medaled in seventh place No other Centre athleteearned a medal this year.
Sophomore Xavier Espinoza finished ninth in long jump with a leap of 19 feet 4½ inches. The event’s winner, senior Kian Coffey of Stockton, had a best leap of 22 feet 8 inches.
Centre coach Alan Stahlecker said Xavier “competed very well” and just missed eclipsing his personal best, which he should have two more seasons to improve upon.
Xavier also participated in the 100-meter dash but with a time of 11.79 seconds did not advance to the finals. The winner in that event posted a time of 10.77.
Xavier also qualified for the 400-meter dash but was not feeling well and had to be scratched.
He did participate in the 4x100-meter relay along with teammates Max and Aidan Svoboda and Braxton Smith.
Their 47.67-second time was fractionally slower than their regional qualifying time and they did not advance to the finals, but Stahlecker noted that all four should be back to compete again next season.