CCC puts up good showing at state meet

Published 10:10 pm Monday, May 25, 2026

By NICK KOETTERS

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — After taking runner-up in high jump a year ago, Monroe City’s Wyatt DeGrave came back and won the state title on Saturday at the MSHSAA Class 3 track and field state championships.

“It feels amazing and like all the work I put in all year long was worth it,” said DeGrave.

The Monroe City junior went clean through all his jumps along with Tristin Moncrief of Malden.

“(Moncreif) is an amazing jumper,” said DeGrave. “It was really a fun competition.”

Moncrief missed all three jumps at 2.01 meters (6’ 7”) after DeGrave cleared it on his first attempt. After the third miss, DeGrave was champion.

“When he missed it just made me so happy,” said DeGrave of seeing the third miss. “I was in the same position last year so I just didn’t want to repeat that.”

Then it was just a decision of what he wanted to jump to finish off the competition. DeGrave chose to jump 2.09 meters (6’ 10.25”).

“I chose to go for 2.09 because I was trying to break the state record and cement myself into one of the best of all time in Missouri,” said DeGrave.

He would miss all three attempts, but the joy of being a state champion was all that was needed. Maybe next year.

In the Class 2 girls 4×800-meter relay, South Shelby finished in seventh place in a time of 10:06.91. The Cardinals were in ninth at the final handoff. Samentha Koper took the baton and raced to a final leg time of 2:21.88 like she did on Friday in the open 800. Koper was joined by Janna Livers, Ainsleigh Truitt, and Avery Gough.

Monroe City also earned All-State honors by finishing in eighth place in a time of 10:07.83. The Panthers on the relay team were Bradi Keller, Emiko Moss, Emily Spalding, and Kate Willingham.

Mason Delaporte of Mark Twain and Luke Sheppard of Palmyra earned All-State honors in the 110-meter hurdles. Both men set new personal best times when they needed to the most. Delaporte ran a time of 15.38 to take sixth place while Sheppard ran 15.71 for seventh.

Sheppard turned around later and claimed his second medal of the meet when he took seventh place in the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 41.34. Sheppard’s teammate, Kason Augspurg finished fourth in the javelin with a throw of 49.53 meters (162’ 6”). A great end to the season for the freshman.

Mason McDaniel of Clark County brought home one more All-State honor to finish off his great career as the senior finished third in the 1600 with a time of 4:20.01.

Mark Twain’s Amaris Melvin took fourth place in the 100-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 15.6. Melvin came back later in the day and finished fourth in the 300 hurdles in a time of 46.92. Gracyn Lanpher of South Shelby also ran the 300s and finished just ahead of Melvin, taking third place in 46.83.

The 4×100-meter relay team for Louisiana consisting of Karishma Clark, Trinity Chatman, Micheala Lesley, and Alaysia Gschwender took fourth place in a time of 50.57.

Charlie Roush and Madisyn Adams battled it out in the Class 2 discus finals. Roush, the South Shelby senior, had to show Adams, the Monroe City freshman, that she was leaving as the top Clarence Cannon Conference thrower. Roush finished second with a throw of 42.59 meters (139’ 8”), while Adams finished third with a throw of 41.01 meters (134’ 6”).

The Highland girls ran 4:08.29 to finish fourth in the Class 2 4×400-meter relay. Hannah Ritterbusch, Alayna Logsdon, Eva Logsdon, and Chevie Sharpe earned the medal for the Lady Cougars. South Shelby ran a 4:10.59 to finish sixth with the team of Samentha Koper, Janna Livers, Ainsleigh Truitt, and Gracynn Lanpher.

Deacon Schoonover of Schuyler County earned a third place finish in the Class 1 boys shot put Saturday. Schoonover got off to a good start with a throw of 15.82 meters (51’ 11”) on his second attempt. Scratches on his last four throws however prevented the senior from moving up the podium anymore.