Jones, Bills win triple crowns, lead NMCC at SEMO South

New Madrid County Central’s Kayden Minner competes during the SEMO Conference championship meet on Saturday, April 27, at Cape Central High School.

Tony Capobianco ~ Southeast Missourian

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Podium finishes were plentiful for New Madrid County Central at the SEMO Conference-South Meet on Saturday, April 27.

The boys’ squad powered their way to a second-place finish, while the girls’ team earned a respectable fourth place, showcasing the Eagles’ depth across multiple events.

“We are very proud of our team and their performances yesterday, said NMCC coach Jarrett Allen. “We had many personal records broken, outside of the ones who got to stand on the podium.”

Ja’Kwon Jones led the charge for the Eagles, dominating the jumping events. He soared to victory in the high jump (1.80 meters), long jump (6.99), and triple jump (13.04). Teammate Jacob Bennett also excelled in the jumps, placing second in the triple jump (11.86) and third in the long jump (5.57).

‘[Jones] had a great showing,” Allen said. “He beat his previous best in the long jump. He has been struggling to put it all together and for him to do it at the conference was very exciting.”

Evan McClellan shined in the hurdles, claiming gold in both the 110-meter (15.76 seconds) and 300 (40.35) events. Teammate Connor Henderson joined him on the podium in both races, taking third in both the 110 hurdles (18.78) and the 300 hurdles (47.75).

“[McClellan] had a great day yesterday winning gold in the 110 hurdles,” Allen said. “But the one we are most proud of is his bronze in the 300 hurdles. He beat his personal record by two seconds.”

NMCC’s success extended to the field events, with Aveon Treadwell winning the javelin throw (40.00 meters).

“[Treadwell] began this season throwing around 30 meters and he came close to hitting 40 meters today,” Allen said. “We are in our fourth season throwing the javelin and he beat our previous school record as well. We expect big things from him over the next two years.”

In the sprints, Kayden Minner and Jacob Bennett placed second and third in the 100 with times of 12.28 and 12.33, respectively. Dearious Newsom took third in the 200 (24.38).

John Hydle earned a podium finish with his third-place shot put throw (11.92).

The boys’ relay squads proved their strength as well. The 400 relay team (Newsom, Minner, McClellan, Bennett) secured second place with a time of 44.76.

NMCC’s 1,600 relay team (Damiyon Alexander, Lamarkus Anderson, Henderson, Mason Hunt) also finished second, clocking in at 4:04.09.

On the girls’ side, Amya Bills was the star of the show. The freshman sprinter swept the 100 (13.05 seconds) and 200 (26.24 seconds) and also took home gold in the long jump (5.43).

“For [Bills] to win a gold in three events as a freshman is an incredible thing to do and we are just so proud of her,” Allen said. “We have a lot of special talents, but even better, we have a bunch of outstanding kids who always do things the right way.”

Teammate Ivyanna Winters showcased her versatility with a win in the 300 hurdles (50.46) and a second-place finish in the high jump (1.40).

In the final standings, Dexter claimed both the boys’ and girls’ titles with 180 and 175 points, respectively. Kennett placed third in the boys’ division with 77 points, followed by Saxony Lutheran (62), Caruthersville (44), and Doniphan (22). On the girls’ side, Doniphan took second place with 93 points, Saxony Lutheran third with 69, Kennett fifth with 57, and Caruthersville sixth with 9 points.