Competitive showing for SCC, Oran at SEMO West Meet

Scott County Central’s Namarius Banks-Warren competes during the SEMO Conference championship meet on Saturday, April 27, at Cape Central High School.

Tony Capobianco ~ Southeast Missourian

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. — It was a battle for the top spots at the SEMO Conference-West Meet on Saturday, with Hayti and Chaffee ultimately walking away with the team titles, but Scott County Central and Oran athletes proved they’re on the rise.

Scott County Central’s Namarius Banks-Warren proved a triple threat, dominating the sprints and the high jump. He claimed victory in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.95 seconds, the 400 at 52.81, and soared to first place in the high jump with a leap of 1.70 meters. Teammate Courtney Sanders added to the Braves’ success with a third-place finish in the 200, crossing the line in 24.62.

Oran’s 400 relay team secured a third-place finish with a time of 54.74. Conner McCoy continued Oran’s success with a runner-up finish in the 800, clocking in at 1:15.16.

Oran coach Corey Davis had praise for athletes who made unexpected contributions.

“I have to give a shout-out to Weston Woods,” Davis said. “He’s thrown shot put and discus for us this year but I’ve had him as an alternate for the 400 relay the last few meets in case we had an injury, we could still run the race. Today, he had to fill in and ran pretty well for never having attempted a running event before and got us third in our division.”

On the girls’ side, SCC’s Ellie Britt took first place in the 1,600 with a time of 6:43.41.

Oran’s Piper Bennett pushed hard, finishing second in the same event with a time of 6:57.80.

Britt also earned a second-place finish in the 800 at 2:55.30.

Bella Sutton added to SCC’s medal count, claiming second place in the 100 hurdles with a time of 20.08.

Oran’s Bailey McCoy finished third in the 100-meter dash, clocking a time of 15.31. Cora Woods contributed to Oran’s team effort with a third-place finish in the shot put, recording a throw of 8.57.

“I had several kids perform very well today and I am really proud of the team as a whole,” Davis said. “I had some kids step up today, which is very exciting as a coach. I was happy to see Piper Bennett and Connor McCoy perform well today in their long-distance runs. I’ve had some high expectations for them this season. I’m looking forward to seeing what they will do next week at districts.”

Davis also highlighted the team’s extraordinary versatility and positive mindset.

“I could go on and on about my kids,” he said. “I have a great group and what has really stuck out to me today and throughout the whole season is how willing they are to try new events. I’ve thrown Dean Morgan into several different events this season and he’s approached them with a great mentality. I expect him to continue to improve and be a very important piece for our team in the future.

“We have also had great leadership on our team,” Davis concluded. “I was a little worried about that going into this season since we don’t have any seniors but my returning juniors Ayden Shy, Aiden Scheeter, and Jayden Williamson have done a great job as leaders this year and jumping into different events and keeping morale and expectations high for the team as a whole.”