Staff photo by Mike Buhler Kennett's junior high boys and girls track teams have done well this spring as they have won or finished second in every meet they have competed in. [Click to enlarge]

While the Kennett Indians and Lady Indians varsity track teams have been having strong seasons this spring, their junior high counterparts haven't been doing too bad for themselves, either.

The Indians and Lady Indians junior-high squads have excelled in meets at Dexter, East Prairie and Malden, winning every meet except the Malden meet, where they finished second to Poplar Bluff, a much larger school.

At Dexter, the boys team racked up an amazing nine first-place finishes. Roland Tijerina recorded wins in the 100- and 400-meters, while Nelson Villela won the 1600-meters. Dylan Hill took the 800-meters, while Lavonte Hickman won the long jump and Derick Turner won the high jump.

Corbin Wake won the shot put, while Dillon Parr won the discus and the 4x100-relay team of Chris Oliver, Austin Patterson, Hickman and Dermond Herrod also brought home first place.

The Tribe also took second place in five events -- Patterson in the hurdles, Hickman in the 200, Tijerina in the long jump, Cordell Young in the shot put and the foursome of Oliver, Luke Wyrick, Hill and Turner in the 4x400-relay -- and third in five more -- Hill in the 1600, Wyrick in the 800, Tijerina in the 200, Herrod in the shot put and the quartet of JuJuan Wallace, Ethan Benson, Oliver and Patterson in the 4x200-relay -- to capture first place as a team.

On the girls side, Alex Washburn won the 1600, while Holly Sando won the 800. Anna Kay Hilburn captured the high jump while Penny Barrera won the shot put and the 4x400-relay team of Sando, Hilburn, Cara Daugherty and Mallory Lancaster also came in first.

The Lady Tribe came in second in five other events -- Sando in the 1600, Hilburn in the 400, Lancaster in the 800, Washburn in the long jump and Barrera in the discus -- and third in three more -- Lancaster in the 1600, Washburn in the 400 and Daugherty in the 800 -- to win the overall title.

At East Prairie, Kennett's teams -- boys, seventh-grade girls and eighth-grade girls -- were all triumphant at the eight-team invitational.

On the boys' side, Tijerina won both the 1600 and the 200-meters, while Parr took home first in the discus and Young topped the field in the shot put. Tijerina also took second in the 400 and third in the long jump, while the 4x100-relay team of Herrod, Oliver, Turner and Hickman also took third.

The eighth-grade girls got first-place finishes from Washburn in the 1600, Madison Bryant in the long jump and Barrera in the shot put. Meanwhile, Barrera took second in the discus and Washburn in the 800, while Lancaster was third in the 800 and 1600, Washburn finished third in the high jump and Qwenteria Collins came in third in the long jump.

The seventh-graders got seven first-place finishes, as Corinne Thompson won both the 100 and the shot put, while Hilburn captured the 400 and the high jump, and Sando came home first in the 800 and 1600. The 4x400-relay team of Sando, Daugherty, Hilburn and Chandler Essary also came in first.

Daugherty was also second in the 800 and 1600, while Thompson brought home third in the 400 and Hilburn was third in the long jump.

At the Malden Invitational, both Kennett squads finished second in the seven-team behind a pair of strong Poplar Buff schools.

On the boys side, Turner won the high jump, while Tijerina was triumphant in the 200 and 400, and Young captured the shot put.

Wake took second in the shot put, while Tijerina was runner-up in the long jump and the 4x100-relay team of Hickman, Turner, Oliver and Herrod also came home second.

Tijerina was third in the 100 and the 4x400 team of Turner, Wyrick, Patterson and Hill was also third.

On the girls' side, Washburn was victorious in the 400 and 1600, while Hilburn won the high jump and Barrera captured the discus.

The Lady Tribe racked up six second-place finishes, led by Sando in the 800 and 1600. Thompson was runner-up in the 100, Hilburn came home second in the 400, Washburn was second in the triple jump and the 4x100-relay team of Hilburn, Bryant, Collins and Thompson also finished in the No. 2 slot.

Kennett picked up five third-place finishes, as Barrera was third in the shot put, Bryant in the long jump, Lancaster in the 800, Thompson in the 200, and the team of Hilburn, Essary, Daugherty and Sando took third in the 4x400-relay.

The Indians and Lady Indians will be at home Monday for the Kennett Invitational at Metz Cherry Stadium.