IBERIA — It took a second-place finish in the last race of the night – the 4×400-meter relay – for Fredericktown to secure last year’s Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference girls track and field title.
The Freddies came into the race trailing three-time defending champion Mount Gilead by half-a-point, but remained undeterred, outpacing the Indians by 17 seconds (and three places) and clinching their first KMAC title in stunning fashion.
This year’s title involved far less drama.
Fredericktown nearly lapped the field on Tuesday night at Northmor High School, finishing with 192 team points – 70 ahead of second-place Mount Gilead and 104.5 ahead of third-place Northmor.
The Freddies captured their second straight KMAC title in the process – a feat that had senior Elsa Hoam smiling from ear-to-ear afterwards.
“It means a lot to us. Last year, we had (the KMAC meet) at home, so there was more pressure. And then this year, (there was pressure) to hold our title,” Hoam explained.
“Last year, we won; it came down to the 4×400. It was half-a-point, and we had to win to keep it. And this year, we won by a landslide. It was just an amazing feeling to know that everyone put in the work and we got where we needed to go.”
BOYS: Mount Gilead (146 points); Northmor (122); Fredericktown (98); East Knox (91); Danville (76); Centerburg (68); Cardington-Lincoln (29).
GIRLS: Fredericktown (192 points); Mount Gilead (122); Northmor (87.5); Cardington-Lincoln (71.5); East Knox (57); Centerburg (55); Danville (35).
The Mount Gilead boys won their fifth straight KMAC championship Tuesday at Northmor High School. The Fredericktown girls won their second straight KMAC title.
To see this year’s full list of individual KMAC champions, click here.
Hoam won the mile (5:28) and two-mile (12:17) races Tuesday, placed third in long jump (13 feet), and anchored Fredericktown’s first-place 4×400-meter relay team (4:24), which also included freshman Kit Bellman, senior Sydney Wilson and sophomore Ellie Kershner.
It mirrored her performance at the KMAC cross country meet last fall, when Hoam broke through and won her first conference title after three years of top-10 finishes. Hoam placed third in the mile in 2021 and second in 2022, while also placing second in the two-mile last year, before breaking through this spring and sweeping the conference’s distance events.
“It was amazing to just go into every event and try my hardest, and come out where I wanted to be with every distance event,” Hoam said. “It was an amazing feeling.”
Hoam was flanked by a host of scarlet-and-gray medalists on Tuesday, as Fredericktown’s girls team captured a total of six individual titles and two relay titles at the conference meet.
Freshman Ella Bouton took home two individual KMAC titles, winning the shot put and discus competitions. She broke the KMAC meet record in shot put, recording a hurl of 36 feet, 4.25 inches. And she came within six inches of breaking the meet’s discus record, recording a toss of 114 feet, 10.5 inches.
Senior Ashley Cockrell defended her title in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing first in 17.07 seconds. And Wilson won her third straight conference pole vault title, breaking her own meet record by clearing the bar at 10 feet, 10 inches.
The Fredericktown girls 4×200-meter relay team – consisting of junior Emily Feeney, sophomore Trinity Enzor, senior Aspen Maggard and junior Emma Scott – took home gold as well, capturing first place with a time of 1:53.
Three individuals from Fredericktown’s girls team placed second on Tuesday, along with two relay teams. Four more individuals placed third. Numerous other Freddies earned podium finishes at the conference meet, leading to a dominant victory for the defending champs.
“Last year was a squeaker, it came down to the 4×400. And we knew this year that (Cockrell) wasn’t healthy, and we knew we were only gonna have one race (from her). Sydney Wilson concentrated on the pole vault and only did one race. So we relied a lot on our depth and our girls across the board, in all the different events, to do what we did today,” Fredericktown head coach Bob Geiger said.
“It wasn’t a couple studs (carrying the team). In fact, some of our older studs, we kind of held back on purpose. So the best thing about today is, I’m pretty sure we scored two girls in every single event. And that is how you win a championship. That was our goal.”
Wilson said she was proud to win a second straight KMAC team title – but she was more proud of the way her team did it, with contributions across the board.
“Oh my gosh, it means so much. We’re out there every day, working for it. We work together. …” Wilson said. “We all are really close. This has actually really helped us become closer. And I think having that strong bond definitely helps us perform better, too.”
Fredericktown will now turn its focus to the postseason. Both the boys and girls teams will compete in the Division II Central District Meet at Westerville South High School next week. The top four finishers in each event will advance to regionals.
Six Fredericktown girls made it to regionals last year, but only Cockrell advanced to state in the 100-meter hurdles. Wilson, who finished four inches away in the pole vault from a state berth, said she’s ready to make one final run at it this spring.
“I’m so ready for it,” Wilson said. “I mean, I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. It’s my senior year. We have a good team. I’m really excited, actually. I think we all are, too.”
Hoam agreed. She believes Fredericktown will have a better shot at sending athletes to regionals and state this year, given the team’s depth.
“I think we’re gonna have a good chance this year,” Hoam said. “We have some really strong freshmen who have been stepping up, which is causing our sophomores and juniors and seniors to step up even more. … It’s promising for the upcoming meets. I’m excited.”
To see this year’s full list of individual KMAC champions, click here.
