Cashion returns to track prominence

For her to have a shot at winning the 300 hurdles, Tony Wood knew Reese Williams would need to run a nearly-flawless race.

“Realistically, just looking at times, I thought she had a shot to finish anywhere from second to fourth,” said Wood of his senior, who was competing in the event’s finals Saturday during the Class 2A state track and field championships at Western Heights High School.

Williams had finished second in the regional while running the race in 49.94.

She was seeded fourth after Friday’s prelims as she knocked her time down to 48.83.

That was still nearly two seconds slower than Colcord’s Quincie Chunestudy.

But Williams was holding her own in the early portions of the finals.

Then Chunestudy clipped the fourth hurdle.

“She was still in the lead, but she just looked a little off,” Wood said.

Williams kept churning out clean hurdles.

That included the seventh - and second-to-last - obstacle in the race.

“Once she got over No. 7, it’s like she hit another afterburner,” Wood said. “I felt it then and she told me later that she knew she could get that girl.”

She did, but also had help. Chunestudy hit the last hurdle and fell.

“I think Reese was going to catch her regardless,” Wood said.

One thing Wood KNOWS…Williams is a state champ.

She crossed the finish line in 47.26, beating Tonkawa’s Talynn Williams by .4 second.

That time was nearly 2.7 seconds faster than her regional…and it summed up Cashion’s state track meet as a whole.

“Whatever we came in seeded at, we finished there or exceeded it,” Wood said. “And everyone PR’d in at least one, if not all of their events.”

The result saw Cashion score 57 points, good for third in the team standings, a far cry from 25th a year ago.

“It was good to see us back being competitive,” said Wood, “and competing in so many events.”

The Lady Wildcats qualifi ed for state in 11 of the 17 events.

They scored in seven of them.

Williams and junior Abby Hobgood medaled in all four of their events.

Hobgood was a bronze medalist in the 200 meter dash during her freshman season in 2022.

However, she missed most all of her sophomore campaign due to injury.

“She returned to form this season,” Wood said.

Hobgood proved it by taking bronze in the 200 again, this time running it in 26.39.

“That’s the fastest she’s ever run it,” Wood said.

Chevy Eubanks also made the finals and was eighth in that race.

Hobgood and Williams then took part on three relay teams that made the medal stand.

The 400 relay team included Eubanks and Madison Westerhoff and finished fifth.

The 800 relay squad of Hobgood, Eubanks, Williams and Megan Shafer was third in 1:49.24.

In the meet’s final race, the 1,600 relay, Hobgood, Eubanks, Williams and Sierra McCracken were also third as they finished in 4:16.33.

The Shafers - Megan and Brooke - and the McCrackens - Addison and Sierra - were also seventh in the 3,200 meter relay.

That race was part of a hectic portion of the first day for Brooke Shafer as she had three events going almost simultaneously.

She was also taking part in the high jump and the shot put.

The latter saw her truly excel as she covered 33 feet, 3 inches, good for fifth place, but also nearly 2 feet further than her previous PR.

For the boys, Gage Bedick scored in three events and medaled in one of them.

He was fifth in the 3,200 meter run with a time of 10:16.66.

He also took seventh in the 800 and eighth in the 1,600.

“His times in all three races were really good,” Wood said.

Cashion also got points from Luke Baustert, who placed sixth in the pole vault by clearing 10-6.

With the boys factored in, Cashion took part in 13 of the 17 different events.

“It was nice to see us in so many events and as much as I’d like to take credit, at the end of the day, it’s all about the kids,” Wood said. “Their effort this season was 100 percent.”