The Russellville track and field program has been competitive for the last several years at the Class 2 level.
Before the 2019 season began, the Indians and Lady Indians learned they were dropping to Class 1. Russellville coach Sean Lovelace said that, combined with a roster of 48 boys and girls total, will put his teams in state trophy contention today and Saturday in the Class 1 state track and field championships at Adkins Stadium.
"Competing in Mid-Missouri in Class 2, it's just helped us tremendously," Lovelace said. "We were able to compete at that level at Class 2, and dropping down to Class 1 makes it a little more manageable team-wise."
Russellville's enrollment was two students below the maximum limit for the Class 1 cut-off in track and field. Since the team could possibly move back up to Class 2 next season, Lovelace said his team has adopted the motto "Lose Yourself" from an Eminem song title.
"We've got this one shot to go down to Class 1, this one shot, this one opportunity," Lovelace said. "We're trying to seize that opportunity and do well."
Senior Makenzie Schwartz is looking to take advantage of the opportunity as well.
In her first three seasons at Russellville, Schwartz qualified for nine events at the Class 2 state championships and came away with five state medals.
She enters the Class 1 state championships seeded in the top four in her four events: the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, looking for her first state title.
"The state meet is nothing new for her," Lovelace said. "For her mentally, it's like going to another meet. She has a great chance to do well in all four of the events, and the possibility of being state champ in a couple of them. She's ready to roll."
Lovelace said Schwartz's least-favorite race is the 200, but she has trimmed her personal best in the event to 26.56 seconds and won a district title.
Although Schwartz stands just 5-foot-3, her best events are the hurdle races, where she clears the 30- and 33-inch hurdles with ease.
"Makenzie's body type is not that of a typical hurdler," Lovelace said. "She is very short, but she is very powerful. Hurdles are something that she loves, that she works on every day. That's her true passion, ever since middle school."
Lovelace said he is hoping for around 30 points from Schwartz in her four events toward the Russellville girls team standings. However, there are a handful of other events where the Lady Indians can also score points.
Gabriela Kauffman is the No. 6 seed in the high jump and Skylar Potts is seeded seventh in the long jump, competing in both events today. The Russellville girls also open the track events today in the 4x800-meter relay as the No. 7 seed.
"We do have high hopes of getting a podium finish, getting a top-four plaque," Lovelace said. "That's been our goal all year long."
Rounding out the state qualifiers for the Lady Indians are Lindsay Brandt and Olivia Barnett. Both will compete today in the 3,200-meter run.
The Russellville boys qualified for state in six events, including two relays. The boys 4x800 relay finished runner-up at state last season, and the quartet of Campbell Nichols, Austin Roe, Ethan Huff and Jared Shirley are seeded second entering Saturday's race.
"We're hoping to push Princeton for the title, and hopefully we can pull one out here," Lovelace said.
Huff will also compete in today's 800-meter run, where he is the No. 6 seed. Lovelace said he once clocked Huff's split at 2:02 in the 4x800 and decided to start entering him in the open 800. In last weekend's sectional race, he finished first in 2:06.93.
"This is probably only the fourth time he's run the open 800 for us," Lovelace said. " I'm hoping he'll get closer to that 2:00 time and come away with a good finish there."
Also competing today for the Indians are Nichols in the 1,600-meter run and Gabe Little in the 300 hurdles. Little will also run one of the four legs of Russellville's 4x200-meter relay.
Arjay Wilson, who qualified for state in the 3,200, will run his race Saturday.
"We have really high hopes," Lovelace said. "I would love to come out with two plaques, but we've got to run the races."
Vienna's Gavin Stricklan heads to state as the No. 1 seed in the boys discus, which is scheduled for Saturday. He also advanced to state in the shot put.
Mike Andrew also qualified for state in two events for Vienna: the boys 110 and 300 hurdles.
Chamois' Katie Keilholz will compete in the girls 800 and 1,600, while St. Elizabeth's Everett Schaffer advanced to state in the boys pole vault and discus.
Schaffer is one of four area athletes competing in the Class 1 pole vault competition Saturday. Chamois' Brandon Dodson joins him on the boys side, while St. Elizabeth's Ariel Schaffer and Audrey Struemph are vying for the girls title.
Jamestown's Chiane Harlan will compete in the girls 100 hurdles. The Eagles also qualified for state in the boys 4x200-meter relay.