Republic thin-clads set highest school marks at COC meet

Relay speedsters topple longtime records on way to conference victories at Carthage
 
Republic athletes won two events and broke three school records at the Central Ozark Conference track meet in Carthage, Friday. The Republic boys finished third and the girls finished sixth among the 12 teams in the league.
The Lady Tigers’ best finish was in the first event of the day, the 4x800m relay. Miha and Misora Nambara, Kristin Probst, and Gracie Troester teamed up to win the event, finishing in 9:57.55. That was enough to win, but about nine seconds off their previous record pace.
The Republic boys won the last race of the night, the 4x400m relay, and they did it with a school record. The team of Miller Rountree, Landen Finley, Will Fronabarger and Devon McMillin erased a mark that had stood for 39 years, finishing in 3:26.48. That was more than three seconds faster than the previous record, set in 1983.
Chase Buford finished second in the long jump, but broke a school mark in the process. Buford jumped 6.91 meters, about 22’ 8”. That beats the previous school mark set by state champion long jumper Jerney Jones.
The boys 4x800m relay team also set a school mark. Derrick Buchanan, Will Fronabarger, Devon McMillin and Ethan Haynes finished in 8:13.22, beating the old record by about two seconds.