BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

After two years of missing out on the podium at the Class 3 MSHSAA State Track and Field Championships, Cassville senior Aaliyah Franklin broke through the ceiling in her final prep meet — twice.

Franklin was 14th in shot put as a junior and jumped to 5th this go-around. Her discus journey also resulted in a medal, going from 16th as a sophomore to 14th as a junior and 8th at this year’s Championships in Jefferson City.

On Friday, Franklin started in fifth in discus with a throw of 33.38 meters, and even though she topped it with a 34.68 on her second attempt, she sat in seventh after that round. After three rounds, she dropped to eighth, but that locked in the medal. The winner, Oak Grove’s Eva Alexander, threw 39.88 meters in the fifth round.

In shot put on Saturday, Franklin was in the second flight of eight, throwing 11.07 meters on her third attempt to move into third place. It proved to be her longest after three more attempts in the final round, during which two more competitors passed her. The winner was Holden’s Brionna Johnson, who sent an 11.61-meter shot on her first attempt.

“She came in confident,” said Erin Flehmer, Cassville girls track coach. “She knew she wanted to be on the podium, especially in shot, and after seeing the first flight, she knew the number she needed to get on there. She was relaxed and collected, and she did an awesome job.

“She didn’t throw as well as she wanted in discus, but her main goal there was to get on the podium,” Flehmer said. “For that reason, she was good with eighth.”

Franklin was ranked 7th in both events coming into state, and Flehmer was proud of her exceeding expectations in the shot put.

“It was really exciting to watch her just be so laid back and ready to go,” Flehmer said. “Josi Rose is our throwing coach and has done a good job all four years to get [Aaliyah] where she needed to be.”

Franklin said even though her better finish was in shot put, it was the discus event she enjoyed more.

“[State] was awesome,” she said. “It was great to break the school record in discus [at East Newton earlier this season] and be in the top 8 at state. For the most part, I did pretty good. I got to the finals and it got tougher, but this was the last time I would ever throw for Cassville, so I was proud of myself overall.”

Franklin said she started in the Lady Wildcats’ program with shot put, but after starting to throw discus, she enjoyed that more.

“When I first started with shot put, I loved it, but in my sophomore year I started discus, and I loved it more,” she said. “I was ready for shot put to be over. I was happy for discus and done with shot.”

Even though she was trudging through shot put, Franklin said she was proud to take 5th and to compete in a strength-based event.

“It’s great being a girl and competing in shot because you have to be strong,” she said. “It’s great to be a woman and say I won at state for throwing something heave really far.”

Franklin’s shot put journey took an unexpected turn this season, as she had to switch her shot, the specific ball she throws.

“The whole season I was throwing high 11s, then in conference, my shot was disqualified for having an indention,” she said. “Your shot is your implement you like to throw, and I had been using that one for two years in competition and practice. That put me in a slump of mid-10s, so it was nice to end the year hitting 11 again.”

Also competing for the Lady Wildcats at state was senior Evelyn Elliott, running a 13.14 in the 100-meter dash, good for 13th place, equal to her rank coming in. She was .15 seconds from a medal, and the winner, Boonville’s Effie Morris, ran a 14.58 in the finals.

“It was Evelyn’s first time at state, and she did good,” Flehmer said. “She was seeded 13th and got 13th. She ran well and just missed out on the podium, but I’m proud of her and how she went into the postseason and continued to get better.

“I’m super proud of both of my seniors. They ended the season on a great note, and I wish them luck in their next chapters.”

The last medal for the Cassville girls track team was the 4×800 relay team in 2023.

In boys action at state, the relay team of senior Kyle Bailey, sophomore Kamden Beebe, freshman Mace Bredeson and senior Jacob Walker finished in 13th place with a time of 43.96, just .41 seconds from the medals. In the finals, Lift for Life Academy Charter won the race with a time of 42.01 seconds.

“I was proud of our boys 4×100 relay team,” said Clay Weldy, Cassville boys track and field coach. “We ran well at state and had our second fastest time of the season. I was proud of our two seniors: Kyle Bailey and Jacob Walker. They were great leaders for us all season. Kyle was our leading point scorer this season for the boys team, so he will be missed. Jacob Walker was our leading point scorer in 2024, but he fought a hamstring injury most of the season and didn’t run at full capacity until our Conference Meet. 

“[Kamden and Mace] will return next year with state experience and will continue to get better and faster for us. They will begin to become leaders for us as they get older.”