Rhoads 1st at sectional, Thompson qualifies as freshman

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

Two Cassville athletes will take part in the 2026 Class 3 Track and Field Championship Friday and Saturday, and both in the same event.

At the Class 3, Sectional 3 in Buffalo on Saturday, senior Corbin Rhoads took first place in the pole vault, clearing a height of 4 meters. For the Lady Wildcats, freshman Hopelyne Thompson will head to Jefferson City after taking fourth in the pole vault at sectionals, clearing 2.65 meters.

Clay Weldy, Cassville boys track and field coach, said Rhoads was excited about his result, but also measured.

“He was excited, but Corbin is a pretty even-keeled person, so he wasn’t going crazy or anything,” Weldy said. “But, he was excited to make it through.”

Rhoads and Miller Bettis, of Fair Grove, both cleared 4 meters (13.12 feet) and Rhoads took the top spot by having less misses than Bettis throughout the competition, 

Rhoads currently sits 7th in Class 3 based on his sectional vault. His personal record, also the Cassville High School record, was set at the Wildcat Relays this season at 4.35 meters.

“We are going to make sure we refine a few things and keep getting him reps,” Weldy said. “At this point, we don’t want to overthink or overdo anything.”

Weldy said staying even-keeled and focused will be the key to reaching the podium.

“He needs to approach it like any other meet we have been to this season,” Weldy said. “He just needs to worry about himself and not worry about what anyone else is doing, and stay focused through the competition.”

Weldy said in his 15 years as head boys track coach, this is the first pole vaulter who has qualified for state. Rhoads’ school record height bested the 40-year-old record of 14 feet, 1 inch set by Allen Osborne. Jeremy Huse matched the height in 1996 at the Big 8 conference meet, going on to take 13th place at state that year.

Thompson is in her first year of track and field, and Coach Erin Flehmer said she had never pole vaulted before taking up the event on the first day of practice this season. She advanced out of sectionals by clearing 2.65 meters (8.7 feet) on her second attempt, one sooner than Salem’s Emma Schlag, who cleared the height on her third attempt.

“It came down to misses,” Flehmer said. “[Second place through fifth place] all went out on 2.65 meters, so it came down to who had less misses. I think she was more stunned and shocked than anything. I was the more emotional one when I told her.

“I asked her, ‘Do you know what this means?’ She said, ‘I’m going to state.’ From there, she just kept smiling.”

Flehmer said leading up to Friday and Saturday, fine tuning skills will be the goal, as well as trying to clear a few more inches.

“We’ll be working on some technical stuff to help her vault get higher,” Flehmer said. “There are a lot of girls going who can clear 3 or 3.2 meters (10 feet and 10.5 feet), so the goal will be to have fun and clear the opening height, which we wont know until Thursday. It very well may be her personal record of 2.65 meters, which she hit in districts and sectionals.”

Wherever Thompson finishes, it won’t be less than being in the top 16 in Class 3, Flehmer said.

“Hopelyne is super excited, and it’s a big deal to make it as a freshman,” Flehmer said.

Annie Moore was the last pole vaulter from Cassville to qualify for state. She took 12th place in Class. at 2.52 meters (8.25 feet) in 2022.