WAYNESVILLE — District plaques and medals.

That is what Matt Candrl’s Owensville Dutchmen and Dutchgirl track athletes were hunting for Saturday during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 5 track meet at Waynesville High School.

After the conclusion of the 4x400-meter relay, OHS got to celebrate a historic achievement after winning district team titles in both the boys and girls divisions.

“Words cannot describe how proud I am of every single athlete that competed today,” Candrl said. “Even though not everyone is going to sectionals, everyone that placed in the top eight of their event contributed to us winning our district titles by big margins.”

Before the events on the track even started, the orange and black already crowned a district champion.

Sophomore Cameron Nowack won the girls triple jump with a leap of 10.15 meters.

Fellow sophomore Ali Daniels also advanced to next weekend’s MSHSAA Class 3, Sectional 3 track meet at West Plains High School with a third-place leap of 10.07m in the girls triple jump.

Looking to extend her high school career by at least another week, senior Ella Gehlert accomplished that feat by winning a district title in the girls high jump clearing 1.45m.

Just after lunch, fellow senior Bryce Payne began a string of district titles for OHS on the track.

Denied a (Four Rivers) conference title by St. James’ Kaden Snider, Payne avenged that loss by winning a district title in a new school record time of 14.57 in the boys 100m hurdles.

This broke the old school record previously held by Sean Irwin of 14.62 from the 2018 state meet.

“Bryce was on a mission today and accomplished big time by winning a district title and breaking a school record in the process,” Candrl said.

A foursome of Owensville Dutchgirls were next to experience a district title.

Owensville’s Dutchgirl 4x200m relay team of Emma-lee Wehmeyer, Saylor Richardson, Emma Daniels and Ella Gehlert claimed their district title in a winning time of 1:49.88.

Dutchgirl relay teams weren’t done there.

Sprinting their way to a district title in 50.73, the Dutchgirl 4x100m relay team of McKenzy Echols, Emma Daniels, Nowack and Richardson also broke a school record as old as they were from the 2006 state meet by the team of Dea Dea Sieckmann, Cassondra Copeland, Kelly Soest and Ashley Cooper (51.00).

Nowack added to her district title from earlier in the triple jump by winning the girls long jump with a leap of 5.16m.

Payton Harness just missed sectionals by placing fifth with a leap of 4.25m.

Nearly an hour after the Dutchgirls sprinted their way to district gold, Payne got himself some company in the district champion department.

Junior Tanner Meyer won the boys 400m dash by over a second in a first-place time of 53.27.

Sophomore distance runner Ilene Limberg also claimed multiple district titles along with Nowack.

Winning the girls 1600m run earlier in the meet with a time of 5:45.84, Limberg went for another piece of district gold in the girls 3200m run.

Overcoming a slow pace early in the race, Limberg passed Fatima’s Lauren Berhorst midway through the race before posting a first-place time of 12:29.91 in the girls 3200m run.

“Ilene had quite a day winning two district titles and helping the 4x800m relay girls advance to sectionals,” Candrl said.

Freshman Hannah Gehlert will join Limberg at sectionals after posting a fourth-place time of 13:31.49 in the girls 3200m run.

Adding to a pair of district-championship legs in two relays, junior Emma Daniels claimed an individual district title winning the girls 200m dash in a time of 25.71.

Richardson also qualified for sectionals in the girls 200m dash with a fourth-place time of 28.32.

Capping the meet in fitting fashion, the Dutchmen 4x400m relay team of Gabe Soest, Layne Evans, Meyer and Payne claimed the third district title by an OHS relay team with a winning time of 3:32.70.

A lot of silver also left Waynesville following second-place district finishes by OHS in several events.

Overcoming a bout of food poisoning early Saturday morning, senior Charlie Whelan sprinted to second-place times of 11.21 in the boys 100m dash and 22.90 in the boys 200m dash.

Dutchmen distance events also meant a lot of district medals.

Soest (2nd, 2:09.06) and Felix Guerrero (4th, 2:09.28) qualified for sectionals for Owensville in the boys 800m run.

Additionally in the boys 1600m run, Guerrero (2nd, 4:36.81) and Lucas Morgan (4th, 5:11.58) earned All-District honors punching their tickets to sectionals.

Guerrero made it three sectional events by taking second in a time of 10:56.79 in the boys 3200m run.

Edged by Fatima in the boys 4x200m relay, the Dutchmen quartet of Blake Elliott, Tanner Meyer, Bryce Payne and Ethan Harris posted a second-place time of 1:33.73.

Soest added a second-place clearing height of 1.70m in the boys high jump to advance to sectionals in four events.

Senior Derrick Marquez earned another week of practice clearing 3.35m in the boys pole vault to place fourth.

Sophomore Eli Graham threw his way to another week of practice placing third in the boys discus with a throw of 38.64m.

Junior Hayden Shoemaker earned additional team points for the Dutchmen with a fifth-place throw of 37.49m.

Emma Daniels added to her district title in the girls 200m dash with a second-place time of 13.14 in the girls 100m dash.

Emma-lee Wehmeyer punched her individual ticket to sectionals with a second-place time of 17.05 in the girls 100m hurdles.

Halle Engelbrecht earned team points for the Dutchgirls with a sixth-place time of 55.22.

Advancing to sectionals in the girls 4x800m relay with a second-place time of 10:39.72 was the Dutchgirl team of Brynn Wright, Abbie Gibson, Hannah Gehlert and Limberg.

Payne added to his district title in the 110m hurdles with a second-place time of 40.39 in the 300m hurdles.

Similar to their Dutchgirl counterparts, the Dutchmen 4x800m relay team of Guerrero, Harris, Morgan and Evans also placed second in a time of 9:14.47.

Adding to her district title in the girls high jump, Ella Gehlert also qualified for sectionals in the girls 400m dash with a fourth-place time of 1:05.58.

Wright (2nd, 2:31.44) and Limberg (4th, 2:32.59) also advanced to sectionals for OHS out of the girls 800m run.

Placing third in 4:25.80 was the Dutchgirl 4x400m relay team of Ali Daniels, Ella Gehlert, Wright and Echols.

Jenna Vandegriffe and Ruvia Nowack tied for seventh in the girls pole vault clearing 2.30m.

Josie Gerlemann earned a spot at sectionals with a second-place throw of 9.35m in the girls shot put.

Layna Rademacher picked up Dutchgirl team points with a sixth-place throw of 25.91m in the girls discus.

Senior Aries Nicholas also scored team points for the Dutchmen clearing 3.20m in the boys pole vault to place sixth.

Meyer (5th, 5.94m) and Nicholas (7th, 5.73m) earned team points for OHS in the boys long jump.

Jaiden Mason ended his OHS track career with a 10th-place throw of 11.47m in the boys shot put.

Halle Engelbrecht added team points for the Dutchgirls with a sixth-place time of 55.22 in the girls 300m hurdles.

Best of luck to all OHS athletes Saturday at West Plains.