Missing out on a Four Rivers Conference (FRC) title on the track earlier this month, Matt Candrl’s Dutchmen track and field squad looked to claim a district title on their home track during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 5 track meet at Owensville High School’s Dutchmen Field.

Placing second out of 13 teams, the Dutchmen racked up 108.5 points to finish behind Buffalo’s 141 points.

OHS’ first sectional qualifier came in field events during a rainy start to the meet Saturday morning.

Dutchmen sophomore Charlie Whelan cleared 1.70 meters to place second in the high jump to advance to sectionals.

Gabe Soest also cleared 1.60m to tie for eighth place in the event.

Shortly after noon, the Dutchmen landed their first sectional qualifier on the track.

Joshua Jaycox placed third in the boys 110-meter hurdles in 16.31 to advance to sectionals. Alan Kopp also placed fifth in 16.61.

Nearly 30 minutes after the 110m hurdles, the Dutchmen 4x200-meter relay team of Jacob Breedlove, Bryce Payne, TJ Whelan and Charlie Whelan punched their ticket to sectionals with a second-place time of 1:33.16.

Also sprinting their way to sectionals was the Dutchmen 4x100-meter relay team of Blake Elliott, Charlie Whelan, TJ Whelan and Kopp in a fourth-place time of 45.86.

Looking to add to his leg of the 4x200m relay, Breedlove entered the 400-meter dash with the fastest time amongst district runners.

Winning his heat, Breedlove claimed a district title with a first-place time of 52.08.

Tanner Meyer also picked up a pair of team points with a seventh-place time of 54.87 in the 400m dash.

Going into the 300-meter hurdles, redemption was on Kopp’s mind after a bad start hampered him in the 110m hurdles.

Able to hold off St. James freshman Kaiden Snyder, Kopp captured a district title winning the 300m hurdles in 41.16. Payne will join him at sectionals after posting a third-place time of 42.73.

“I’m proud of Alan for coming back after the 110’s to run a solid race in the 300m hurdles,” Candrl said. “Bryce also gutted it out picking off a pair of runners right before the finish line to advance to sectionals.”

Looking for another district title, Breedlove took on the 800-meter run nearly an hour after winning the 400m dash.

Able to hold in the top four, Breedlove advanced to sectionals in the 800m run with a fourth-place time of 2:12.31.

Ending the meet with a bang, the Dutchmen 4x400-meter relay team of TJ Whelan, Payne, Soest and Breedlove won a district title with a first-place time of 3:36.73.

TJ Whelan will also be competing at sectionals in the pole vault after clearing 3.65m to place third.

Ashton Kramme finished right behind Whelan in fifth place clearing 3.50m.

Charlie Whelan came within centimeters of going to sectionals in two jumping events.

Placing sixth in the long jump with a distance of 5.75m, St. Clair’s Trenton Balderson was fifth (5.76m) while Fair Grove’s Samuel Sublett placed fourth with a mark of 5.77m.

Soest picked up more team points for the Dutchmen placing fifth in the triple jump with a mark of 11.55m.

Senior Owen Holtzer saw his OHS track career come to an end following a 19th-place throw of 10.48m in the shot put and a 20th-place throw of 25.56m in the discus.

Hayden Shoemaker’s best finish came in the discus with a 10th-place throw of 34.15m.

Chris Stockton saw his junior season of OHS track end after a fifth-place throw of 40.72m in the boys javelin.

Cameron O’Neal just missed sectionals in the 3200-meter run after a fifth-place time of 10:43.45.

Also placing fifth was the Dutchmen 4x800-meter relay team of Freddy Zheng, Ethan Harris, Lucas Morgan and O’Neal in a time of 9:18.60.