Addy Schlake often showed the potential and hit a peak in last spring’s postseason.
On Saturday, Platte County’s versatile junior not only finished second in the discus during the 65th annual Licklider Invitational at Jefferson City High School but also erased a school record that stood for more than a decade in the process. She easily set a career-best with a throw of 41.57 meters, bettering the mark of 36.8 she set in the 2023 Class Sectional 4 meet.
Incidentally, this marked the second time Schlake threw at Jefferson City High School, host of the Class 5 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships. Her previous PR qualified her for state for the first time where she hoped to make a run at the school record.
Prior to Saturday, Kylie Guthier held the top two discus throws for Platte County at 37.01 meters and 40.28 meters set in 2013’s sectional meet.
Schlake now stands alone at the top while combining with Guthier for the top 23 distances for the program according to available records. Prior to the Licklider meet, Schlake had yet to approach last year’s form with a previous season-best of 34.67 meters at the season-opening Ron Ives Invitational.
The breakthrough came not he same day she matched her PR in the high jump, clearing 1.52 meters to tie for second and place fifth in that event.
Platte County senior Ava Filger added a runnerup finish for the Pirates, posting the 20th-fastest 300 hurdles time in program history per available records. She went 47.19 to place second in the event and lower her previous best from a week earlier by .70 of a second in the process.
In addition, Filger also placed fifth in the 100 hurdles final (16.73) after just missing her PR of 16.53 in the prelims. She qualified for the finals in 16.55.
Platte County sophomore Adi Benninghoff finished one spot ahead of Filger in the shorter hurdles race at 16.34. She went 15.83 in preliminaries — a mark only .12 of a second off her PR from the previous week. She has now gone under 16 seconds twice in her career after making a breakthrough in the event midway through her freshman season.
Currently, Benninghoff is only a little more than a quarter of a second off of the school record Isabelle Geddes set in 2018 (15.40).
Platte County’s remaining top-five individual showings came from seniors Alex Beeman (third, 3,200, 13:40.53) and Sisely Mitchell (fifth, 1,600, 5:32.82). Beeman continues to contribute when possible while splitting time with soccer.
The only victories for Platte County came in an extended slate of relays. The Pirates continued to utilize a preferred unit of Mitchell, senior Carmen Gentilia, junior Madison Palmer and sophomore Addie Ayers, and the returning quartet of state qualifiers in the event turned in a season-best of 9:49.78 — third fastest time in school history — Liberty (Wentzville) to the line for first place. The two best times came in medal-winning state performances in 2016 and 2017.
In the 4×100 relay, Platte County’s team of sophomore Charley Sims, returning from a lingering leg injury, and freshmen Maggie Davis, Adilynn Kern and Vanessa Sarpong set a season-best at 51.33 and placed third. Filger, Sims, Davis and Kern ran the 4×200 and came in fourth despite another season-best of 1:49.42.
Platte County did win three races total, adding first-place finishes in the 1,600 sprint medley and distance medley relays. Sims, junior Alexia Myer, Gentilia and Davis made up the 200-200-400-800 team for the Pirates, while Mitchell, Gentilia, Ayers and Myer rant the longest of the six relays.
Myer continues to be a versatile part of Platte County’s relays in her first year with the program after moving into the district.
Winnetonka Invitational
Platte County took a limited roster to Thursday’s Winnetonka Invitational at North Kansas City District Activities Complex with the travel to Jefferson City pending a few days later. The Pirates finished eighth out of 15 teams.
Platte County senior Autumn Redes set a career-best in the long jump at 4.87 to take the gold medal. Her previous PR was 4.58 meters. In addition, Cassidy Hostikka came in fourth in the high jump at 1.40 meters, winning a tiebreaker for that spot.
