Wiesbaden junior Makiah Parker won the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes on Saturday at Wiesbaden High School, Germany. Parker, the defending European champion in those events, also anchored her team’s winning 1,600-relay. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – Luke Jones didn’t officially set a record Saturday, despite running a faster 3,200-meter race than anyone else in DODEA-Europe history.
But it might only just be a matter of time – in more ways than one – for the Wiesbaden sophomore.
Running by himself in a large meet on his home track, Jones nearly lapped the entire field over eight laps to finish in 9 minutes, 36.29 seconds. His time was faster than the European record of 9:44.64, set less than a year ago by Elijah Smith, Jones’ former Warriors teammate. But records can only be set at European championships, DODEA officials confirmed Sunday.
Jones was still thrilled with his race.
“It felt amazing,” Jones said. “I just ran by feel; I wasn’t worried about splits because it’s so early in the season. I’m really happy.”
Jones, the DODEA-Europe cross country champion, also won the 1,600 in 4:38.79. That race was much closer. In the 3,200, he crossed the finish nearly 50 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor; in the 1,600, he had to kick down the final stretch to outlast Stuttgart’s Carter Lindsey and Ramstein’s Max Furqueron, who finished less than three seconds behind.
Saturday’s meet featured nearly 450 athletes from 14 teams, with squads traveling to Germany from as far away as Alconbury and Lakenheath, England, and the tiny island nation of Bahrain in the Middle East.
Ramstein freshman Javier Harrington slings the discus at the DODEA-Europe track and field meet at Wiesbaden High School, Germany, on Saturday. Harrington went on to win the discus and shot put, qualifying for Europeans in both events. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden senior Ava Stout clears a hurdle en route to winning the 300-meter hurdles on Saturday in Wiesbaden, Germany. Stout also won the 100-meter hurdles as she looks to defend her European titles in both hurdle events next month at Europeans. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem’s Messiah Smith cleared 5 feet, 5 inches and tied for second in the high jump on Saturday at Wiesbaden High School, Germany. Fourteen teams and nearly 450 athletes from DODEA-Europe schools competed at the first full meet of the season. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern’s Piper Parsells won the 800 and finished second in the 400 (pictured) at Wiesbaden High School, Germany, on Saturday. Kaiserslautern finished first among 13 girls’ teams. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein’s Max Furqueron won the 800 and anchored his team’s winning 3,200 relay at Wiesbaden High School, Germany, on Saturday. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Ansbach’s Tamia McLaughlin cleared 5 feet, 1 inch in the high jump at the DODEA-Europe track and field meet at Wiesbaden High School, Germany, on Saturday. McLaughlin won both the high jump and the long jump, qualifying for Europeans and a chance to defend her titles in both of those events. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Bahrain’s Grayson Owens competes in the long jump at Wiesbaden High School, Germany, on Saturday. Owens finished eighth in the event and was fourth in the 200-meter dash, scoring points in both events to help Bahrain to a sixth-place team finish among 13 teams in the boys’ division from across DODEA-Europe. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
The Bahrain boys punched their way to a respectable sixth place in the team standings with some strong performances in the sprints, hurdles and jumps. The Falcons had an individual champion in Daniel Sobieralski, who won the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 7 inches - the qualifying mark for Europeans.
While athletes were eyeing a coveted ticket to the May 19-20 championships in Kaiserslautern, the meet was a chance for coaches to gauge fitness levels and the competition.
“I use it as an organized practice,” Ramstein coach Will Buckley said. “It gives me a good idea of what the expectations are for the season,” especially for the relays.
The Ramstein girls shone in middle distance and distance, led by senior Julia Harris. Harris won both the 1,600 and 3,200 and anchored the Royals’ winning 3,200 relay team. “We felt good. We were a bit nervous” since it was the first full meet of the year, Harris said.
As expected, Wiesbaden’s Makiah Parker continued her dominance in the sprints. The defending European champion in the 100, 200 and 400, swept the sprints. She also again anchored Wiesbaden’s winning 1,600 relay team, which ran a blistering 4:15.65, nearly 15 seconds faster than the runners-up - also from Wiesbaden.
The junior said she feels “really conditioned and healthy,” and is eager to defend her European titles. More than anything, she wants to improve her times, she said, with the goal of competing at the college level.
Ava Stout, Parker’s senior teammate, also won her individual events - the 100 and 300 hurdles - in typical dominating fashion.
Brussels’ William Pierce also looks to be on track to defend his European crowns with wins in the long and triple jumps. Ansbach’s Tamia McLaughlin won both the girls high jump and long jump.
Kaiserslautern also had a double winner in the throws. Sage Barnes, the defending champ in the shot put and runner-up in the discus a year ago, won both. Ramstein freshman Javier Harrington matched her Saturday by winning both boys throwing events.
Kaiserslautern topped the girls’ team standings, while Stuttgart had the most team points on the boys’ side.
Vilseck hosts another large meet next weekend, with the field then largely breaking up into smaller meets for four weeks before the championships.
