Walk or run? Should the attire be cap and gown, or uniform and spikes?
It's the decisions that several Northwest Arkansas track seniors have had to make this week. They must choose to participate in their high school graduations or take part in the Meet of Champs today in Heber Springs.
At A Glance
Meet Of Champions
When: 1 p.m. today
Where: Heber Springs High School
Event Schedule
1 p.m. — Girls discus, long jump and pole vault; Boys high jump, shot put and triple jump
3 p.m. — Girls high jump, shot put and triple jump; boys discus, long jump and pole vault
4:30 p.m. — 4x800-meter relay
5:30 p.m. — All other running events
There was never a doubt what Payton Stumbaugh would pick. The Springdale Har-Ber standout and Oklahoma signee couldn't afford to miss what she considers her favorite meet, so she chose track over her school's graduation ceremony this evening in Fayetteville.
"I decided that, in the long run, I would regret not going to the Meet of Champs," Stumbaugh said. "I knew too if I went to graduation, I would want to be running instead of sitting through a long ceremony."
While Stumbaugh will run, other Har-Ber seniors went the opposite direction. Sain Mathew, last year's winner in the 400-meter dash, will forego the opportunity the defend his title, and Gracie Bogle, Marleeya Montgomery and Laura Arnold chose not to compete.
Bentonville's Logan Morton, the Class 7A state champion in the long jump and triple jump, will not make it for those events because of her school's graduation, which takes places this morning. She and Jody Knight hope to get to Heber Springs in time for running events, which begin at 5:30 p.m., but Bentonville's teams are so depleted that they will not have any of their relay teams participating.
"This meet is all about having the quality athletes from all divisions coming compete against each other," Bentonville boys coach Mike Power said. "The concept is great. Unfortunately in 2014 it is going to be a watered down competition because it is being held on the same day as graduation."
Because graduation has depleted Har-Ber's number of girls competing, Stumbaugh elected to take one for her team. She had already chose not to compete in the high jump and the long jump in order to focus on the running events, but she will now forgo the 300 hurdles in order to take Arnold's spot in the Lady Wildcats' 4x400 relay.
Stumbaugh will join Amanda Dillon, Elise Reina and other member in that event. Jenna Birkes has been sick, so coach Brett Unger said he would go with Emily Potts and have two alternatives waiting.
"I'm actually opting out to run the 200 fresh and to be pretty fresh for the 4x4 so that we can win and hopefully get the state record," Stumbaugh said. "Coach Unger just knew we had a chance of possibly breaking the state record, and I was all in for it."
Sports on 05/17/2014