Down to her last throw and fighting her nerves Friday, California's Audrey Pickering was less than two inches from a state title in the Class 3 girls shot put.
After she jogged around the throwing area to get her legs tired, Pickering saved her best throw for last, a personal best 41-feet-4-inch toss.
"I ran a little bit, I jumped around," Pickering said. "I know I looked a little bit stupid, but I was trying to shake off the nerves. During my first flight, my legs were shaking. I figured if my legs were tired, they wouldn't shake and I'd throw farther."
But she still had to wait for the final two throwers - Jordan McClendon of John Burroughs and School of the Osage's Isabel Morris - who were in first and second before Pickering's final throw at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City.
"I was really hoping that would be enough to get first," Pickering said. "I wasn't sure because Isabel still had a throw on me."
And not to mention McClendon was the last year's Class 3 state champion. But Pickering's throw held up by 3/4 of an inch.
The Pintos had another top-four finisher on the day in Drew Norton. He broke the California school record in the 800-meter run with a 1:57.97 in his first full year running track.
"It's probably the best I felt all year," Norton said. "Once I finished that first lap, I was able to stride out a little more. I could feel that my legs were still there."
The eighth-seeded Norton held the lead after the first lap, but fell to fourth by the end of the two-lap event.
"My goal is to always win the first lap," Norton said. "Just so it puts me into position. I mean I would have liked to have a bit more of a kick, but I still had a personal record by four seconds."
Also for California, Dylan Norton qualified for the 300-meter hurdles finals today at 1:55 p.m., after failing to qualify in the 110-meter hurdles and the 4x200-meter relay. Dylan Norton was able to finish fourth in the 300-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 40.52.
"It's good to finally get something on the board," Dylan Norton said. "... I can run faster, but it was good enough."
California also qualified Josh Woodruff in three events. Woodruff placed second overall in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the 100- and 200-meter dash preliminaries.
Ramiro Garcia capped his successful season off by finishing eighth in a rainy discus event, and Walker Borghardt placed ninth in the triple jump.
Borghardt will compete today in the long jump at 12:30 p.m. Nathan Squires will compete in shot put at 3:30 p.m., as well as Adam Burkett in the 3,200-meter run at 2:45 p.m.
Additional coverage from Friday's competition:
Records fall at track and field championships
Roberson claims Class 5 shot put crown
Blair Oaks scores in two events
Southern Boone's Crow advances in two events
Eldon's Rhine to make room for more medals
Another state title for Fatima's Haller
Prep Track: Area competitors in Class 3-5 championships
Prep Track: Class 3-5 state championship results (statewide)