GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — Dymeria Guillory got to put the ending on her high school track and field career on her own terms.
The recent Park Hill South senior took part in the Missouri vs. Kansas Champions meet on Wednesday, June 13 at Grain Valley High School.
Guillory took part in the 100-meter hurdles and took first place, running 16.44. She helped Missouri take the team title with 45 points, winning by 15 against Kansas. On the boys side, Missouri won 34-28.
The win helped her erase some heartache from her previous race – in the state championships.
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South’s Dymeria Guillory competed in the All-Star Challenge on Wednesday, June 13 that pitted seniors from Missouri vs. Kansas against each other at Grain Valley High School in Grain Valley, Mo. She won her race in the 100-meter hurdles, helping Missouri win the team title.
In the prelims on Friday, May 25, a second gunshot from an official stopped the race and Guillory was called for starting too fast and had to walk off the track at the Licklider Track Complex in Jefferson City.
“I needed one more shot to redeem myself,” she said. “I don’t believe I false started. I thought this is another chance. I made it through my senior year on a good note.”
The track race was also the last for Guillory, who will now turn her attention to college and playing basketball at North Central Missouri College.
She recently inked with the Trenton, Mo.-school bypassing offers from other junior colleges and a Division III school.
“It is a small school,” said Guillory, who often goes by DK. “I didn’t want to jump into a big college scene. I work better in a smaller setting and smaller classes. I thought this was a good way to start.”
The Pirates went 23-10 last year and won the NJCAA Region 16, but lost in the regional playoffs coming up a game shy of the national tournament.
The 5-foot-6 Guillory will be a point guard for coach Jenni Croy.
“DK is a very unselfish player on the court,” Croy said. “She’s the type of player who passes up her shot to make sure the team gets the best shot possible. We are excited to add DK to our program. She is extremely quick and will provide us the speed we are looking for at the guard position.”
Guillory was an all-conference and all-district pick the past two years and was an all-state track performer in 2016. This past year, she helped the Panthers reach the district finals, where they came up short against North Kansas City, ranked No. 1 in Class 5.
She averaged 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game her senior season at Park Hill South.
“I’m excited that Dymeria is able to continue playing basketball at NCMC,” Park Hill South coach Josh Dorr said. “It will be a great opportunity for her to get an education, while still continuing to play. She will definitely be an asset for them.”