McKenna Fulton came up with the best performance of her career to advance further than she’s ever gone before.
In the Class 2 Sectional 4 meet, the North Platte junior posted a career-best time of 49.32 seconds in the 300-meter hurdle race. She won the event Saturday, May 13 at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo., qualifying for state in an individual event for the first time.
Fulton bested her District 8 winning time (51.15) by nearly 2 full seconds and set a personal best, breaking the 50-second mark for the first time in her career.
Last season, Fulton ran on three state qualifying relays for North Platte, helping the 4x400 place sixth in Class 2. She ran on the 4x400 team at state as a freshman in 2015, as well.
Fulton will be the lone North Platte qualifier on the girls side this season. Bailee Romaker, a junior, reached Sectional 4 in both the 100 and 300 hurdles but missed the state cut, coming in 5th in the shorter race and just 0.14 of a second out of a top four spot.
North Platte junior Corbin Green will make his state debut after qualifying in both sprint events.
Coming off of District 8 titles in the 100 and 200, Green comfortably placed in the top four in the longer sprint and just made the cut in the shorter one. He ran 23.44 in the 200 to finish third, while he ended up fourth in the 100 at 11.63.
In the 100, Green beat Bishop LeBlond junior Jacob Raczkowski to the finish line by just .02 of a second for the fourth and final state spot. Raczkowski won the 200 after finishing second to Green in both sprints in District 8 competition.
North Platte’s 4x400 also ran at sectionals with Green, Van French, Caleb Crumley and Will Morse — all juniors — finishing seventh.