JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Rebekah Geddes ended up in lane two, uncharacteristically sprinting to the line.

In the last race of her storied career, Platte County’s senior provided a memorable finish. Geddes leaned late Saturday, March 27 at Adkins Stadium to win the 800-meter run in the Class 4 Missouri State Track and Field Championships, becoming just the second state champion in program history.

ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Platte County junior Rebekah Geddes (961) leads a pack of runners on the final lap of the 4x800-meter relay Friday, May 26 at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Mo.

Webb City junior Camilla Roy set a blistering first-lap pace but couldn’t quite fend off Geddes, who was in second for much of the race before mounting a monumental charge down the backstretch of the second and final lap of the race.

“I was just tired,” Geddes said. “I was just trying to not let people pass me, and I saw the gap close as I got to the 100, so I thought, ‘All you got. Here we go.’”

Elizabeth Robbins won Platte County’s only other state title back in 2000 — also in the 800.
Geddes earned three more all-state distinctions this past weekend, bringing her career total to seven in three years. After opting to graduate early, the state championship run came in her final race and in her most unfamiliar event.

Previously, Geddes finished top-eight at state in the 3,200 (twice), 1,600 (twice) and 4x800 (twice). The state title cemented her position as the most accomplished and decorated girls track and field athlete in Platte County history.

“I never really realize how much I’ve done until people tell me,” the always modest Geddes said after winning the 800 title.

Qualified in four events, Geddes had already wrapped up medals in the 4x800 on Friday and the 1,600 earlier Saturday.

Geddes ended up fifth in the 1,600 at 5 minutes, 10.99 seconds — never challenging winning junior Mikayla Reed of Washington and coming up short of breaking her set goal of the 5-minute mark. Inclement weather provided a long break to think about the disappointment, and Geddes sought out Platte County assistant coach Courtland Ingram for advice.

The 4x400 relay team of Isabelle Geddes, Keyondra Butler, Jessica Clark and Rebekah Geddes failed to qualify for finals out of Friday’s prelminaries, leaving the elder Geddes sister with only one more race.

“There was no pressure at all,” Geddes said. “It was really weird before the race because I wasn’t nervous at all.”

Webb City’s Roy ran a 1:04 first lap with Geddes a little more than 2 seconds behind. She maintained her spot before going to the outside to seek out the win, crossing in 2:17.66 to beat Roy by 0.16 of a second.

Clark, a Platte County junior also qualified for state in the 800, just missed a medal (ninth).
Geddes kicked her head up at the end but didn’t celebrate. While earning the state title, she came up just short of breaking Robbins’ school record in the event.

However, Geddes ends her career with school records in cross county and the 1,600, 3,200, 4x400 and 4x800.

ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Platte County 4x800-meter relay members, from left, junior Rebekah Geddes, freshman Isabelle Geddes, junior Jessica Clark and freshman Lexi Elmore finished fourth in the Class 4 Missouri State Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 26 at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Mo.

The final school record run for Geddes ended up being in Friday’s 4x800. Platte County opted to sub in freshman Isabelle Geddes into the lineup, a move that paid dividends.

Rebekah Geddes and Clark were the only returning members of last year’s school record team that finished sixth at state, and only Isabelle Geddes will be back next year from a group that also included freshman Lexi Elmore — a state qualifier in the 3,200, as well, who will move out of the district before next school year.

Platte County finished fourth this year, setting a new school record at 9:41.44 after Rebekah Geddes’ final leg of 2:14. Isabelle Geddes, Clark and Elmore delivered the baton to Rebekah Geddes in 12th place.

“I didn’t know that we were that far back,” Rebekah Geddes said. “I was kind of nervous about picking people off. The first lap I kept it steady, and my second lap I decided to catch as many people as possible.”

Even with Platte County out of the medal spots when Rebekah Geddes took the baton, the Pirates felt confidence in her ability to make a move.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” said Clark, also set to move out of state after this season.

Isabelle Geddes also ran in four events for Platte County, showing her potential to chase her sister’s achievements in the coming years.

ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Platte County freshman Isabelle Geddes runs in the 300-meter hurdle final Saturday, May 27.

In addition to the 4x400 and 4x800, the freshman standout qualified for state in both the 100 and 300 hurdles. She ran in the 100 preliminaries shortly after the 4x800 and ended up 15th out of 16 runners.

However, Isabelle Geddes qualified sixth for the finals of the 300 hurdles — her better event during the season. She held her seed in the finals, finishing in 46.63 to claim the sixth-place medal.

“I was just kind of focused on myself and trying to attack the hurdles,” said Isabelle Geddes, fiercely competitive in her first season and already owner of the 300 hurdles school record. “I was good with it. I was happy.”

Platte County senior Tori Farr collected the Pirates’ final medal, helping them finish 11th in the final Class 4 team standings.

In just her second year on the team, Farr came into state after setting school records in the long jump each of the past two weeks — first at 17-3½ at District 8 and then 18-1 last week at Sectional 4. The long rain delay changed the format of Saturday’s competition to four jumps for all 16 competitors.

Farr went 17-0¾ on her final jump, solidifying her fifth-place finish but not moving her up. She posted a distance of 16-7¾ on her first jump and was never lower than fifth.

Despite jumping later in the night, Farr found the motivation to push through the change and continue her streak of postseason performances.

“Just wanting to medal,” Farr said. “It’s crazy. I peaked at the right times. I’m happy with that.”