The West Plains Middle School track and field program recently wrapped up its 2026 season, celebrating a successful year highlighted by multiple state medalists, two broken school records and a host of team awards.
The season was punctuated by standout performances at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Middle School Meet, where both the boys and girls teams brought home hardware. The meet was hosted May 2 by Hermitage High School on the Southwest Baptist University campus in Bolivar.
On the boys side, the Zizzers saw heavy success in the relays and sprints. Layne Dupler captured third place in the 100-meter dash. The 4x200-meter relay team featuring Ryan Brown, Bryston Smith, Dupler and Justin Kelly took third place. The 4x100-meter relay team of Smith, Dupler, Kelly and Drew Rutledge secured a fourth-place finish. In the field events, Smith added a seventh-place medal in the long jump.
The girls team was anchored by strong individual performances. Norah Orchard earned a third-place medal in the long jump and finished eighth in the triple jump. Annie Freidt took fourth in the long jump and fifth in the 400-meter dash, while Cheyanne Bean captured fifth place in the 100-meter hurdles.
In addition to state success, two athletes etched their names into the West Plains Middle School history books by breaking eighth grade school records. Bryston Smith set a new standard in the boys 200-meter dash with a time of 24.11 seconds. Cheyanne Bean broke the girls 100-meter hurdles record, crossing the finish line in 16.98 seconds.
To cap off the year, the coaching staff recognized athletes across all grade levels for their performance, improvement and character.
2026 Athletes of the Year
• Sprinters of the Year: Annie Freidt and Layne Dupler
• Distance Runners of the Year: Mei Strong and Kaiden Hilt
• Jumpers of the Year: Norah Orchard and Bryston Smith
• Throwers of the Year: Emma Collins and Nathan Tracy
Relay Teams of the Year
• Eighth Grade Boys 4x100: Bryston Smith, Justin Kelly, Drew Rutledge and Layne Dupler
• Eighth Grade Girls 4x200: Natalie Inman, Ellie Mares, Norah Orchard and Annie Freidt
• Sixth Grade Boys 4x400: Henry Hugg, Kellen Legler, Kaihler Parrish and Colter Raines
• Sixth Grade Girls 4x400: Satori Sargent, Sabella Collins, Monroe Wade and Arya Smith
Zizzer and Lady Zizzer Awards
• Eighth Grade: Cheyanne Bean and Jax Hughes
• Seventh Grade: Olivia Mayfield
• Sixth/Seventh Grade: Henry Hugg
• Sixth Grade: Sadie Hughes
Grit Awards
• Eighth Grade: Rhylea Givens and Justin Kelly
• Seventh Grade: Kamrin Ipox
• Sixth/Seventh Grade: Colter Raines
• Sixth Grade: Monroe Wade
Most Improved Awards
• Eighth Grade: Liza Radzikhovska and Cade Wooderson
• Seventh Grade: Olivia Mayfield
• Sixth/Seventh Grade: Kristian Bates
• Sixth Grade: Zoey Kostelnik
