As Emma Rodgers reached the halfway point of her high school track career at Montgomery County High School, she has been a valuable weapon for the Wildcats in the middle distance events.

The junior-to-be collected numerous medals after two years, including two all-state medals in the 800. She picked up her second straight all-state medal after placing eighth with a time of 2:23.42 at the Class 3 state meet on May 22 at Jefferson City High School.

“I’m pretty happy,” Rodgers said. “I wished I would have done a little better, but it’s great to be considered the best in the state. (Finishing in the) top eight is pretty cool.”

Rodgers joined Samantha Turner as the only MCHS athletes who made trips to the awards podium at the state meet.

Turner picked up her fourth all-state medal after placing third in the shot put with a throw of 38-3.5 inches in the first day of state competition on May 22. It’s the third year in a row the senior-to-be earned all-state honors in the shot put. She finished third last year and seventh the year before.

Turner was in first place in the shot put after the first attempt before dropping to second after the second throw and third after the sixth and final throw. She fouled her last four attempts.

Turner also competed in the discus, but didn’t place. She finished 12th with a 112-5. A year ago, she placed second in the discus.
Junior-to-be Mieka Ray was another MCHS state participant. She placed 14th with a 33-1.25 in the triple jump.

Rodgers and Turner came into the 2025 season as the Wildcats’ returning all-state medalists. They wrapped up the Wildcats’ 2026 season as the team’s only all-state medalists. It marked the 14th year in a row MCHS had an athlete at the awards podium.

Rodgers was in seventh place after the first lap. She edged McKinli Mays of El Dorado Springs by less than a second for eighth place.

Rodgers said running in the race was not easy. For most of the race, she ran in the second lane trying to pass up runners.

“It’s really tough, especially when I’m trying to pass them,” said Rodgers, who also finished eighth in last year’s state meet. “It’s very physical. You think there’s not that much shoving in running, but there are a lot of elbows being thrown.”

Rodgers qualified for state by placing second in the Sectional 2 meet on May 16 at Centralia. She lost by just two seconds to Fatima’s Brie Massman.

Massman won the state championship with a 2:14.55.

“It’s really nice to compete against her,” Rodgers said. “We’ve become really close, too.”

The all-state medal concluded an outstanding season for Rodgers in the 800. She had seven medals in the event, including four first-place finishes. She ran a personal-best 2:20.81 in her fourth-place finish at the Bill Summa Invite on April 11.

“It’s a lot better than last year,” Rodgers said. “I felt like I was more consistent in my times.”

Rodgers placed first in the 800 at the district, Eastern Missouri Conference, Owensville Relays and the South Shelby Meet. She now has seven wins in the 800 in her career.

Turner qualified for state by winning sectional titles in both the shot put and discus, which is the first time that happened in her high school track career.

Ray clinched a state berth by finishing fourth in the triple jump at sectionals.

Also, Wellsville-Middletown had a pair of athletes at the Class 1 boys state meet in senior Isaac Todd (discus) and sophomore Olyn Davis (100). Both didn’t place.