When Elly Cash returned to the Class 1 state track meet, she was determined to stay an extra day in Jefferson City.

The Wellsville-Middletown sophomore did just that and more.

Cash cleared the preliminary hurdle in both 100 and 200 at the two-day state meet and picked up all-state medals in both events. She finished fourth in the 100 in 12.93 seconds and sixth in 26.98 seconds in the 200. She set personal-best marks in both races.

Last year, Cash competed in the 100 and ran a school-record time, but didn’t advance out of preliminaries.

This year, Cash left the Missouri capital with her first all-state medals of her high school track career.

“It feels really great to be back here and get to redeem myself from last year and get my name on the board,” Cash said.

Cash said she is already looking forward to her junior year. She will be the Tigers’ only returning all-state medalist.

“I think I’m going to do really good,” said Cash, who also plays softball and basketball at W-M. “I’m really excited for the next two years. Two years isn’t very long, but hopefully I’ll break more records and I’m going to set higher standards for myself.”

Cash qualified for state by finishing second in the 100 and placing third in 200 at the Class 1, Sectional 1 meet at Grandview High School in Jefferson County on May 17. The week before, she won district titles in both events. Cash came into state seeded 10th in the 100 and 13th in the 200.

Cash competed in the preliminaries in both races on May 23. In the 100, she finished third in her heat and fifth overall in 13.11 seconds to qualify for finals. She earned a finals berth in the 200 after coming in fifth in her heat and eighth overall in 27.15 seconds.

The next day, Cash broke 13 seconds in the 100 for the first time in the finals. She finished behind champion Addison Grossenbacher of Kansas City Lutheran (12.45), second-place finisher Keylee Siddens of Albany (12.83) and third-place finisher Grace Francis of Drexel (12.86).

“The girl (Grossenbacher) was faster than me, obviously,” Cash said. “But that only made me push harder. I ran a 12.9, which felt really great.”

Three and a half hours later, Cash surpassed 13 seconds in 200 for the first time in the finals, earning her another spot on the awards podium.

“I really wanted to break 27 this year,” Cash said. “This year was my first ever time running in the 27s. Now, I’m in the 26s, so that feels really great. When I looked at the time and I saw the 26, it was wonderful. It made me so happy.”

Cash wrapped up an outstanding season that included four first-place finishes and all-Eastern Missouri Conference awards in the 100 and 200. She credits coaches John and Sherri Slovensky for her efforts.

“If it weren’t for them, I would have never gone out for track,” the W-M sophomore said. “They’re great coaches and I love them. They really push me and my teammates harder. The environment with my team is great.”