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Carthage Today
By the People, for the People
Webb City, McDonald County Shine at Girls Night Out Track Meet
Area teams claim 10 event wins, including multiple victories by Webb City's Brooke Hedger and McDonald County's Samantha Dowd and Dakota O'Brien.
Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:37am
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The vibrant energy and competitive spirit of the Girls Night Out track meet is captured in a cubist-inspired illustration that deconstructs the event into dynamic geometric shapes and colors.Carthage TodayThe annual Girls Night Out track and field meet in Springfield featured over 40 teams competing in near-perfect weather conditions. Area schools Webb City and McDonald County combined for 7 event wins, led by standout performances from distance runner Araceli Perez of Webb City and sprinters Samantha Dowd and Dakota O'Brien of McDonald County.
Why it matters
This early-season meet showcased the depth and talent of southwest Missouri's high school track programs, with Webb City and McDonald County proving they can compete with some of the state's largest schools. The results provide an early indicator of which teams and athletes could make a run at state titles this spring.
The details
Webb City swept the four distance events, with Araceli Perez winning the 3200m and Brooke Hedger taking the 1600m and 800m. McDonald County also had a strong showing, winning the 4x200m relay and getting individual victories from Samantha Dowd in the 200m and Dakota O'Brien in the javelin. Other top performances came from Ozark's Lola Kensinger, who won the triple jump, and Marshfield's Gracelyn Bull, who rallied to win the discus after a shaky start.
- The Girls Night Out meet took place on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
- Araceli Perez's 3200m victory was only the second time she had run the event in a meet.
The players
Araceli Perez
A junior distance runner for Webb City who won the 3200m event with a new personal best time.
Brooke Hedger
A senior at Webb City who won the 1600m and 800m events, building on her success from last season when she was ranked in the top 5 in Class 5 in those events.
Samantha Dowd
A sprinter for McDonald County who won the 200m dash and was part of the Mustangs' winning 4x200m relay team.
Dakota O'Brien
A McDonald County athlete who won the javelin throw, despite only starting track and field last year after being encouraged by her friends.
Lola Kensinger
A sophomore at Ozark High School who won the triple jump with a top-10 mark in the state this season.
What they’re saying
“Our girls ran pretty solid. I love the way our first two legs ran (Emma McKinzie and Olivia Klotz). Our third leg (Brooke Collard), she's a two-miler trying to figure it out. She went a little too aggressive last week and was a little too conservative this week, so that rhythm is what she's trying to figure out. And then, Araceli (Perez) by herself at the end, once again, a little too conservative at the start, but she pressed the back really well.”
— Dustin Miller, Webb City Head Coach
“I was looking to PR big because this past cross season was very good for me. I had a feeling that this two-mile was going to be my favorite race through the whole season. This is the first time Coach Miller has put me in it, and he kind of just told me to be tactical and stick behind a couple people at the beginning, feel it out and then just move up and really race my best.”
— Araceli Perez, Webb City Junior
“Originally, the plan was kind of focused on shifting my tactic to finishing harder. I figured they would go out more aggressive, I guess. Whenever I saw the Blue Springs girl with inside 200 to go, I was like, 'Okay, this is my chance.' I just had to kick it in.”
— Brooke Hedger, Webb City Senior
“(Fast starts) are something we've been working at a lot this year, with hand-offs and everything. We placed in state with it last year, so we're just kind of trying to keep the momentum. This year, we have a freshman (Riley) on our 4x200 – she's very fast – and we're excited to see where this takes us this year.”
— Dakota O'Brien, McDonald County Athlete
“I definitely have to mentally prepare myself a lot, because (the 200) is a challenging race – physically and mentally. I have to run the curve really, really hard. That's the whole point of the race – get out and run the curve really, really hard and then just give it everything you have left. It gets really tiring, for sure, but I definitely have to tell myself that and just push through.”
— Samantha Dowd, McDonald County Athlete
What’s next
The judges will decide on Tuesday whether to allow Walker Reed Quinn to be released on bail in his Waymo vandalism case.
The takeaway
This early-season meet showcased the depth and talent of southwest Missouri's high school track programs, with Webb City and McDonald County proving they can compete with some of the state's largest schools. The results provide an early indicator of which teams and athletes could make a run at state titles this spring.
