KEARNEY, Mo. — Hannah Moore wasn’t running for herself anymore — not after advancing to state earlier in the day.

But the Benton sophomore knew the other three underclassmen on the 4x400-meter relay wouldn’t get to see the track in Jefferson City without her.

“That’s what motivated me — for the other three to make it to state,” Moore said. “I knew I had to do it for my girls.”

After sustaining a golf-ball sized blister on her left foot, Moore turned in a gutsy performance at Saturday’s Class 3 sectional to help the Cardinals finish fourth and earn a state berth. Freshmen Heavin Warner (62.3 seconds) and Gade Wilkinson (62.7) turned in the fastest splits for the team, which reeled off a 4:13.07.

“We had a little pep talk right before,” said sophomore Blayr Bolton, the final relay member. “Hannah stepped it up for us, so we knew we had to do the same for her.”

Normally in first after the first lap, Moore ran a full two seconds slower than her usual time and handed off the baton to Wilkinson in sixth place. But Wilkinson improved her position by three places, and Warner maintained her comfortable lead on the final lap.

Moore developed the blister during her third-place finish in the 400-meter dash and had to change into her sneakers to minimize the shooting pain she felt in her cleats.

“Once I started running, the thought went out of my head and I didn’t feel it as much,” Moore said.

Taylor Woodruff also turned in a tremendous, state-worthy performance for Benton. After finishing third at districts, the sophomore used a strong finish to take second in the 3,200 and will run the event at state for the second time.

Most years, the Midland Empire Conference boys’ sprinters watch their seasons end in a blur at sectionals.

Early on, Cameron’s Brandon Tunks decided he wouldn’t suffer the same fate. The powerful senior got through in the 100 and 200 after struggling the week before.

“This sectional is probably one of the best in the state. It’s got to be,” Cameron coach Eric Thomas said. “It’s unbelievable — the times down here.”

His biggest surprise came at the beginning of the day, when a false start by top-seeded DeAndre Webb false started and opened the door for Tunks. He took full advantage and turned in a 11.21 out of Lane 1 — good enough for third.

“Coming down here and getting third is a big surprise,” Tunks said. “I thought I had a really good start, probably my best of the year.”

His second-place showing in the 200 made him the first MEC sprinter to make the 100 and 200 since Platte County’s Bill Flynt did so in 2002.

The sectional’s spectacular speed prevented the Dragons’ 4x100 from advancing, however. Despite a school-record 44.03 — which included a series of crisp handoffs — Cameron’s sprint relay finished a distant sixth.

Mitch Hatten (high jump), Jordan Tharp (long jump), Kemper Kellerstrass (pole vault) and Matt Poehler (shot put) all advanced to state in the field events to give the Dragons one of their best showings in years.

“It’s been a long time since Cameron’s done that,” Thomas said. “We’ve had a good year, and we want to go down and finish it off.”

Despite waking up with a triple-digit temperature, Platte County’s Ashton Stubbs felt good enough to get through in two events. She had to sit out her leg of the 4x800-meter relay but responded with a third-place mile and a dominant, wire-to-wire win in the 800.

She medaled in both events last year and will be a strong contender at state in both events this time — fever or not.

“I was a little sick today, but I’m really pleased to get through,” Stubbs said. “I think can draw from my confidence on my trip down there last year.”

Area athletes also dominated in the throwers’ pits. Megan Walker (Maryville) and Joseph Stull (Chillicothe) finished no worse than third in either of their two events. Savannah’s Beth Lewis (4th in the discus) just missed out on doing the same with a fifth-place effort in the shot put.

A pair of Smithville throwers — Dakota Stinson (discus) and C.J. Keeney (shot) — also punched their respective tickets to Jefferson City.

Among city participants, Lafayette’s Kyle Williams bounced back from a nail-biting district experience to win the long jump. The senior came in with the third-shortest qualifying jump but leapt to a season-best 21-feet-7 1/2 to win by more than two inches.

Along with Tharp, Maryville’s John Farmer also made it through in the event.

Lindsay Laderoute kept up her consistency in the hurdle events and qualified in both. She made it to state only in the 300 hurdles a year ago.

Maryville’s Jordan Stiens also qualified in the hurdles but has yet to solve Pembroke Hill’s Tiffani McReynolds, who edged Stiens by narrow margins in both once again.

Sports reporter Andy Meyer can be contacted at andymeyer@npgco.com