Central runners will try to repeat at district

Most followers of area cross country recognize the name of Central senior runner Jennifer Pancoast.

Pancoast has finished in the top 10 at the Class 4 state meet two years in a row. The Tigers are no one-woman show, though. With the help of Holly Shaffer, Linnea Woldtvedt, Lizzy Alberson and Emily Ponder, the Tigers are looking to win their second straight Class 4 District 1 title Saturday at Jackson City Park.

Central had three of the top five finishers in the district last year, led by Pancoast's second straight district title. Shaffer and Woldvedt finished third and fourth, respectively.

This season, the Tigers have had 1-2-3 finishes involving Pancoast, Shaffer and Woldtvedt at the Central Invitational and last week's SEMO Conference meet.

Jackson has a front-running duo of its own with Rachel Schmidt and Ashley Meyr. Schmidt finished sixth and Meyr ninth last year at district. Jackson's girls finished third as a team.

The top four teams and top 30 individuals advance to the sectional meet Oct. 30 at Jefferson Barracks Park in St. Louis County.

While the Tigers' girls squad may be the district favorites, Central's boys will have to fight for a sectional berth. Last year, the Tigers finished third, beating out conference rival Poplar Bluff for one of the four sectional berths. Cory Huskey and John Kipper led six individual qualifiers with fourth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively. Kipper finished second last week at the SEMO meet, the only runner not from Poplar Bluff in the top five.

Central pair head to state tennis

Central doubles pair Brett Ford and Dani Gross will compete today in the Class 2 state tennis championships at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo.

Ford and Gross qualified for state by finishing second at the district meet Oct. 7 at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis. The Tigers duo will face the St. Joseph Central doubles team of Jordan Lipira and Megan Liechti in the opening round.

The double-elimination tournament begins with doubles and singles matches starting at 9 a.m. today.

Softball honors released

State semifinalist Kelly's perfect 6-0 conference record garnered it five all-conference picks.

Pitchers Whitney Beggs and Kelly Essner, first basemen Mindy Robert, third basemen Jessica Burnett and outfielder Rachel Kline all made the team.

Central had four all-conference picks. Susie Edwards, Erica Schabbing, Jami Dement and Jamie Lester represented the Tigers.

Trisha Kluesner was Jackson's lone all-conference pick.

The all-district team for Class 4 District 1 was also recently released, with Jackson and Central earning spots on the first team. Central landed Lester and Schabbing on the team, while Jackson was represented by Kluesner.

Lueders gains national recognition

Saxony Lutheran junior Lauren Lueders was listed as a preseason honorable mention All-American by Street & Smith's in its annual college basketball preview edition.

Lueders was one of only five Missouri girls basketball players listed. Last season, Lueders averaged about 10 points a game for Saxony Lutheran's boys basketball team.

Christian tournaments this weekend

New Salem Baptist and Eagle Ridge Christian are competing this weekend at the Missouri Christian Athletic Association volleyball and soccer tournament in Joplin, Mo.

Both tournaments began Thursday with championships set for Saturday.