Central's Leighton among local athletes facing top track and field competition this weekend

~ Sectional and state track meets are this weekend

Central senior Billy Leighton will begin his final kick in an attempt to reach the Missouri Track and Field Championships when the Tigers compete in the Class 4 Sectional 1 meet Saturday at MICDS in Ladue, Mo.

Leighton, who recently signed a letter of intent to run track at Missouri, is coming off a Class 4 District 1 meet where he won both the 1,600 and 3,200.

Leighton, who was all-state in cross country last fall, clocked 4:23.89 in winning the 1,600 and 9:47.67 in winning the 3,200. Leighton edged Oakville's Elvir Sarajlic (4:24.52, 9:50.53) in both events and will encounter the junior again Saturday.

He also will be joined by tough competition from the District 2 meet that saw four qualifiers advance in under 4:26 in the 1,600, including Marquette junior Noah Kauppila (4:19), and four move on with times under 9:43 in the 3,200, including Parkway West senior Chris Carter (9:32).

The top four finishers in sectional events will move on to the state championship meet the following weekend in Jefferson City, Mo.

Leighton will be joined at the sectional meet by senior Chris Martin, who won the district triple jump (46-6) and placed second in the long jump.

Central will compete in two events on the girls' side. Senior Chleo LeGrand will compete in the pole vault (9-6) after finishing tied for second at district. The Tigers also advanced their 400 relay team.

Jackson led by Brannon Wright, will have five district champions in action on the boys side.

Wright won the 100 (10.94), 200 (22.33) and teamed with junior Calvin Lysell, sophomore Ty Crowden and freshman Gabe Dudley to win the 1,600 relay (3:28.60). Other district champions for the Indians who will be in action are juniors Nick Keezer in the shot put (50-9) and Clay Darnell in the discus (158-8). The Jackson boys turned in a total of 12 sectional qualifying performances in winning their first district title since 1982.

Senior thrower Paden Wachter accounted for two of the Jackson girls' four district titles, winning the discus (133-0) and shot put (43-5 1/2). Junior Sierra Maddox also won the pole vault (11-6) and sophomore Molly Cunningham, junior Zhao Ni Dirnberger, freshman Chelsea Drum and freshman Carli Knott won the 3,200 relay (9:57.98). The Indians had a total of eight sectional-qualifying performances.

Notre Dame and Perryville also will compete at MICDS in the Class 3 Sectional 1 competition.

Notre Dame won five district titles at last week's district meet, including a pair of wins by senior Seth Sievers in the shot put (51-2) and discus (158-5).

Junior Jordan Barber also won a district title in the 400 (50.63), and the Bulldogs won the boys 3,200 relay (8:21.53, Carson Bruenderman, Bryce Domjan, Cole Ross, Devin Ziegler) and girls 1,600 relay (4:16, Edie Salter, Ariel Dumars, Taylor Hess, Madison Little).

Notre Dame had eight sectional-qualifying performances on the boys' side and seven on the girls' side.

Senior Jacob Lawrence will be the lone competitor for Perryville after placing third in the triple jump at district.

The area also will be represented today and Saturday at the Class 1 and 2 state championship meets in Jefferson City.

Oran junior Addie Kielhofner will be one of three athletes competing in the Class 1 competition and the lone sectional champion. Kielhofner won the 300 hurdles (47.95) in qualifying.

Nine boys and nine girls will compete in the Class 2 competition, including sectional champions senior Dustin Worley of Chaffee in the shot put (48-5 1/2) and sophomore Morgan LeDure of Kelly in the high jump (4-10).

State qualifiers

(Meet today, Saturday

at Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo.)

Class 1

Boys

* Alex Lashley, Delta (shot put)

Class 1

Girls

* Toni Hency, Oran (shot put)

* Addie Kielhofner, Oran (300 hurdles)

Class 2

Boys

* Dalton Huffman, Kelly (high jump, triple jump)

* Dustin Worley, Chaffee (discus, shot put)

* Robbie Harper, Kelly (3,200 relay)

* Jerrod Lynn, Kelly (3,200 relay)

* Alan Lowe, Kelly (3,200 relay)

* Trey Walker, Kelly (3,200 relay)

* Brandon Fritsche, Saxony Lutheran (400)

* Trey Walker, Kelly (800)

* Eric Essner, Scott City (800)

Girls

* Morgan LeDure, Kelly (high jump)

* Kenzie Graham, St. Vincent (pole vault)

* Ellie Sigman, Chaffee (long jump)

* Samantha Ratledge, Kelly (triple jump, 800 relay)

* Katie Koonce, Kelly (discus)

* Stevie Schrum, Chaffee (discus)

* Dakaria Johnson, Kelly (100, 800 relay)

* Taylor Lasater, Kelly (800 relay)

* McKynlee Neumeyer, Kelly (800 relay)