CHS GIRLS RELAY MESSAGE; LADY TIGERS SET FIVE MEET RECORDS AT CENTRAL RELAYS

Travis Cox ran the final leg of Cape Central's winning 4x100 relay at Saturday's Central Relays.

For the Cape Girardeau Central girls track and field team, the manila envelope runneth over.

Although no team scores were kept, it was obvious that the Lady Tigers were the stars of the 30th annual Central Relays -- the team's envelope was packed with more medals than any of the other 17 boys or girls teams involved.

Of the six new girls meet records set Saturday at Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex, Central established five.

Laura Lukens' throw of 137-7 1/2 in the discus established a new mark. Three Central relay teams -- the 4x100 (:49.43), 4x200 (1:45.06) and 4x400 (4:04.62) -- set new records. The high jump team also set a new mark (15-4).

Central's 4x100 and 4x200 teams were both comprised of Dionna Webb, Elizabeth Kunz, Tosha Smith and Nichole Thiele. Members of the 4x400 team were Thiele, Smith, Kristen Tallent and Tobi Bittle.

The high jump team was made up of Kunz, Courtney Haman and Marissa Uzoaru.

The only record not set by a Central girl was maybe the most impressive of the day. Paducah (Ky.) Tighlman's Danielle Caruthers, regarded by some as one of the best sprinters in the Midwest, ran a :14.15 in the 100-meter high hurdles. The time was over a second better than the previous meet record and was over 2.5 seconds better than the second-place finisher Saturday.

"I thought our girls had an outstanding day," said Central girls coach Paula Watkins. "In the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 . . . we just had some outstanding times -- what I would call state quality times. Good competition, good surface, adequate weather -- all that combined to give us some good times.

"I would say our team was the outstanding team as far as girls go today."

Watkins said that the Relays showed just how deep her team is.

"We are lucky at Cape Central; we do have some good depth. Not just good individuals, but to go four or five deep then it makes you have good relays," Watkins said.

In addition to the meet record-setters, the Lady Tigers had a host of other winners. Central's Lukens, Carmelia Hudson and Jana Kiefner combined to win the shot put relay and Lukens won the shot put. Lukens, Laura Dodds and Brooke Spradling won the discus relay.

Behind the record-setting high jumpers, Central won all three jumping relays. Thiele, Webb and Bonquita Cox teamed up to win the long jump and Kunz, Cox and Haman won the triple jump relay.

Central also won the 4x800 relay. The team was comprised of Bittle, Sarah Chaudhari, Tallent and Micah Bohnsack. Bohnsack also won the 3200-meter run.

Central's girls relays and individuals combined to win 11 events. Tighlman girls were next with wins in three events -- all in individual events.

Central's boys won five relays and one individual title as Rory Kipper won the 3200-meter run. Murphysboro, Ill., led the boys field with victories in nine events.

Andy Dunaway, Lee Schlitt and Matt Gooden tied with Sikeston for top honors in the pole vault relay. Will Harris, Brian Hodges and Chris Allen took the long jump relay and Harris, Hodges and Ross Conner combined to win the triple jump relay.

In running events, Central's Kipper, Ben Chisman, John Anderson and Mike Stone won the 4x800 relay and Harris, Stafford Moore, Emmanuel Harris and Travis Cox took the 4x100.

"Overall I thought we had a nice day; all of our relays placed either first or second," said Central boys coach Jerry Dement.

While Jackson's girls won no events, the boys won two. The team of Chris Schuette, Lucas Bollinger, Travis Ward and Nathan Windekenecht won the sprint medley and the Indians' Matt Hale, Jason Crooks, Bollinger and Schuette combined to take the 4x400 relay.

"Our boys competed well," said Jackson coach Bob Sink. "Lucas Bollinger ran like a stud today, particularly in the anchor of the sprint medley.

"The girls didn't have any first places, but we ran some of our best marks we have all year."

for complete results see "Scoreboard" on Page 4.