CROSS COUNTRY: KELLY, PERRYVILLE BOYS WIN DISTRICTS

Kelly's and Perryville's boys both won district cross country championships Saturday to lead a large group of local runners that advanced to next weekend's state championships.

Kelly, which featured its first district champion in Adam Daughhetee, claimed its fourth Class 2A, District 1 title in the past six years at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Perryville won its first district title in capturing the 3A, District 1 crown in Potosi. Notre Dame also advanced runners in 2A, while Cape Central and Jackson advanced runners in the 4A sectional meet, also held at Jefferson Barracks.

In the districts, the top two teams, as well as the top 15 individuals, advanced to next Saturday's state meet at Oak Hills Golf Course at Hough Park. In the sectionals, the top four teams and top 30 individuals advanced.

Class 2A, District 1

Daughhetee covered the 3.1-mile layout in 17:38, the fastest time ever recorded by a Hawk runner at Jefferson Barracks. The Hawks posted a 28-point total to finish well-ahead of defending champion Herculaneum (47).

Daughhetee, who won the mile at the Class 2A state track meet last spring, was bothered by a quadricep muscle this week.

"We were concerned how going to run," said Kelly coach Bill Davis. "Right before the race he said ` Coach, I think I can do this.'"

Daughhetee ended up winning by 20 seconds.

"It kind of pulled everyone else along," said Davis, who saw three other team members finish in the top 10 to earn all-district honors.

Adam Lofton (18:11), Ashley Hahn (18:19) and Lance Scheffer (18:30) finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, for the Hawks.

"Those three packing in the middle kind of put it away four us," said Davis.

Lance Ferrell (18:52) completed the team score by placing 14th.

On the girls' side, Kelly qualified three girls.

Laura Ruff (22:57) and Shannon Lawson (23:47) were all-district by placing sixth and eighth, respectively. Katie Heeb (25:09, 14th) also qualified for state.

Notre Dame finished third in both the boys and girls races but qualified five individuals.

For the boys, David Unterreiner (18:51, 13th) and Matt Frey (18:54, 15th) qualifed. For the girls, Susan Judd (21:59, 3rd), Sarah Unterreiner (24:34, 11th) and Kasie Essner (24:41, 12th) all qualified, the former two gaining all-district honors.

Class 3A, District 1

Perryville, paced by a second-place finish by Jacob Schneider (17:06), totaled 48 points to edge Farmington (53).

Kent Hadler (17:26) placed fifth to also earn all-district honors.

The Pirates had a tight group back in the pack that clinched the win. Tim Chitwood (17:56), Nathan Moore (17:59) and Tyson Rellergert (18:00) occupied the 17, 18 and 19 spots for Perryville.

"It was nice to win this one, but real test be next weekend," said Perryville coach Joe Dandridge, who added that the district title was the Pirates' first ever.

Farmington's Aaron Grimes won the individual title in 16:19.

The Lady Pirates qualified Katrina Bockhorn, who placed 10th in 21:31, for the state meet.

Class 4A sectional

At Jefferson Barracks, Cape Central's boys came agonizingly close to qualify as a team, but lost out on the fourth and final spot in a tie-breaker with Northwest of House Springs. Parkway West won with 74 points, followed by Lafayette (76), Parkway South (80). Northwest and Cape Central, who finished 1-2 in last week's District 1 meet, tied with 106 points. Northwest got the nod because its sixth-place finisher was four places ahead of Central's sixth-place man.

"That's as close as we've been in a decade," said Cape Central coach Mark Hahn, who said the Tigers last qualified for state as a team in 1990. "We knew we had to beat Northwest and they were the district champs. We ran real well. We caught up to them, we just couldn't pass them."

As consolation, the Tigers qualified three runners: Mark Stone (16:49, 6th), Justin Hawkins (16:55, 10th) and Gabe Austin (17:12, 14th).

The Lady Tigers, who placed sixth, qualified Kim Pancoast (20:32, 12th).

Jackson qualified five individuals but did not advance in the team competition. The Lady Indians, who won last week's district meet, placed fifth with 127 points.

Krista Mouser (20:46, 18th), Nicole Fadler (19th, 20:54) and Carol Koenig (21:01, 22nd) all advanced to state.

Jackson's boys advanced Joe Golightly (17:18, 23rd).

Complete results in Scoreboard on Page 4B.