JACKSON TO HOST MEET SATURDAY

Ten of the region's track teams will compete Saturday in the Jackson Invitational, one of the area's biggest prep track events of the season.

Field events will start at 10 a.m. and the running events are scheduled to begin at 10:30. The track is located at the junior high school.

Jackson will host Cape Central, Poplar Bluff, Sikeston, Perryville, Hillsboro, Fredericktown, Dexter and Cairo and Murphysboro from Illinois.

Cape Central took both the boys and girls titles last year. The boys scored 119, followed by Jackson with 101 points.

Central's girls scored 190 points while Jackson finished second with 124.

Jackson coach Bob Sink said Central will be the team favored win both sides again this year.

"I haven't looked at the entries real good," Sink said. "Central would have to be the favorite in both divisions. They've handled Sikeston and Poplar Bluff pretty handily. I feel pretty good about our girls team. I think there's a possibility to compete with them. The key is will we have enough depth to do it.

"It'll be a good meet. There will be some good times and distances."

The event has often been scheduled on the weekend of Easter, Sink said.

This year, of course, it missed the Christian holiday, but it has fallen on the same Saturday as the ACT exams so some of the athletes may miss a portion of the meet.