JACKSON TO PLAY HOST TO CLASS 4A DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY MEET TODAY

Jackson City Park will be the site of the Class 4A, District 1 cross country meet as high school runners begin the race for state today.

Class 4A districts across Missouri will be held today, with the top four teams and top 30 individuals qualifying for the Oct. 30 sectionals, from where the top four squads and top 30 individuals move on to state.

For classes 1A, 2A and 3A, district meets will be held Oct. 30, with the top two teams and top 15 individuals qualifying for state.

The state meets for all classes will be held Nov. 6 in Jefferson City.

Competing along with host Jackson in the 4A, District 1 Meet will be Cape Girardeau Central, Poplar Bluff, Fox, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Northwest (House Springs) and Oakville. The girls race is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with the boys to race at 11:45 a.m.

Cape Central figures to be a major factor in both races as the program tries to build on the success it had last year, when each team finished second in the district, the girls went on to the state meet for the first time and the boys barely missed out on a state berth.

"I think we'll be real competitive as far as getting through to sectionals with both teams," said Cape Central coach Mark Hahn.

Hahn tabs defending champion Northwest as the team to beat on the boys side, with Cape Central figuring to be right on the Lions' heels.

"Northwest is clearly the team to beat, but if we run real well, we can give them a run for their money," Hahn said. "But we'll definitely have to run well because nobody in the district has beaten them yet."

On the girls side, Hahn looks for a four-team battle between Cape Central, defending champion Jackson, Fox and Lindbergh.

"The girls should be real exciting," said Hahn. "It's hard to pick a favorite between those four teams. I would say it's up for grabs."

Jackson coach Jim Stoverink agrees with Hahn that the girls race should be wide open between those four.

"I'll be disappointed if our boys don't get in the top four," Stoverink said. "With our boys, it's going to be tough to get in the top four. We'll have to run really well."

In the smaller-school meets set for Oct. 30, Perryville will compete in 3A, District 1 in Potosi; Kelly and Notre Dame will run in 2A, District 1 in St. Louis; and Advance will participate in 1A, District 5 in Mountain View.

Perryville, which has had a strong season, will race against Sikeston, De Soto, Farmington, Festus, Hillsboro, North County, Potosi and Ste. Genevieve.

Kelly, a perennial power whose boys were sixth in the state last year, and Notre Dame will go up against Arcadia Valley, Central Visual & Performing Arts, Grandview Hancock, Herculaneum, Lutheran South, St. John's Prep, St. Pius and St. Elizabeth Academy.

Advance, which has a solid small-school boys team, will compete with Alton, Dora, Couch, Koshkonong, Richland, Van Buren and Winona.