Jackson's McIntosh vaults to state title

Jackson's Stuart McIntosh emerged from a tight pack to capture the Class 4 pole vault title as the Missouri Track and Field Championships got under way in Jefferson City.

McIntosh was among four vaulters who all cleared 14 feet, but he was awarded the crown based on fewer misses.

McIntosh was one of several area athletes to earn all-state honors in Classes 3 and 4 by finishing among the top eight in their events.

For Central, also competing in Class 4, Jarred Harris was sixth in the pole vault (13-6) and Darren Neals placed eighth in the discus (143-10).

On the girls side for Central, the 3,200-meter relay team of Jennifer Pancoast, Alex Wieser, Holly Schaffer and Linnea Woldtvedt finished seventh (9:34.07) and Doschae Jones placed eighth in the discus (115-4).

Central's Jeremiah Dukes just missed out on all-state honors as he was ninth in the triple jump (44-2 1/2).

Failing to qualify out of the preliminaries for Central's boys were Calen Wills in the 400 (11th), the 1,600 relay (10th) and the 800 relay (13th). On the girls side, Vicki Wilson failed to qualify in the 100 (12th) and 200 (16th).

For Jackson, Brad Crader placed 13th in the discus (138-3) and Isaac Venable was 14th in the 800 (2:02.72). James Fortner had the fourth-fastest 300 hurdles time (39.54) to move into today's finals.

Jackson's girls received an 11th-place finish from Heather West in the long jump (17-1). Failing to advance out of the preliminaries were Rachel Lowes in the 400 (16th), the 800 relay (13th), 1,600 relay (13th) and 400 relay (14th).

In Class 3, Notre Dame's Adam Prasanphanich had the fourth-fastest preliminary time in the 100 (11.02) to advance to today's finals. Katie Daniel, Notre Dame's lone female state qualifier, failed to advance in the 100 hurdles preliminaries (16th).

For Perryville, also competing in Class 3, Kent Hadler made all-state by placing sixth in the 800 (1:58.01). The Pirates' Kyle Dobbelare was fifth in the 110 hurdles preliminaries (14.99) to reach today's finals, but the 800 and 1,600 relays both finished ninth in the preliminaries to barely miss qualifying.

Perryville's girls qualified the 800 relay into today's finals as Emily Amberger, Gina Buerck, Melissa Crannick and Sara Lappe were seventh in the preliminaries (1:47.61).

Failing to qualify out of the preliminaries were the 1,600 relay (ninth), Amberger in the 400 (10th) and 200 (14th), Lappe in the 300 hurdles (12th) and Crannick in the 100 (14th).

The majority of the finals will be held today, with Central, Jackson, Notre Dame and Perryville all having plenty of athletes scheduled to compete.

State tennis

Central's doubles team of Heath Orr and Will Ramsey lost its first two matches and was eliminated from the Class 2 state tennis tournament in Springfield.

Orr/Ramsey fell to Shil Patel/Eric Thacker of St. Joseph Central 6-1, 6-1 in the first round, then lost to Shane Ryan/Nick Vahle of Francis Howell in the consolation bracket.

In the Class 1 division, Charleston's Alec Peterson won two singles matches to advance to today's semifinals, as did Charleston's doubles team of Blake Branum and Lee Hess.-- From staff reports