Jackson's throwers begin state journey

Rebecca Martin was an all-state selection in the shot put last year, while Brad Crader earned all-state honors in the discus.

Andy Glass has thrown better than 54 feet in the shot put this season, a mark that would have put him in the top three at the state meet last year.

This trio of throwers, along with Billy Uren and Amanda Peiffer, should help lead Jackson's contingent of track and field athletes through the Class 4 District 1 meet, which is set for 11 a.m. today at Oakville High School.

The top four finishers in each event qualify for the sectional meet, set for next weekend at Parkway South.

"In all four [throwing] events, we are in the top five," Jackson coach Bob Sink said. "Within a couple of the events, we have the No. 1 seed. We could get five throwers through. This has been a unique group; they've been our strength all year."

Along with Crader and Glass, fellow football player Uren should have a chance at qualifying in the discus.

Crader, an all-state discus thrower last year, has a shot at qualifying in both throwing events, even though he has not launched his best throws in competitions this year.

"I've thrown further in practice than I did last year," he said. "So, as long as I can perform in a meet like that, I'll be all right."

Added Sink: "He's starting to come on right now when he needs to."

Glass has made big strides in only his second year of track and field. The 6-foot-4 senior already has an all-state credit to his name this year, taking sixth place at the state wrestling meet in the 215-pound weight class.

"I've been doing football and wrestling since I was little," Glass said. "I just started track, and that's what I'm best at."

Sink said Glass has shown some potential this season in the shot put.

"He's very capable of throwing 57 or 58 if he hits one," Sink said. "He's got it in him."

Martin's main throwing event is the shot put, where she finished sixth in the state a year ago. The senior also runs on Jackson's two relay events that went to the state meet last year.

"She's going to have to crank it up a notch because there are some good throwers [at district]," Sink said.

Peiffer, a sophomore, registered the area's top throws this season among girls, but both came more than a month ago at the Jackson Invitational.

"The thing with Amanda is she's going to have to get more consistent," Sink said.

The Indians have once again been dominant in the sprint relays on the girls side, and should have little problem qualifying in both the 400- and 800-meter relay events. Rachel Kahle should be one of the top sprinters in the field in the 100 and 200.

Sink said along with Lindbergh and Central, Jackson should be right there in the girls team standings.

"It kind of depends on how the points are split," he said.

For Central, which will join Jackson at Oakville, sophomores Allen Walker and Nicole Jackson will be among the top sprinters in the field. The Tigers girls team also possess a strong group of distance runners which helped qualify the 3,200 relay team for the state meet last year.

In the Class 3 District 1 meet at Perryville, Notre Dame and host Perryville each will have several strong contenders for district titles.

The Notre Dame girls are led individually by Katie Daniel, the school record-holder who is the favorite in both hurdle events. Daniel is ranked in the top two in both events in the district.

"If she just runs like she's been running -- very inspired, very consistent -- she should come through," Notre Dame coach Bill Davis said.

For the Bulldogs boys, Bryce Willen is a returning all-state performer in the pole vault, while Austin Critchlow is one of the top returning performers in the 800 after finishing second at the state meet.

"We figure if we finish in the upper part of the pack we're very happy," Davis said.

Host Perryville should be one of the favorites to win the boys district title. Perryville is ranked near the top of the district in the 1,600 and 3,200 relays and showed its depth while winning the Jefferson County Conference meet last week.

Direct to state

The stakes are much higher for the area's five small school track programs. Class 2 schools Scott City and Kelly and Class 1 schools Oran, Chaffee and Saxony Lutheran will be competing for spots in the state meet. The top two from the district meet qualify for the state meet in classes 1 and 2.

Scott City's strength has been its girls relay teams at the 1,600 and 3,200 distances, while sophomore Jackie Kittleson has posted some of the area's top times in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs.

Kelly features Michael Glastetter, who finished fourth in the 800 at the state meet last year.

Saxony Lutheran has several returning state meet performers, including all-state cross country runner Brandon Etzold. Trey Maevers, also an all-state cross country runner, should have a shot at qualifying again in the high jump.

"I think we've got some real good chances," Saxony Lutheran coach Larry Cleair said. "We're looking to do fairly well team point-wise."

Chaffee returns Matt Sanders, who reached the state meet in the discus last year.

DISTRICT GLANCE

CLASS 4 DISTRICT 1

at Oakville

Teams: Jackson, Central, Poplar Bluff, Farmington, Fox, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Northwest, Cor Jesu, Seckman, St. Mary's, Oakville

CLASS 3 DISTRICT 1

at Perryville

Teams: Notre Dame, Perryville, Sikeston, Dexter, New Madrid County Central, Fredericktown, Ste. Genevieve, Park Hills Central, Kennett, North County, Festus, Hillsboro, St. Pius, Festus, Potosi, De Soto

CLASS 2 DISTRICT 1

at Festus

Teams: Kelly, Scott City, Charleston, Hayti, East Prairie, Caruthersville, Metro, Valle Catholic, Arcadia Valley, Brentwood, Grandview, Crystal City, Malden, Mapelwood Richmond Heights, Principia

CLASS 1 DISTRICT 1

at Missouri School for the Deaf

Teams: Saxony Lutheran, Chaffee, Oran, Chamois, Chesterfield Day, Clopton, Crossroads, Eskridge, Missouri School for the Deaf, Missouri School for the Blind, Moniteau County, New Haven, Prairie Home, St. Elizabeth, Viburnum, Wellsville