Jackson's Wright qualifies for state meet in four events

Jackson, Central and Notre Dame all had impressive performances in qualifying various athletes for the Classes 3 and 4 state track & field meet set for May 24 and 25 in Jefferson City, Mo.

The top four finishers in each event at Saturday's sectional made the cut.

Jackson and Central competed in the Class 4 sectional while Notre Dame participated in the Class 3 sectional, both held at Mary Independent & Country Day School in suburban St. Louis.

Senior Brannon Wright paced Jackson's boys by qualifying for state in three individual events and one relay.

Wright posted a third-place time of 10.98 seconds in the 100-meter dash and a fourth-place finish of 21.86 seconds in the 200. Wright broke the school record with his fourth-place time of 49.20 seconds in the 400.

Wright, along with teammates Calvin Lysell, Ty Crowden and Gabe Dudley, took fourth in the 1,600 relay. Jackson junior Clay Darnell threw the discus 166 feet, 5 inches to place first.

Other state qualifiers for the Indians were Dylan Rush, Chris Reed and Jordan Jeffers, who were second, third and fourth in the pole vault, respectively.

Central Senior Chris Martin posted a first-place 46-6 in the triple jump to pace the Tigers, whose other state qualifier was Billy Leighton (fourth place in the 3,200).

Jackson's girls got a big performance from senior Paden Wachter, who won both the shot put (42-3 1/4) and discus (133-10).

Jackson junior teammate Sierra Maddox also took gold in the pole vault with a height of 12 feet to shatter the school record for the Indians.

Central's Chleo LeGrand was second in the pole vault.

Notre Dame broke four school records while several athletes qualified for state.

Junior Jordan Barber posted a first-place time of 49.60 seconds in the 400, which was the first time any Notre Dame runner finished below 50 seconds in the event, according to coach Bill Davis.

Teammate Devin Ziegler was third in the 400 to also qualify for state.

Barber and Ziegler, along with Carson Bruenderman and Cole Ross, broke a 2004 school record in the 3,200 relay with a time of 8:03.65 for second place. The same four also placed fourth in the 1,600 relay.

Senior Seth Sievers threw the discus 158-2 to win gold.

On the girls side, Notre Dame senior Myriah Bernard broke the school record in the shot put with her second-place throw of 42-3 3/4.

The group of Edie Salter, Taylor Hess, Ariel Dumars and Madison Little took third in the 1,600 relay in 4:05.62 to break the school record by six seconds.

Marissa New rounded out the list of Notre Dame state qualifiers with a third place in the discus.

Class 4

BOYS

Team Scores -- 1. Christian Brothers College (St. Louis) 93; 2. Lafayette (Wildwood) 79; 3. Marquette 59; 4. Jackson 57; 5. Kirkwood 53; 6. Eureka 42; 7. Fox 38; 8. Lindbergh 36; 9. Webster Groves 34; 10. (tie) Ladue Horton Watkins, Rockwood Summit 28; 12. Poplar Bluff 23; 13. Mehlville 22; 14. Cape Central 21; 15. Northwest (House Springs) 17; 16. (tie) Farmington, Hillsboro 16; 18. Oakville 14; 19. Parkway South 10; 20. Seckman 5; 21. Parkway West 2

Local top four (state qualifiers)

Pole vault -- 2. Dylan Rush (Jackson) 14-0; 3. Chris Reed (Jackson) 13-6; 4. (tie) Jordan Jeffers (Jackson) 12-6

Triple jump -- 1. Chris Martin (Central) 46-6

Discus -- 1. Clay Darnell (Jackson) 166-5

100 -- 3. Brannon Wright (Jackson) 10.98

400 -- 4. Brannon Wright (Jackson) 49.20

200 -- 4. Brannon Wright (Jackson) 21.86

3,200 -- 4. Billy Leighton (Central) 9:42.15

1,600 relay -- 4. Jackson (Brannon Wright, Calvin Lysell, Ty Crowden, Gabe Dudley) 3:24.87

GIRLS

Team Scores -- 1. Eureka 69; 2. Northwest (House Springs) 50; 3. (tie) Lindbergh, Lafayette (Wildwood) 49; 5. Oakville 47; 6. Kirkwood 44; 7. (tie) Seckman, Rockwood Summit 42; 9. (tie) Hillsboro, Jackson 41; 11. Ladue Horton Watkins 39; 12. Nerinx Hall 38; 13. Marquette 31; 14. Cor Jesu Academy 25; 15. Webster Groves 18; 16. Parkway South 17; 17. St. Joseph's Academy (St. Louis) 16; 18. Poplar Bluff 13; 19. Cape Central 9; 20. Farmington 6; 21. Fox 5; 22. Parkway West 4; 23. Mehlville 1

Local top four (state qualifiers)

Pole vault -- 1. Sierra Maddox (Jackson) 12-0; 2. (tie) Chleo LeGrand (Central)

Discus -- 1. Paden Wachter (Jackson) 133-10

Shot put -- 1. Paden Wachter (Jackson) 42-3 1/4

Class 3

BOYS

Team Scores -- 1. John Burroughs 115; 2. Sikeston 85; 3. MICDS 70; 4. Festus 54; 5. Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 47; 6. Kennett 37; 7. Lutheran South 34; 8. University City 32.5; 9. Windsor (Imperial) 29; 10. Clayton 28; 11. Lift for Life Academy 26; 12. North St. Francois County 22; 13. St. Francois County (Park Hills) Central 21; 14. Potosi 17.5; 15. Ste. Genevieve 17; 16. Affton 13; 17. DeSoto 9; 18. (tie) Bishop DuBourg, John F. Kennedy 8; 20. St. Mary's (St. Louis) 7; 21. Priory (St. Louis) 5; 22. (tie) Fredericktown, Westminster Christian Academy 4; 24. Perryville 1

Local top four (state qualifiers)

Discus -- 1. Seth Sievers (Notre Dame) 158-2

3,200 relay -- 2. Notre Dame (Carson Bruenderman, Jordan Barber, Devin Ziegler, Cole Ross) 8:03.65

400 -- 1. Jordan Barber (Notre Dame) 49.60; 3. Devin Ziegler (Notre Dame) 50.58

1,600 relay -- 4. Notre Dame (Jordan Barber, Carson Bruenderman, Cole Ross, Devin Ziegler) 3:27.77

GIRLS

Team Scores -- 1. MICDS 71; 2. Ste. Genevieve 66.5; 3. Lutheran South 62; 4. Villa Duchesne 61; 5. University City 46; 6. DeSoto 44; 7. Festus 41; 8. North St. Francois County 38; 9. Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) 34; 10. Sikeston 32; 11. Dexter 31; 12. Clayton 28; 13. John Burroughs 25; 14. Arcadia Valley 22; 15. St. Francois County (Park Hills) Central 18.5; 16. John F. Kennedy 18; 17. Windsor (Imperial) 15.5; 18. Westminster Christian Academy 14; 19. New Madrid County Central 7; 20. Visitation Academy 6.5; 21. Affton 6; 22. Fredericktown 3

Local top four (state qualifiers)

Discus -- 3. Marissa New (Notre Dame) 121-10

Shot put -- 2. Myriah Bernard (Notre Dame) 42-3 1/4

1,600 relay -- 3. Notre Dame (Edie Salter, Taylor Hess, Ariel Dumars, Madison Little) 4:05.62