KELLY RUNNERS, JHS GIRLS QUALIFY FOR STATE

ST. LOUIS -- In last year's sectional meet, St. Charles West High prevented Jackson's girls cross country team from advancing to the state meet.

On Saturday, the Lady Indians gained revenge -- by a single point.

At Jefferson Barracks, Jackson's girls placed second with 58 points, behind De Soto's 52. The top four teams (teams consist of seven runners) qualify for the state meet.

St. Charles West was third with 59 points and Ft. Zumwalt South was fourth with 91.

Jackson coach Jim Stoverink said that windy and wet conditions slowed times, but his girls ran well nonetheless.

"I was pretty pleased," Stoverink said. "Jennifer Brown and Sarah Stiegemeyer had exceptional races, probably their best of the year."

Jackson's Julie Wunderlich placed sixth in the 3.1-mile race in 20:44. Brown was eighth (20:53), Sarah Schlick 14th (21:34), Stiegemeyer 15th (21:40) and Lisa Sappington 26th (22:00).

Christy Thoma was 45th (22:54) and Sarah Strack 59th (23:54).

Although Cape Central didn't send a team to the sectional meet, two Central girls placed in the top 30 and will advance to the state competition.

Tobie Bittle placed fourth in 20:41, and by placing in the top 10 joined Wunderlich and Brown in receiving all-sectional recognition. Bittle is Central's first-ever four-time state qualifier.

Myka Bohnsack placed 29th in 22:03. Leanne Lee (42nd, 22:47) and Elizabeth Meyr (50th, 23:21) did not make the cut.

One Central boy and one Jackson boy placed in the top 30. Central's Rory Kipper placed third in 17:30 and Jackson's Mark Sander was 24th in 18:02.

Central's Mark Stone (38th, 18:20) and Jackson's Blake Pope (56th, 19:03), Steven Adams (58th, 19:06) and Jon Shearon (60th, 19:10) did not make the cut.

The state meet is Saturday in Jefferson City. The girls race will start at 11 a.m. and the boys race will begin at 1 p.m.

Class 1A-2A, District 1

ST. LOUIS -- Kelly won both the boys and girls races and will send both teams to the state meet in Jefferson City on Saturday.

Kelly's boys are the defending state champions.

In winning the boys race at Spanish Lake with 22 points, Kelly totaled its lowest district point sum ever. The top two teams advance to the state meet; Valley Park was second with 35 points.

Three Hawks placed in the top 10 and received all-district commendation. Michael Riley was second in 17:00.4, Russ Mothershead seventh (17:50.3) and Nathen King eighth (17:55.8).

Denver Stuckey was 11th (17:58.7), Lucas Choate 21st (18:27.8), Jobi Berry 22nd (18:29.4) and Chad Felter 26th (18:41.4).

Amy Arteme won Kelly's first-ever district individual title as the Lady Hawks totaled 30 points and edged John Burroughs (33).

Arteme won in 20:30.5. Freshman Laura Ruff finished eighth in 21:54.8 and also was an all-district selection.

April Cousins was 12th (22:16.7), Megan Nelson 18th (22:59.7), Melissa Garner 19th (23:06.5), Melissa Melton 21st (23:29.4) and Beth Glueck 36th (24:44.7).

One Notre Dame girl qualified for the state meet. Freshman Susan Judd placed sixth in 21:48.

Micaela Shaffer (25th, 23:48), Jean Stoverink (28th, 24:05), Thuy Ha (46th, 25:36) and Amanda Gosche (53rd, 26:55) missed the cut.

None of Notre Dame's boys placed in the top 15. Robert Macklem was 18th (18:23), Jason Peters 53rd (20:54), Grant Frey 60th (21:20) and Mark Berkbigler 73rd (23:05).

Class 1A-2A, District 5

MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Two Advance boys, Ross McFerron and Chad Johnson, placed in the top 15 in a district meet Saturday.

The pair qualified for the Class 1A-2A state meet in Jefferson City next weekend.

McFerron placed 11th and Johnson 14th.

Gary Ahern (26th), D.A. Slinkard (27th) and Garrett Broshius (30th) missed the cut.

VOLLEYBALL

Notre Dame loses sectional final

MARBLE HILL -- After breezing past Bismarck 15-11, 15-1 in its first match Saturday, Notre Dame met defending state champion Bernie for the sectional championship.

Although Bernie isn't the team it was last three seasons, the Lady Mules once again are playing well in the postseason, and they beat Notre Dame 15-5, 15-11.

Notre Dame coach Janet Buchheit said she had seen Bernie play many times this season, and the sectional final was the best she had seen the Lady Mules play.

The Lady Bulldogs finished the season 22-7-2.

"The girls had a great season," said Buchheit. "They are hard workers and they work well together. Our record definitely reflects the talent we have and the heart we have."

Notre Dame's two seniors, Jessica Hency and Jennifer Glueck, led the Lady Bulldogs in kills. Hency had seven and Gleuck five.

Erin Vickery and Kelli Canfield both had four kills.

Bernie (29-4), which won the Class 2A state title last year and 1A titles the two years before that, will play in the state tournament this weekend in Warrensburg on Friday and Saturday.

Leopold upsets Bell City

POPLAR BLUFF -- The old cliche about beating a team three times in one season was more than a worn-out adage in the Class 1A sectional Saturday.

Defending state champion Bell City owned two wins over Leopold, but the Lady Wildcats beat Bell City 17-15, 15-2 in the sectional final to earn a berth in the state tournament.

Leopold improved to 25-4-1, ending Bell City's season at 30-2-1.

Bell City coach Carl Ritter said his team blew a game point in the first game, and then folded in the second.

"We didn't come out with any intensity. It was a disheartening loss for us," Ritter said. "Leopold played outstanding. They got on a roll and we couldn't do anything right."

State tournament play for first-year coach Leanne Huffman's Lady Wildcats will begin on Friday in Warrensburg.

St. Joseph's beats Perryville

HILLSBORO -- After beating Hillsboro 15-6, 12-15, 15-7, Perryville played St. Joesph's Academy, No. 1 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch poll, for a state tournament berth.

St. Joseph's won 15-1, 15-5. Perryville finished 17-10-3.

After the first-game rout, Perryville led 5-4 in the second game before St. Joseph's scored 11 unanswered points.

"They were kind of a step ahead of us," said Perryville coach Tim Steffens.

In the match against Hillsboro, Amy Verseman had 18 assists and three blocks and Laura Ernst had 12 kills and 15 digs.