Notre Dame qualifies four entries, but just misses cut on two races

It was a day of mixed emotions for the Notre Dame boys track and field team at the Class 3 sectional meet Saturday in Festus.

Five boys finished in the top four to qualify for the state meet next weekend at Jefferson City, but the 800 relay team missed the cut by just .13 seconds and the 1,600-meter relay team was denied a bid after suffering a fateful last leg.

The 1,600-meter foursome was in first place about 5 feet from the finish line when the baton slipped out of the hand of anchor Matt Pfau. Pfau picked up the baton and dove for the line but touched another runner in the process, disqualifying the Bulldogs.

"It was tragic," Notre Dame coach Bill Davis said. "They handled it well, though. There were others teams coming over to console them."

Pfau bounced back to finish fourth in the 1,600 and help the 3,200 relay team to a second-place finish.

Bryce Willen won the pole vault event by clearing 14 feet, and Austin Critchlow finished third in the 800.

Daniel wins two event

The Bulldogs also qualified five girls for the state competition.

Katie Daniel won both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles events by wide margins.

"She won by almost a hurdle in the 100 and then destroyed the field in the 300," Davis said.

Notre Dame's 800 relay team set a school record on its way to a third-place finish.

Cottner leads Pirates

Perryville qualified in seven boys events for the Class 3 state meet. The Pirates also qualified in one girls event.

"We did real well," Perryville coach Lance Bell said. "I was very happy with the team."

Kyle Cottner was a double individual qualifier for the Pirates, as he placed second in the long jump and third in the triple jump, in addition to running a leg on the 1,600-meter relay team that was second.

Perryville's other second-place finish was by Matt Unterreiner in the 110-meter hurdles.

Notre Dame state qualifiers

Boys

Pole vault -- 1. Bryce Willen, 14-0.

3,200 relay -- 2. (Matt Pfau, Mark Zimmer, Jason Delgado, Austin Critchlow), 8:11.57.

800 -- 3. Austin Critchlow, 1:59.24.

1,600 -- 4. Matt Pfau, 4:35.55.

Girls

100 hurdles -- 1. Katie Daniel, 15.54.

300 hurdles -- 1. Katie Daniel, 46.57.

800 relay -- 3. (Haley Bohnert, Hannah Glueck, Emily Bira, Amber Karnes), 1:47.36.

Perryville state qualifiers

Boys

3,200 relay -- 3. (Jesse Kueker, Ryan Regelsperger, Terry Wood, William Benline), 8:12.81.

110 hurdles -- 2. Matt Unterreiner 15.16; 4. Josh Hayden 15.66

400 relay -- 3. (Kyle Lorenz, Zach Hanquist, Adam Westmoreland, Unterreiner), 43.93.

1,600 relay -- 2. (Wood, Lorenz, Kueker, Kyle Cottner), 3:28.66.

Discus -- 3. Ben Rhyne, 141-10

Long jump -- 2. Cottner, 21-8 1/2

Triple jump -- 3. Cottner, 41-5 1/2

Girls

800 -- 4. Elizabeth Martin, 2:22.70