STATE BOUND: AREA ATHLETES HEAD FOR 1A, 2A MEET

Track athletes from around the area are ready to pit their talents against the best the state has to offer.

The Class 1A and 2A meets convene at Jefferson City on Saturday.

Kelly, runners-up to Class 2A district girls' champion Lutheran North and a fourth-place finisher in the boys division, will send six athletes to the state meet.

The Hawks will be represented by Jenny Riley (1600 and 3200), Melissa Garner (3200) and Julia Vetter (pole vault) on the girls side; Adam Daughhetee (1600 and 3200), Travis Braun (pole vault) and Logan Kirk (discus) for the boys.

Riley, a senior, will be making her fourth trip to the state meet. She finished fifth last year with a school record time of 5:40 in the 1600.

"Jenny (Riley) has a lot of experience and I expect her to do well," said Kelly track coach Bill Davis. "She is undefeated in the 3200 and hasn't really been pushed, so the stiffer competition should push her to a faster time and she should finish somewhere in the top eight."

Daughhetee, a sophomore, finished second to 2A state champion Alan Heincker of Grandview in both the 1600 and 3200 at the district meet. He was just two-tenths of a second behind Heincker in the 1600.

"If Adam (Daughhetee) has a good day, he could be a factor in the 1600," said Davis.

Senior discus thrower Kirk had an 11th place finish in state in '99 and should move up this time around.

Chaffee (2A) will have freshman Jennifer Vandeven participating in the girls' 200 meters and senior Andy Obermann entered in the shot put and discus events.

Obermann has competed at the state level since his debut as a 9th grader. He placed eighth in the shot put at state last year and has an area best heave of 52 feet even so far this season.

"I expect Brian (Obermann) to finish somewhere in the top four," said Chaffee coach Terry Glenzy.

Vandeven, a qualifier in the 200, is coming off her best time of 27.1 seconds set at last weekend's district meet.

The lone qualifier for Scott City (2A) will be Dana Essner in the pole vault. Essner finished first at the district meet with a vault of 6 feet, 6 inches.

In Class 1A, Oran will have two competitors in the 400 meters, Russ Hatfield and Andy Gadberry. Hatfield and Gadberry will be joined by Chris Prindle and Eric Spies in the 4x200 relay.

Chad Johnson of Advance will be the first-ever to compete at state for his school, which fielded a track team for the first time this year. Johnson will be entered in the 1600. In an unfortunate incident, he was accidentally spiked before the race by a fellow runner at the district meet and failed to advance in his best event, the 800 meters.