State trip is reward at today's sectionals

The trip to the state meet will reach one more hurdle today for Class 3 and Class 4 schools.

Central and Jackson will travel to Parkway South High School in St. Louis County for the Class 4 sectional meet, while Perryville will host a Class 3 sectional field that will include Notre Dame.

The top four finishers in the sectional meets advance to next weekend's state meets at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

Central will bring 25 entries to the Class 4 competition, with 14 girls qualifiers leading the way among local large schools.

The Central girls team had six district champions, including the 3,200-meter relay team of including Jennifer Pancoast, Holly Shaffer, Stephanie Wehner and Linnea Woldtvedt. Shaffer also won the 800 meters, Woldtvedt won the 3,200 and Pancoast won the 1,600.

Pancoast finished second in the state in the 1,600 last year.

"She's a dominant miler in the immediate area," Central coach Lawrence Brookins said, "and she's also competitive with Kansas City and St. Louis times."

The Central boys will send 11 entries to sectional, including five district champions.

"I think we got a chance to get quite a few kids through," Brookins said.

Jackson brings 11 entries for the girls and three for the boys but just one district champion -- the girls 400 relay.

In Class 3, Notre Dame coach Bill Davis said the highlight for the Bulldogs will be the 3,200 relay team of Austin Ctichlow, Sam Montomery, Ryan Roggow and Jason Delgado. The squad finished second at the district meet behind defending state champions Potosi.

"The better the competition, the better the guys run," Davis said. "It's exciting for those guys. I think Potosi will be the favorites, but we hope to be in the top three or four."

Pole vaulter Bryce Willen is seeded No. 1 at the sectional meet after clearing 13 feet in the district. "He'll be the guy to beat," Davis said.

Notre Dame's Katie Daniel is coming off district wins in both the 100 and 300 hurdles.

The Perryville boys have a top hurdler of their own in Kyle Dobbelare, a former state champ who won the 110 hurdles at last week's district meet. He also is qualified in the 300 hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump.