Whitney leads 3A-4A pack into state meet

Jackson standout sprinter Mario Whitney will lead a contingent of local athletes to the Missouri Class 3A-4A track and field championships today.

Whitney, a senior, is among seven Jackson boys competing in five events in the 4A division. Jackson's girls, led by Heather West, will also take seven athletes in five events.

Central, with Anthony Harris in three jumping events, will be represented by seven boys in seven events and eight girls in seven events in 4A.

Perryville, competing in 3A, will have eight boys in nine events and six girls in five events.

Whitney won both the 100 and 200 last weekend at the sectional meet. As a sophomore, Whitney finished third in the 100 (10.81) and sixth in the 200 (22.34) at the state meet, but didn't qualify last year due to a pulled hamstring.

He's been hand-clocked as fast as 10.2 seconds this season, but has been slower in electronic timing. At the sectional, he won the 100 in 10.5 seconds and the 200 in 21.3. Similar times at state should put him in title contention.

Jackson will also be represented by James Fortner in the 110 hurdles, Stuart McIntosh in the pole vault and Jody Ressel, Isaac Venable, Josh Minson and Josh Garmon in the 3,200 relay.

West won the long jump (17-8) at the sectional and took second in the triple jump. She also ran a leg on the winning 400 relay team (50.2), which included Rachel Smith, Rebecca Martin and Jeanna Bolen. Jackson's girls will also be represented in the 1,600 and 800 relays. The quartet of Bolen, Martin, Heather Jones and Rachel Lowes won the 1,600 at sectional in 4:08.2. Smith, Martin, Bolen and Trisha Kluesner form the 800 relay team.

Harris, a junior, will compete in the long jump, high jump and triple jump. Jeremiah Dukes will also compete in the triple jump for Central.

Another sectional champ

Chris Smith won the sectional title in the shot put (52-8) and will also participate in the discus. Central's boys will also send Zeno Walker, Monroe Hicks, Will Johnson and Calen Wills in the 1,600 relay.

Senior Lainie Bohnsack returns in the high jump after finishing third at last year's state meet. She placed first at sectional, clearing 5-2. The Tigers will also send the 3,200 relay team of Kim Pancoast, Jennifer Pancoast, Alex Wieser and Whitney Pingel, coming off a school-record time of 9:40.08. In other individual events, Doschae Jones will throw the discus, Ashley Colon will compete in the shot put, Vicki Wilson will run the 100 and 200 and Kim Pancoast will compete in the 3,200.

For Perryville, Kyle Dobbelare will enter the 3A meet as a sectional champion in the 110 high hurdles (14.6) and will compete in the long jump.

Other Perryville boys are Kevin Bohnert (100 and 200), Kent Hadler (3,200), Brian Hadler (800), Tim Chitwood (1600) and Chris Porter (triple jump). Hadler, Terry Wood, Brian Schlichting and Brian Hadler qualified in the 3,200.

Gina Buerck, Sarah Lappe, Melissa Crannick and Emily Amberger will run the girls' 1,600 relay. Amberger will also compete in the 400. Kelly Kassell qualified in the long jump and pole vault and Hannah Fritsche in the shot put.