“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;”>Some

state-championship hardware will be handed out this weekend as the

small schools in Missouri and the girls in Illinois conclude their

respective seasons.

Maplewood

Richmond-Heights will be seeking a third consecutive state title in

boys track at this weekend’s Missouri Class 2 State Championships

at Lincoln University in Jefferson City. The prelims will begin on

Friday at 11 a.m. with the final races set for Saturday at

noon.

The Blue

Devils are in a strong position for a three-peat with athletes in

six individual events and all three sprint relays headed to

Jefferson City. Nick Coulter and Cortez Cooper both qualified in

the long jump and triple jump with Coulter winning both events at

last Saturday’s sectional meet at Principia.

Other

sectional champions for Maplewood included Marcus Taylor in the 200

and 400-meter dashes and Marcus Daily in the shot put. Senior Eric

Liska qualified in the 400 and 800 while Bobby Norful qualified in

the 100 and 200. Maplewood will also be taking its talented 4×100-,

4×200 and 4×400-meter relay teams to state as well. All three

sprint relays won state titles last season.

Two of the

top area girls to watch this weekend are sprinter Spice Brown of

Barat Academy and Kaitlyn Fisher of Herculaneum. Brown qualified in

the 100 and 200. She was the state champion in the 100 last year.

Fisher will be one of the favorites in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter

runs. She was a Class 3 state champion in the 3,200 last

season. 

*On the

Illinois side, the IHSA Girls State Championships will be held in

Charleston, Ill. on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.

Metro East powers East St. Louis and Edwardsville will highlight

the area teams that will compete in the Class 3A state meet. East

St. Louis finished fourth in the team standings last year while

Edwardsville finished second. Both teams are led by outstanding

throwers Ashley Gaston of East Side and Emmonnie Henderson of

Edwardsville. They are two of the top performers in the state in

the shot put and discus and they have been battling all season. At

last week’s Sectional at O’Fallon, Gaston defeated Henderson in the

shot put while Henderson returned the favor in the

discus.

East Side

also features sprinter Brandy Griffin, who was a sectional champion

in the 100 and 200. Junior Joymesia Howard was also a double

sectional-champion in the high jump and 100-meter high hurdles.

Markita Rush was a sectional champion in the 300-meter low hurdles.

The Flyerettes are also taking their 4×100 and 4×200-meter relay

teams to Charleston. Edwardsville also has top field event

performers Lauren White in the long jump, Hannah Faulkner in the

pole vault and a very talented 4×400 relay team that won a

sectional title in 3 minutes 55.6 seconds.

One of the

top individual athletes in Charleston this weekend will be senior

Jena Hemann of Breese Central. Hemann will be looking to win four

individual events for the second year in sucession. Hemann will be

competing in the long jump, high jump, triple jump and 100-meter

dash. She won state titles in all four events last year. At last

Saturday’s Class 1 sectional at Wood River, Hemann cleared the

magical 6-foot barrier in the high jump, becoming only the second

girl in the STL area to accomplish the feat. The first was former

Belleville East star Reflaye Williams in 1989.

Sectional

competition for Illinois boys will be held this week, beginning

with today’s Class 3A sectional in Moline. All of the top metro

east teams, including East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Belleville

East, Belleville West and O’Fallon will be on hand. The Class 2A

sectional meet will be held at Triad. That meet features perennial

power Cahokia and its stable of athletes. The top qualifiers will

head to Charleston, Ill. on May 28-29 for the IHSA State

Championships.

*The

Missouri Class 3 and 4 Sectional meets will be held on Saturday.

Class 3 sectional meets involving area teams will be held at

Lutheran South and Mexico. The Class 4 sectionals will be at

Lafayette and Troy.

*Now, for

a few district meet highlights. McCluer High’s girls accomplished a

rarity at the Class 4, District 3 meet at McCluer. The Comets

qualified all four of their high jumpers into this weekend’s

sectional round. Sherise Williams won the event. She was followed

by Alauna Ray, Catrina Harris and Shervonna Tucker. Soldan High

basketball standout Paul McRoberts is getting it done on the track

as well. McRoberts won the high jump, long jump and triple jump at

the Class 3, District 2 meet at Affton. Ladue’s Montenae Roye won

the 200 and 400 at the Class 5, District 2 meet with winning times

of 24.86 in the 200 and 54.86 in the 400.