The top small-school track athletes in the Show-Me state will convene in Jefferson City this weekend to compete at the MSHSAA Class 1-2 State Track and Field Championships.
Friday’s prelims will begin at noon at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on the campus on Lincoln University. The championship races will be held on Saturday, beginning at noon.
A few of the top athletes to watch this weekend will be hurdler/jumper Precious Selmon (Crystal City) and sprinter Fred Taylor (Maplewood).
Selmon has a chance to score 40 points in the long jump, 100-meter dash, 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. She has one of the state’s top marks in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet. Selmon led the Hornets to the Class 2 state championship as a freshman in 2006, but was injured last season. She appears to be healthy again and ready for another big weekend in Jefferson City.
Taylor was a sectional champion last week in the 100 and 200 while anchoring the Blue Devils’ 4×200-meter relay team to a sectional title.
Athletes from Metro, Principia, Orchard Farm, North County Tech, Wellston (Class 1) also figure to bring home plenty of All-State medals from Jefferson City.
The Class 3-4 schools in Missouri will be competing at the sectional meets around the state. Area Class 4 schools will compete at Eureka, McCluer North and Camdenton while the Class 3 schools are headed to St. Genevieve and Mexico.
The IHSA boys sectionals will be held on Friday with area teams competing at Belleville East and Springfield Lanphier, both beginning at 4 p.m. The Belleville East Sectional will feature metro-east powers East St. Louis and Cahokia, who have combined to win the last three Class AA state titles. After being sent to different sectionals last season, both teams will go head-to-head in the sectional meet this year. Host Belleville East also has a talented group of athletes to watch as well.
Last week’s winners
Notable performances from last week’s district and sectional meets:
James Coleman (Marquette): Won the shot put and discus at the Class 4, District 3 meet at Lafayette.
Gerren Hendricks (Hazelwood Central): Won the 100, 200 and anchored the Hawks 4×200-meter relay to a first-place finish at the Class 4, District 4 meet at McCluer North.
Darwin Price (Normandy): Won the 800, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Class 4, District 4 meet at McCluer North.
Cydney Ross (Villa Duchesne): Won the 800 and 1,600-meter runs at the Class 3, District 3 meet at MICDS.
Precious Selmon (Crystal City): Won the 100, 100-meter high hurdles, 300-meter low hurdles and long jump at the Class 2, Sectional 1 meet at Principia.
Tyler Shaw (Lutheran North): Won the 110-meter high hurdles, 300-meter intermediate hurdles and ran a leg on the Crusaders’ 4×200-meter relay team at the Class 3, District 3 meet at MICDS.
Alishea Usery (McCluer South-Berkeley): Won the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes at the Class 3, District 3 meet at MICDS.
Hazaria Washington (Cardinal Ritter): Won the 200, 400 and ran legs on the Lions’ 4×200 and 4×400-meter relay teams that won district titles.