The small schools will take center stage this weekend at the upcoming Missouri Class 1-2 State Track and Field Championships in Jefferson City.
The state meet will be held at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on the campus of Lincoln University. Friday’s prelims begin at 11 a.m. with field events with the running events beginning at noon. Saturday’s championship running events will get underway at noon.
One of the top teams to watch from St. Louis will be the Cleveland Naval Jr. ROTC boys in the Class 2 competition. The Commanders qualified athletes in nine events, including all four relays. Cleveland is in a solid position to bring home a state team trophy with its quality individuals.
Sprinter Michael Wells was a sectional champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes last weekend at Principia. Dominic Ball was also a double-sectional champion in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Diamond Hodge also qualified in the triple jump.
Other area teams who are expected to do well this weekend are Herculaneum’s boys in Class 2 and the boys and girls on Principia in Class 2.
Defending Class 2 boys state champion Maplewood will send its dynamic pair of Montel Maggitt and Lawrence Hogue, who finished first and second in the 400 at Principia. They also led the Blue Devils to an easy victory in the 4×400-meter relay.
Standout distance runner Kaitlyn Fisher of Herculaneum will be one of the favorites in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 while the girls from Lift for Life qualified as sectional champions in the 4×100.
Sectional meets
The Missouri Class 3 and 4 schools will be competing in sectional meets around the area. The Class 3 sectionals involving area teams will be held at Ste. Genevieve and MICDS. The Class 4 sectionals with area teams will be held at Poplar Bluff and Timberland. The top four finishers in each event will head to Jefferson City on May 18-19 for the Class 3-4 State Championships.
Illinois side
The top girls in the state of Illinois will head to Charleston this weekend to compete in the IHSA State Championships at Eastern Illinois University. Looking to defend their individual state championships at the Class 3A state meet are Edwardsville’s Emmonnie Henderson in the shot put and discus and East St. Louis’ Markita Rush in the 300-meter low hurdles. In the team race, Belleville West qualified athletes in 11 events, including three relays. East St. Louis, Belleville East and O’Fallon are also taking a strong group of athletes to the state meet.
On the Illinois side, the boys have reached the sectional meet stage. The Class 3A boys sectional with all metro east teams will be held at Belleville West on Friday, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Class 2A sectional meet will be held on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
