Track & field stars to track in 2007

The track and field season has just gotten underway in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Several athletes will make their mark this spring and many more new stars will emerge as well.

A huge early-season boys’ meet will take place on Friday at the Belleville West Invitational. Defending IHSA Class AA state-champion Cahokia and rival East St. Louis will highlight the event. They are currently two of the top boys’ track teams in the nation. The action begins at 11 a.m. Look for these two great teams to wage another spirited battle, which should culminate at the IHSA State Championships in Charleston in late May. Both schools have won a state title in the past two years.

On the Missouri side, the University City Invitational and the Hazelwood East Relays are two big meets to watch on Saturday.

Here are just a few of the top area athletes to watch as the season unfolds.

Boys

Marcus Brown (Gateway Tech): Excellent middle-distance runner who finished fourth in the 800-meter dash as a junior.

Mike Clark (Sumner): A Class 3 state champion in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore and a state runner-up as a junior. One of the top sprinters in the state.

Darien Donald (Cahokia): Dynamic sophomore who finished second in the 400 at the IHSA Class AA state meet. Was already turning in 47-second 400-meter times as a freshman.

Artavious Kizer (East St. Louis): Talented senior returns as the defending IHSA Class AA state champion in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Denodus O’Bryant: Talented sprinter who earned All-State honors in the 100 and 200-meter dashes as a sophomore at the Missouri Class 4 state meet.

Andre Thomas (Fort Zumwalt South): The returning state champion in the 400-meter dash at the Missouri Class 4 state championships.

Ronnie Wingo (SLUH): Sophomore sprinter who helped the Jr. Billikens win a state title as an All-State freshman in the 100 and 200.

Earnest Winters (Cahokia): The defending IHSA Class AA state champion in the 200 returns for a loaded Cahokia team trying to defend its state title.

Girls

Brittney Allen (East St. Louis): Versatile performer who earned All-State recognition in the 300-meter low hurdles and 800-meter run, a very difficult double.

Lajada Baldwin (Central VPA): One of the top sprinters in the state of Missouri when healthy. Injuries kept her from earning All-State medals in 2006.

Alana Gray (Hazelwood East): All-around performer who earned All-State honors in both hurdles events in 2006.

Paris Daniels (Normandy): An excellent sprinter/middle distance performer who finished second in the Class 4, 400-meter dash as a sophomore.

Channon Haywood (Hazelwood East): Basketball standout is also a top-flight track athlete. An All-State performer in the 100 and 200.

Ronecia Nash (East St. Louis): Junior sprinter who earned IHSA All-State honors in the 100, 200 and the 4×200-meter relay.

Danielle Parrish (Hazelwood Central): The returning Class 4 state champion in the 100-meter dash.

Rickeal Roach (Lutheran South): A top performer in the throws who won the Class 3 state title in the discus as a junior. Has already signed with Southern Illinois.

Precious Selmon (Crystal City): Enjoyed a dominant freshman year in winning three individual state titles while leading the Hornets to the Class 2 state championship.

Yolanda Suggs (Belleville West): Became an impact performer as a freshman while earning All-State honors in the 100 and 200 at the IHSA Class AA state meet.

Alishea Usery (McCluer South-Berkeley): One of the top sprinters in the nation. She is already an six-time individual state champion and the holder of several state records.