Lambert soaring to new heights

SIKESTON - The Sikeston High School track and field team has seen a resurgence the last few years.

Last year, the team won its first district championship since 1992. And last Saturday, the Bulldogs repeated as district champs in Perryville.

One of the main reasons for the Bulldogs' success has been the accomplishments of senior jump specialist Andrew Lambert.

At last Saturday's Class 3A, District 1 meet, Lambert qualified for sectionals in the long jump, triple jump and high jump.

And he's done it all in just his second year of varsity track.

After participating in track as an eighth grader, Lambert chose to play baseball the next two years.

But last year, he decided to give track another shot.

"I really missed the whole program and the whole environment," said Lambert, 18. "I did well in the eighth grade -- I talked it over with my coaches and my family and I just decided that track was the right place for me. So far I think it's a good decision."

It worked out.

Lambert qualified for sectionals in the long jump and high jump in his first district competition last year. He then went on to qualify for state at Jefferson City in the long jump before finishing 11th.

"He came back out last year as a junior and he was an immediate contributor in the high jump, long jump and triple jump," said Sikeston head track and field coach Jerry Dement. "He also has enough speed to run some relay legs occasionally. We hope he continues the fine season. If he jumps like he has been in all three events then he'll have a chance to make it to state in all three. He's ranked really high, so he's one of our keys to success at the state level."

Lambert thinks his experiences in Jefferson City will help him in his drive towards the state meet this year.

"I definitely think it was a good experience for me," he said. "After watching everybody up there and seeing the top three getting their medals on the podium, that inspired me to work harder this year. I know that I've got potential to make it that far. I'd have to say I've been working a little harder than I was last year.

"It was my first year back and I really didn't have a feel for it, but this year I know more of what I'm doing and what I want to accomplish. I want to medal at state and finish in the top three."

Lambert's personal record in the long jump is 22'2", which would've been good enough to win state last year by two inches.

But reaching the state championships isn't the only thing the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Lambert is trying to accomplish.

He's also striving to become the school's record holder in the high jump.

At Perryville last Saturday, Lambert set a personal record with a jump of 6'9". It's the second best jump in school history behind Adrian Barnhill's leap of 6'10" in 1999.

With the 3A Sectional meet at Festus coming up Saturday, Lambert will be shooting to tie, or even break Barnhill's mark.

"That's a new goal for me," he said. "At the beginning of the season I honestly didn't think I had a chance at the 6-10 mark by Barnhill, but now that's one of my main goals. I've tried it three separate times and each time I think I get a little bit closer."

Lambert's best jump last year was 6'4", meaning he's improved by five inches in just a year's time. Lambert said his preseason goal was to jump 6'6". He obliterated that mark in one of the first meets of the year.

"He's had a really fine spring," said Dement. "He's very consistent in all his jumps. In fact, he's undefeated in the high jump this year. He's got the leading jump in the state in 3A in the high jump. But he's also a nice triple jumper and long jumper. He's always very competitive and he's been a big contributor to our team success."

Lambert's long jump of 22'2" and triple jump mark of 44'1" puts him among the school's top 10 leaders.

"I have to say I'm proud of myself for all I've accomplished," said Lambert. "I couldn't have done it without all my coaches pushing me. I think Coach Dement is the best at what he does. Without him, I don't think I'd be even close to anything I've done today."

Dement says Lambert's success in the high jump is a product of his work habits in practice.

"He's a pretty good student of the activity and he's very coachable," said Dement. "He'll listen to you. The high jump is one of the most technical events in track. You just can't be talented and go that high. Obviously you have to have the gift of vertical leaping ability, but you also have to have a good sense of timing, you gotta have good coordination in the air, you gotta study the event on how to do the approach right. He's done all those things."

Lambert says he is leaning towards signing with Southeast Missouri State University, where he would follow in the footsteps of Barnhill and compete in the high jump. Barnhill was the Ohio Valley Conference indoors champion in the high jump in 2000.

But Lambert is also considering the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

In addition to track, he has offers to play football at Culver-Stockton, Westminster, Lambuth and Missouri Valley.

On the gridiron, Lambert was the premier kicker in the area, connecting on three field goals from 40 yards or more, including a 45-yarder. He made 7-of-9 field goals overall and was rewarded with a first team all-state selection.

On defense, he was one of the state leaders in interceptions with eight while making 48 tackles.

He led the team with 340 yards receiving on 14 receptions, including four touchdowns. And he led the team in points scored with 68.

His seven field goals in a season and 13 in a career are both one shy of Kevin Collins' school records. And he was also perfect on extra points the last two years, booting 36 in a row.

Lambert says because of the attention he was receiving as a kicker, he didn't even consider track an option in college

"Last summer and fall, I didn't think much about track," said Lambert. "I really thought, and my coaches thought I could go to college and kick, or maybe play receiver or d-back. I went to a couple camps over the summer and I trained really hard. I was on this practice field every other day kicking. That's what I was gunning for."

Lambert says wherever he ends up in college, he still wants to give football a shot.

"I'd like to kick -- I'd really miss kicking if I couldn't do that in the fall," he said. "Maybe I can work something out wherever I go."

In addition to football, baseball, and now track and field, Lambert played basketball in eighth and ninth grade. With a full plate of sports during the school year, and legion baseball during the summer, something had to go.

"I had to take a season off," he said. "I was playing legion ball all summer long and I was playing baseball in the spring and football in the summer. I just needed some time off to recuperate my body."

It looks like the time off has been worth it.

On Saturday Lambert will try to qualify for the state meet in three events, something no Sikeston track athlete has done since Marshaun West qualified in four events in 1996. West went on to become a college All-American at the University of Notre Dame.

West is also the last Sikeston athlete to be a state champion when he won the long jump in 1995.

Dement says there's nothing keeping Lambert from being the next.

"I don't say it very often, I've been doing this activity a long time, but if he jumps within his capabilities, he's got the potential to be a state champion in the high jump," said Dement. "And he can also place very high in the long jump and triple jump. He has the ability and the mental outlook to get it done. I think he learned from last year and he knows what it takes to be successful at that high of a level. So I look for him to make some serious noise up there here in a week or two."