'Dogs second in SEMO

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Although hampered by zero points in the distance events, Sikeston boys finished second in the SEMO Conference Track and Field Meet on Friday.

Host Cape Central swept both the boys and girls divisions, with Sikeston's girls finishing third behind Jackson.

On the boys side, Cape Central compiled 93 points to 69 for Sikeston, 62 for Poplar Bluff and 39 for Jackson.

"Even though our kids competed well, we thought we'd be a little bit closer to Cape," said Sikeston coach Jerry Dement. "Unfortunately, we've had the injury bug hit us the last couple of weeks. Our best shotputter, Joe Moore, broke his foot and Andre Goodwin, our best high and triple jumper, hurt a knee. That cost us a lot of points, not enough to catch Cape, but we would have made it a lot more competitive.

"Cape has the best boys team in the area and we've been running second-

best all year."

Hurdler Stephon Turner led the Bulldogs' point-getters with wins in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. He ran the 110 high hurdles in a time of 15.6 seconds, the 300 intermediate hurdles in 42.0.

Other first-place finishes were turned in by David Stovall in the 400-meter dash and Brandon Washington in the 200. Stovall was clocked at 52.4, Washington at 23.0. Brandon Wright finished just .2 seconds off Washington's winning pace in the 200 (23.2).

The Bulldogs' sprint relay teams continued to perform well with second places in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200. Comprised of B.J. Green, Wright, Washington and Tommie Strong, the 400 relay team reeled off a time of 44.0. The same quartet, with Stovall in place of Green, ran the 800 relay in 1:31.4. The 1600 team of Stovall, Wright, Strong and Gavilan Bland finished third.

Bland also picked up points with fifth places in both hurdle events and Strong placed third in the 100 meters in a time of 11.4.

In the boys' field events, Mark Williamson was second in the long jump (19 feet-7 inches), while freshman Dominic Fondon, with a jump of 18-10, was third.

Fondon also placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 42-0.

Salamar Cox was a runner-up in the shot put at 47-11, as was Trey Stone with a pole vault of 12-6.

Sikeston girls claimed no first-place medals, but posted their highest finishes -- second places -- in both the 400 and 800 relays.

"We knew we couldn't challenge Cape or Jackson," Dement said. "We just don't have the depth, but our girls are competing well and their times are coming down, especially on the relays."

The 800 team of Jackie Nance, Lashawna Turner, Michel 'Le Flye and Chasman Herrion ran their best time of the season at 1:50.0. The 400 team of Flye, Turner, Herrion and Jewellian Dixon was clocked at 50.8.

Herrion earned a third in the 100-meter dash (12.4), while Flye was fifth in 13.0.

In the 400 meters, Teah Atkinson was third in 64.1 and Traci Jackson fifth in 64.5. Jackson and Atkinson joined Alonda Harris and Andrea Coleman for a third in the 1600 relay.

Coleman added points with a fifth in the 110 hurdles (18.8) and Harris, also fifth, pointed in the 800 meters (2:42.0).

In the field events, Turner finished third in the 200 meters (27.4) and fifth in the long jump (14-11), while Atkinson was fifth in the triple jump (31-9).

Rounding out the scoring was a fifth by Nance in the 200 (28.6).

Said Dement, "We always use this meet as a jumping off point to get ready for the district and I think our kids are starting to round into good shape. We ran some of our best times of the year and we're excited about doing the best we can in the district and also qualifying for the state meet.

"Both teams are young (two senior point producers for the boys, one for the girls), but very competitive. We think there are good things ahead of them for the future, especially since we're getting a new track facility built this summer. That should really help us in training and also in big meets. "We'll have a first-class track facility next year."

The facility facelift includes a replacement of the asphalt surface with a rubberized version, additional running lanes and jump areas.

Dement expects his Bulldogs, champions of four of the past five districts -- third last year -- to compete well in Saturday's Class 3, District 1 meet at Perryville.

"It's the best overall Class 3 district in the state and has been for the last five or six years," he said. "It's a very tough and competitive meet. If you place well there, you're probably going to do very well in the state meet.

"We're going to challenge Potosi for the championship. The meet should come down to Potosi, Perryville and Sikeston being the top three."