Sikeston tracksters hoping to advance to state meet

FARMINGTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs track and field team will be looking for strong performances in tomorrow's Class 3 sectional meet at Farmington High School.

The top four placers in each event will advance to the state meet in Jefferson City next weekend.

"If we perform like we did last week at the district we'll have a chance to move quite a few kids through to the state meet," said Sikeston coach Jerry Dement. "We're seeded in the top four of just about everything we're doing. We're ranked in the top four in everything with the exception of the discus and we're a six there. We've got some events that will be touch and go. The boys 100 and 200 will be right down to the wire."

Sikeston's 4 x 200 meter relay teams on the boys and girls side are seeded first at the meet.

Sikeston's 4 x 200 team will be comprised of David Stovall, Dominic Fondon, Tommie Strong and Chris Simmons. The girls 4 x 200 team will be comprised of Chasman Herrion, Michel'le Flye, Lashawna Turner and Willa Triblett.

Sikeston's boys will also be competing in the 4 x 100 (Strong, Brandon Wright, Dominique McCray, Eli Jackson) and 4 x 400 (Gavilan Bland, Wright, Ismail Johnson, Stovall) meter relays.

The girls 4 x 400 will be run by Turner, Triblett, Flye and Ebony Banks.

In the open events, Strong will compete in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. Fondon and Demetrius Jackson will compete in the triple jump. Eli Jackson and Mark Williamson will compete in the long jump.

Salamar Cox will compete in the shot put while A.J. Vanover will compete in the discus.

Herrion will compete in the girls 100 meters. Teah Atkinson will compete in the triple jump.

"If we just continue doing what we've been doing, we should have a chance to move a pretty good group to the state meet," said Dement. "We've had a great week of practice and the kids have prepared well. The kids have put themselves in a position to move on. We've had a good spring and it's a hard-working bunch. We'll just go up there and give our best."

Locally, NMCC's Antiwaan Smoot will compete in the boys 100 and 200 meter dashes. NMCC's J'Kara Collins will compete in the girls 100 meter dash. Teammate Terra Tucker will run in the 100 meter hurdles.

Dexter's Sammy Waldner qualified in the girls 300 hurdles and will compete in that event.

Dexter will have three girls relay teams competing 4 x 800, 4 x 400 and 4 x 100.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.