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Read MoreHazelwood East on Track Mission After Winning Class 4, District 3 Boys Title
FIRST BATON EXCHANGE IN THE BOYS 4X400 RELAY Hazelwood Central teammates (left) are about to make the exchange while Hazelwood East (right) completed theirs in route to winning the Class Four, District Three event last Saturday at McCluer North. East won the team title.
JIM WIENERS PHOTO
By Jim Wieners
Hazelwood East Boys Track & Field is on a mission this season in the Missouri State High School Activities Association championship meet May 29-30 at Dwight T. Reed Stadium on the Lincoln University campus in Jefferson City.
A year ago Hazelwood East was second to Raytown South in the Class Four state meet. Last November Hazelwood East and Raytown South collided on the football field for the Class Five title at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, and East scored the game-winning touchdown on the final play of the game, televised on FS Midwest.
Last Saturday at McCluer North East began a mission toward winning Class Four state after taking first in District Three. East scored 140 points and was 20 better than second-place St. Louis University High and was 34 better than third-place McCluer North.
“That’s been our goal from the beginning,” said East head coach Daryl Levy after last Saturday‘s district meet, “to win state.” The Spartans will compete in 13 events, including all four relay events this Saturday in the Class Four Sectional Two meet at Parkway North. “Now our goal at Sectionals, get every one qualified for state,” said Levy, and the Spartans need to finish in the top four in each event this Saturday.
East won three of the four relay events last Saturday (4×100 meters, 4×200 meters and 4×400 meters). Three East athletes — junior Laron Cook (Long Jump), sophomore Michael Hester (400-Meter Dash) and junior Walter Powell (300-Meter Intermediate Hurdles) — won district titles.
McCLUER NORTH will compete this Saturday in 11 Sectional Two events. Last Saturday at home the Stars got district titles from freshman Deandre Campbell (Discus, Shot Put), junior Anthony Kirkwood-Addison (110-Meter High Hurdles) and senior Kameron Ford.
Also this Saturday at Parkway North McCLUER (fourth in Class Four, District Three) and HAZELWOOD CENTRAL (sixth in Class Four, District Three) will each compete in six sectional events, HAZELWOOD WEST will compete in only two and RIVERVIEW GARDENS will just compete in the 4×100 Relay. Last Saturday at North Hazelwood West junior Anthony Godwin (Pole Vault) and McCluer junior Jeremy Lampley (Triple Jump) were Class Four, District Three winners.
CLASS THREE — This Saturday at Mary Institute/Country Day School LUTHERAN NORTH will compete in nine Sectional Two events, McCLUER SOUTH-BERKELEY will compete in eight while NORTH COUNTY TECH and TRINITY CATHOLIC will compete in four each. Last Saturday in District Three, also at MICDS, MS-Berkeley scored 89 points but finished in second place, four points behind University City. Lutheran North was eighth, North Tech was 10th and Trinity was 11th.
MS-Berkeley won three relay events (4×100 Meters, 4×200 Meters and 4×400 Meters) while senior Kevin Cates won the 300-Meter Intermediate Hurdles. North County Tech junior Marquis White won the 100-Meter Dash and the 200-Meter Dash.