Prep Sports Notebook: 90+Degree Heat Greets Athletes at Fall Pre-Season Tryouts, Outdoors

By Jim Wieners

High Schools opened tryouts and practices Aug. 9 for the fall athletic teams, especially for those who work out outdoors, but had to deal with over 90-degree temperatures and over 100-degree heat indices due to excess humidity.

As of Aug. 9 an excessive heat warning has been issued for the area by the National Weather Service and was to expire on Aug. 12 the day The Independent News hard copy hits the streets and newsstands. But that warning could be extended as temperatures are expected to hit over 90 degrees to at least Aug. 14, maybe beyond.

For up to date weather information check with area television radio and television stations news and weather casts or go online to a internet weather source or go to a weather radio. It has been hot for an undetermined time this summer especially at least the last two or three weeks.. The Missouri State High School Activities Association could advise schools directly or online at www.mshsaa.org  to advise or issue heat precautions.

Indoors schools that do not have air conditioning will likely advise athletes of what to do in extreme heat. Girls Golf, Girls Tennis and Softball open Aug. 23, Football, Boys Soccer, Boys Swimming, Cross Country, Girls Volleyball and Girls Field Hockey open Aug. 27.

HAZELWOOD WEST HAS MORE STUDENTS THAN HAZELWOOD CENTRAL — Until 2008-09 Hazelwood Central usually has the most students of any public high school in the St. Louis, Mo., area, sometimes the most in Missouri. But, as of the 2009-10 school year the enrollment figures published by the MSHSAA have Hazelwood West as having the most public high school  students-2,391 according to the MSHSAA. Hazelwood West is third in Missouri public high school enrollment behind Columbia-Hickman (2,683) and Jefferson City (2,565) and sixth overall as three all-boys Catholic-Jesuit high schools — DeSmet, Kansas City-Rockhurst and St. Louis University High have higher enrollment figures-(doubled enrollment plus a 1.35 private-school multiplier) than Hickman

Hazelwood Central has 2,236 students according to MSHSAA ranking them 10, the seventh largest public high school in Missouri and third largest in St. Louis schools in state behind West and Rockwood-Marquette. West, Central and Ritenour (2,013) were the only schools in the Suburban North Conference that have over 2,000 students. Hazelwood East, on the other hand 1,548 students last year, second smallest in the Suburban North Conference ahead of McCluer (1,482) while McCluer (1,880), Pattonville (1,792) and Riverview Gardens (1,723) have less than 2,000 students but more than East.

TRINITY CATHOLIC MOVE UP IN SOCCER, BASKETBALL CLASSIFICATION — Trinity Catholic had an enrollment unofficially of 428 but MSHSAA adjusted the co-ed Catholic school enrollment to 577. This upcoming school year will have Trinity move from Class One to Class Two in Boys, and likely Girls, Soccer, Basketball will move from Class Three To Class Four and Wrestling could move up from Class One to, possibly, Class Two.

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