LOCAL 2A TRACK SQUADS HEADED TO STATE MEET

Members of the Kelly High School track team who will be competing in state track competition at Jefferson CIty Friday are, front row from left, Chad Melton, Amy Arteme, Holly Slavings, Jennifer Forck, Tiffany Glastetter and Joe Livingston. Middle row, Jenny Riley, Melissa Melton, Laura Ruff, Megan Nelson, April Cousins and Natalie Robert. Back row, C.O. Scheffer, Daniel Mothershead, Luke Choate, Jobi Berry and Nathan King. Not shown, Pam Essner.

Chaffee High School track runners who will compete at the state track meet in Jefferson City on Friday are, from left, Andy Proffer, Angela Holland and Andy Obermann.

This weekend's Class 2A state high school track and field championships will certainly have a distinct local flavor.

That's because a host of athletes from Kelly, Scott City and Chaffee have qualified for the two-day meet, scheduled for Friday and Saturday on the Lincoln University campus in Jefferson City.

Kelly will have by far the largest local contingent as the school qualified 11 girls and seven boys. Not surprisingly, both Kelly teams came away with district championships last Saturday.

Scott City qualified five boys and two girls while Chaffee will have two boys and one girl competing.

Athletes had to finish either first or second in district to qualify for the state meet.

Kelly coach Bill Davis was elated to see his team's win district titles, but he realizes finishing high in the team standings at the state meet will be a much bigger chore.

Still, Davis is hopeful that several of his athletes will be able to place near the top at the state meet.

"We had a great day at the district meet," said Davis. "Of course state is so much tougher. But I think we've got some boys and girls that will be able to do well."

All four of Kelly's girls relay teams qualified, with three of them winning district titles.

Winning relays for the Lady Hawks were the 4x800 (Amy Arteme, Laura Ruff, April Cousins, Jenny Riley), the 4x200 (Holly Slavings, Pam Essner, Ruff, Natalie Robert) and the 4x100 (Essner, Tiffany Glastetter, Ruff, Robert). Second was the 4x400 (Riley, Megan Nelson, Melissa Melton, Slavings).

Also placing first for the Lady Hawks at district were Jenny Forck (110 hurdles), Riley (1,600) and Robert (200) while finishing second were Robert (100), Essner (200) and Arteme (3,200).

For Kelly's boys, winning events were the 4x400 relay team of Joe Livingston, Daniel Mothershead, C.O. Scheffer, Nathen King, along with Chad Melton (110 hurdles), Livingston (400) and King (800).

Second for the Hawks were the 4x800 relay of Joby Berry, Lucas Choate, Scheffer and King, along with Choate (1,600 and 3,200), Mothershead (400) and Melton (300 hurdles).

"We've got a real good group going," Davis said. "Hopefully they'll all perform well."

Scott City's boys had two district championship relay teams, the 4x100 and 4x200. Both groups are comprised of Howie Stubenrauch, Brandon Amick, Travis Burger and Matt Underwood.

Underwood, who anchors both relays, also won both the 100 and 200 at districts while Dale Burger was second in the pole vault.

For Scott City's girls, Amy O'Brien qualified for state in three events, winning the district high jump while taking second in the long jump and triple jump. Becca Gowin was second in the 800.

Chaffee's boys got a district championship from Andy Proffer in the high jump while Andy Obermann was second in the shot put.

On the girls side for Chaffee, Angela Holland qualified in two events as she was second in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.