STRONG FIELD GATHERS FOR CENTRAL RELAYS

Cape Central High School will be hosting the 30th Annual running of the Central Relays starting today at 10:30 a.m., at the Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

Admission is free and refreshments and T-shirts will be sold throughout the event. No preliminary events will be run.

Central boys' coach Jerry Dement will lead the Tigers against 10 other schools from three different states. The Tigers will race against local schools Perryville, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Jackson, New Madrid, North County and Hillsboro along with Vianney of St. Louis, Murphysboro, Ill., and Dyersburg, Tenn.

Coach Paula Watkins' Lady Tigers will compete against eight other schools, including Perryville, Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Jackson, Hillsboro, Murphysboro, Dyersburg and Paducah Tilghman out of Kentucky.

Watkins is looking forward to the competition her team will face in the likes of Tilghman and Murphysboro.

"Paducah Tilghman should provide some good competition in the sprint relays," said Watkins. "Our relay teams haven't really been challenged much this year but I'm expecting some competitive races."

Although the competition should be stronger, Watkins is still expecting the Lady Tigers to remain strong in the field events led by Laura Lukens, Elizabeth Kunz and Nichole Thiele.

Dement is expecting tough competition from several of the teams on the boys side. Dement said Murphysboro and North County have quality programs along with conference teams Jackson, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff.

"If we have a good day, our sprint and distance relay teams should still place well," Dement said. "Our jumpers, especially Will Harris and Brian Hodges, should have good days."

Besides the local talent on display, both Dement and Watkins were looking forward to seeing the girls 110-meter hurdles matchup between Poplar Bluff's Tanisha Brittian and a hurdler from Tilghman.

Said Dement, "Those two girls are two of the top hurdlers not only in the area, but in the Midwest."