2007 MISSOURI STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
Say what you will about the Missouri State Track and Field Championship qualifying system but in the end the very top athletes who have been fortunate enough to stay healthy through the grind of the season are heading to Jefferson City for the best two days of track and field action our State has to offer. For this year's preview rather than take you through a race-by-race preview we decided to come up with the top ten things to look out for at this year's meet. It was actually tough to narrow it down to only ten and there are many other great storylines but these ten are sure to produce some excitement in the stands at Lincoln University. Enjoy!
#10) THE CLASS 4 BOYS 3200- HOW WILL QUIGLEY'S ABSENCE AFFECT THE RACE?
.......Simple math tells you that the longer the race, the more strategy goes into it. The Class 4 boys 3200 will have plenty of strategy especially with mid-season favorite Dan Quigley of CBC out due to an injury. Fort Zumwalt South senior Kyle Rood would probably be next in line for favorite status but the 3200 will be his fourth event of the weekend and he figures to have tired legs. Look for Parkway West junior Eric Fernandez and Columbia Hickman junior Sam Masters to push the pace to try and get away from Rood early and take the sting out of his legs. No matter how tired he is, Rood will still be the likely winner if it comes down to a kick.
#9) KELLI OETTLE GOES FOR ALL STATE IN 4 EVENTS IN CLASS 4
......Lindbergh senior Kelli Oettle looks poised to go out on a great note after winning four events at Sectional One. If things go according to form Oettle should easily come away with four medals and possibly as many as three wins. Her Lindbergh 4 x 800 relay squad are one of the favorites in that event although the Kansas City schools all look very capable as well. She will then have a very tough test on day two in the 1600 and 800 from defending State 800 champ Lauren Borduin of Columbia Rock Bridge. Those two should battle for the front in both races and each should be a classic. Oettle also anchors Lindbergh's 4 x 400 team so her career will most likely end with one very fast last tour of the oval on Saturday afternoon.
#8) ALYSSA ALLISON GOES FOR DISTANCE TRIPLE IN CLASS 3
......You'll see a trend forming in this top ten list but there are some outstanding athletes going for rarely-accomplished feats this year. Allison, a Festus sophomore, was a triple Sectional winner in the 800, 1600 and 3200 and won them all in times capable of winning the State Meet this weekend. Now she just has to repeat that effort and she'll have the advantage of a two-day schedule to do it. If she pulls it off, she will likely be the most-decorated female distance runner at the Meet regardless of Class.
#7) ALEXIS BATES- FRESHMAN SENSATION FROM ST. JOE CENTRAL
......We knew coming in to the year that the female sprinter we would be talking most about at the State Meet would be McCluer South-Berkely's Alishea Usery. Don't be surprised though, if you leave the meet asking if St. Joe Central's Alexis Bates is the next Usery. Bates ran an 11.86 100 meter at Sectionals, thus making her the favorite for the Class 4 girls Championship in that event, and a serious threat to best Usery as the fastest straightaway runner of the weekend.
#6) THE CLASS 4 BOYS TEAM BATTLE
......Last year the Class 4 Boys team competition came down to the 4 x 400 relay and St. Louis University High School ended up at the top of a trio of teams over 70 points. From the looks of things, no one team is strong enough to score 70 this year but several have a chance to score 50 or 60 and win. The favorite is probably Lee's Summit North, a squad that will spread points out over many different events. They are very strong in the Hurdles, Pole Vault and the Throws and will likely score in three different relays as well. Fort Zumwalt South, with two outstanding individuals in Andre Thomas (sprints) and Kyle Rood (distance) could go well over 50 points but they have little room for error. Raytown South will rely heavily on sprinter Maurice Mitchell to score the majority of their points but he just may score 30 if things go well. Keep on eye on these schools all weekend long. It will be a close one.
#5) MAURICE MITCHELL- CAN HE WIN ALL THREE INDIVIDUAL SPRINTS?
......If you stop to get some of that famous barbecue they sell outside of the Stadium and you come back in only to see a red blur flying around the track it just might be Raytown South junior Maurice Mitchell. Mitchell stepped into the spotlight a year ago with second place finishes in the 100 and 200 meter dashes and outstanding relay legs on his school's 800 and 1600 meter relays. This year Mitchell will try and win the 100, 200 and 400 meter individual titles and may challenge the State records in the two short dashes.
#4) THE JOSHES- WHAT WILL THEY DO THIS TIME?
......Without question, Potosi seniors Josh Mathis and Josh Thebeau are two of the most decorated Missouri male distance runners of all time. At last Fall's State Cross Country Meet the pair went one-two and led their school to a meet-low 16 points. Last year, due mostly to the points scored by "the Joshes", the Trojans won the Class 3 Boys Team title and it is hard to imagine anyone getting in their way this time around. In fact, it is possible that Thebeau and Mathis could go one-two in all three individual distance events thus scoring an almost unimaginable 54 points by themselves!
#3) ALISHEA USERY- WILL SHE DO IT AGAIN?
......McCluer South-Berkely's Alishea Usery is only a junior and yet her list of accomplishments already ranks her as one of Missouri's best ever track and field athletes. If she wins the 100, 200 and 400 for the third consecutive year she will be on pace to win 12 individual titles overall which would tie the State Record. She also already owns the top 200 and 400 times ever run at the Missouri State Meet and could very well add the 100 to that list this weekend. If you are at the Meet make sure you watch her run. You won't be disappointed.
#2) CAN ANDRE' MCDONALD WIN 4 EVENTS?
......First of all yes he can. He has high jumped seven feet on two different occasions this year already. He has triple jumped over 47 feet, long jumped well over 23 feet and has blazed the 110 hurdles in under 14 seconds. All of those marks can win State. The question is can he run and jump that well all in one weekend. Again, the answer is probably yes. He is a seasoned athlete with a lot of National experience and has had this Meet marked on his calendar since last year when an injury didn't allow him to compete at full strength. His toughest competition will likely come in the triple jump in the form of Raytown South sophomore Derek Blevins. Blevins defeated McDonald at last week's Sectional by a mere quarter of an inch. Should McDonald win all four events he will join a very elite list of athletes including 1984 quadruple winner Alvin Miller of Kirkwood, who single-handedly won his school a State title.
#1) CAN KYLE ROOD PULL OFF THE QUAD?
......Fort Zumwalt South is one of the teams vying for a podium spot in the Class 4 Boys Team Battle. In order for them to garner the top spot they will need as many points as they can get from their ace distance man, Kyle Rood. Rood, the 2006 State Cross Country Champion, will be going for an unprecedented four victories in the distance races. In recent times there have been some, including eventual Olympian Jason Pyrah have pulled off the distance triple by winning the 1600, 800 and 3200 but Rood will have to do that plus anchor his team to victory in the 4 x 800 meter relay on Saturday afternoon to pull off the quad. The schedule at the State Meet does allow for such a feat because the events are split into two days. For the boys, the 1600 and 800 are on day one which means Rood's favorite event, the 1600, will be his first challenge. He'll face stiff competition from fast closers Darwin Price of Normandy and Sectional 2 Champion Jared Green of Gateway Tech. Two hours later that same trio will be going at it over two laps for the 800 Title. Rood has the best PR's in the field in both races but it would appear that his tougher test would be in the 800 where almost anything can happen. Should he get through day one unscathed he and his FZS teammates will then line up against come outstanding teams in the 4 x 800 relay at noon on Saturday. All told, nine teams ran 8:00 or better at Sectionals including Lafayette's 7:52 from Sectional 2. Rood will almost certainly need a split of 1:53 or better to give FZS the victory. Okay, now let's say he does just that, which is certainly possible, and he comes into the 3200 with three wins in hand. He'll then have his hands full with a 3200 field that includes Parkway West's Eric Fernandez and Columbia Hickman's Sam Masters, both of whom have outstanding PR's and will be fresh not having run any other races. Throw in Sluh's Matt Lawder, who was fifth at last Fall's State Cross Country Meet, and you have a group that could really push the pace to combat Rood's tired legs. Still, should he be able to keep it close, he easily has the best foot-speed in the field and would be the odds-on favorite if it's tight with a lap to go.
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