This weekend's Class 3 and 4 Missouri State Track and Field Championships will feature a number of great feats by athletes, close-fought team competition and, yes, some big surprises.
Here are just a few of the fascinating questions and story lines that will hold the attention of track athletes, coaches and fans in Jefferson City on Friday and Saturday.
1. Can Hazelwood East win the Class 4 State title, led by its top-ranked relays teams (4x200, 4x400 and 4x800)? With Michael Hester, Tarrell Downing, Banjo Jaiyesimi and others, Hazelwood East has a solid shot at the crown.
But don't forget about Lee's Summit West, which has some speed (Hartzell Gray and Zach Gray), some muscle (Brooks Mosier in the discus and shot) and a top pole vaulter (Drew Phoebus).
St. Louis University High's balanced squad also will be in the battle, led by sprinter Ronnie Wingo and distance runners Austin Cookson and Caleb Ford.
2. Can Emily Sisson of Parkway Central be part of one, two or even three record-breaking runs this weekend in Class 4?
The junior's best 1600 time this season is two seconds off the state record and her best 3200 time is just five seconds off record pace. Plus, aided by Sisson's talented teammate Diane Robison, Parkway Central is among a group of possibly four teams that will be trying to erase the girls 4x800 record in Friday morning's first event. What a great start to the weekend that would be.
Besides Sisson and Robison, the girls side features a number of other accomplished distance runners, including Megan Yohe of Liberty (less than a second behind Sisson in the KU Relays 3200 race), Krista Menghini of St. Joseph's Academy, and Liga Blyholder and Chelsea Phoebus of Lee's Summit West, the 2008 State cross country champion.
3. Who's the best Class 4 sprinter this year, following in the footsteps of multi-year champ Maurice Mitchell of Raytown South?
Damonte Bell of McCluer North and Wingo of SLUH come in with the two fastest times in the 100 and 200, in that order. But a slip here and there could open the way to state titles for several other athletes in what appears to be extra-close competition for the top few spots on the podium after the sprint events.
4. Who will be among the toughest to beat in the boys competition this weekend?
A few candidates:
In Class 4, Sam Jones of Ozark has posted explosive times this year in the 800, and his best of 1:53.33 is more than three seconds faster than the next-fastest qualifier.
James White of Grandview has high-jumped 7-foot-5 and 3/4 inches, almost a half-foot higher than the nearest competitor. Plus, his best jump is higher than the current state record of 7-foot-3.
In the relays, Hazelwood East's 4x400 of 3:14.93 this year would rank as the third fastest in State history, and it's more than three seconds ahead of second-ranked Hazelwood Central.
In Class 3, Cal Lane of Sikeston is more than a foot-and-a-half ahead of the nearest competitor in the long jump, and almost two feet in the triple jump.
And Boonville's Corey Jones has the top shot put and discus throws of the year, both right around State record lengths. Can he top his All-Class record from last year of 66'3.75" in the shot?
5. Can Nick Happe of Francis Howell North, Matt Estlund of Chaminade College Prep or someone else take down one of the more hallowed State distance records, Matt Tegenkamp's 8:57.23 in the Class 4 3200?
Happe (9:02.03) and Estlund (9:06.30) pushed each other to great times at a meet in April. Plus, don't rule out a surprise from other capable competitors such as Danny Thater of Kickapoo, Austin Cookson of SLUH and Connor Callahan of DeSmet. Stephen Saylor of Raytown South, the top returner in the 3200 from 2008, has rounded into shape lately, too.
The 1600 could feature some super-quick times, especially with eight runners within eight seconds of each other going into the meet, led by Cookson's 4:16.13.
6. In the Class 4 girls race, it appears to be at least a three-team battle among Ladue Horton Watkins, Parkway Central and Rockwood Summit.
Ladue has not one, not two, not three but four of the top seven times in the open 400, and not surprisingly has posted a 4x400 time (3:50.42) that would be the second fastest in State history. Ladue is led by Montenae Roye in the 100, Lynette Atkinson in the 200 and by both of those girls in the 400, plus teammates Samantha Levin and Lauren Atkinson.
Parkway Central is strong in the distances with Sisson and Robison, while Rockwood Summit should score plenty of points in the long jump and 300 meter hurdles with Jamese Williams, the 100 and 200 with Crystal Harris, and the pole vault with Bethany Buell.
7. In Class 3, how will the Potosi seniors -- Nick Niggemann and Jacob Swearingen (the State cross country champ in 2008) -- end their years?
The deep distance field could produce some of the best 3200 times in Class 3 history -- heck, in the state's history. Niggemann has the fastest Class 3 time of the year at 9:21, but Max Storms of O'Hara, Swearingen, Maksim Korolev of Harrisonville and Wynn McClellan of Notre Dame are within 10 seconds of that time.
In the 1600, Swearingen and Niggemann are just 5th and 6th ranked going into State, showing how tight this race could be. The leading time so far is by Alex Zisser of Lutheran South at 4:17.12.
8. How many girls could win at least two Class 3 State titles?
Among the contenders are Cara Forte of Center and Lauren Hollingsworth of Villa Duchesne, who are the top two-ranked 100/200 sprinters by a good margin.
Kianna Ruff of McCluer South-Berkeley enters with the top 400 and 800 times, while Alyssa Allison of Festus has solid times in the 1600 and 3200 (in the latter event, her best time this year would rank as a State record).
Tiffani McReynolds of Pembroke Hill is fastest in both hurdle events coming into State.
9. Finally, who will take home the Class 3 State crowns in 2009?
McCluer has a great shot on the girls side, with its top-ranked relays in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400, plus Ruff, leading the way. But it appears to be much closer on the boys side, where six to eight teams all have a chance, depending on how well their best athletes do on Friday and Saturday.
So all eyes will be on Roland Denson of Ruskin, Swearingen and Niggemann of Potosi, Lane of Sikeston, Richard York of St. Clair and many, many other athletes this weekend.
And for good reasons: These athletes and hundreds of others have practiced long and hard for their moments in the sun this weekend. Good luck to all of them.