Tiger Town Invitational 2012

Interview with Arcadia Valley High School junior standout Saga Barzowski at the 2012 Festus Tiger Town Invitational, Tuesday, April 3. Barzowski looks super fit in her first season without a winter filled with organized basketball. Barzowski says she spent the offseason running and swimming. Barzowski had a successful day in Festus with three races. She anchored the Arcadia Valley team to a 5th place finish in the 4x800 in 10:42 before capturing the 1600 and 800 races. Barzowski pulled away from the field in the 1600 to win in 5:18 to edge Farmington's Katherine Sitzes and Cape Notre Dame's Elizabeth Kiblinger. Barzowski returned to the track later to capture the 800 crown, just under 2:20, in 2:19.97 to beat Emily Harris of Farmington and Taylor Dickerson of Jackson. Barzowski will try to defend her Missouri Class 3 800 and 1600 meter titles in May and improve on her personal record of 2:18-800, 5:05-1600, and 11:17-3200, Saga isn't the only Barzowski on the Arcadia Valley squad. Her twin sister Ana also runs and had to practice all basketball season without Saga, probably for the first time ever. The twins lead off and anchor the AVHS 4x800 team.

Interview with Affton High School senior Cheyenne Hoerr at the 2012 Festus Tiger Town Track & Field Invitational, Tuesday, April 3. Hoerr took up track for the first time as a high school freshman and has quickly found success. In 2011 at the Class 3 State track meet, Hoerr earned two 4th place medals in the 400 meters and 4x200. Hoerr entered the meet with the fastest seed time in the 300 hurdles with a 44.70 but struggled to a 14th place finish. Hoerr starred with teammate Hali Ford to guide the Cougars to the 4th place team trophy at the meet for Coach Tim Hill. Hoerr also took up cross country and has two an 88th and 57th place Class 3 State meet finishes on her resume. Tuesday, Hoerr picked up two victories and just missed two more helping the south St. Louis County school earn the meet team title. The Lady Cougars totaled 90.5 points to beat Festus (76.5), McCluer South-Berkeley (66.5), and Hazelwood East (63) among others. Hoerr took up the combined events a few summers ago and plans to compete in college but has yet to decide where. Hoerr placed 10th at the 2011 Great Southwest Track& Field Classic with a score of 4234 points. Hoerr and the Lady Cougars will try to stay healthy and improve on their 4th place team trophy from 2011.

Interview with Festus High School senior Drew White at the 2012 Festus Tiger Town Track & Field Invitational on Tuesday, April 3. White, one of the top runners in Missouri as a junior and senior captured the 2011 Missouri Class 3 Cross Country State title after a runner-up finish in 2010. After a 4:19 1600 meters on Friday of the 2011 Class 3 State Track meet, White helped the Festus Tigers to a 5th place 4x800 finish before capturing the 3200 meters in 9:16 on Saturday. White has signed with The University of Missouri to compete in college for Mizzou coach Joe Lynn. White's parents both ran collegiately at Southeast Missouri State. White is scheduled to travel to California for this weekend's Arcadia Invitational looking for a fast 3200 time.

Interview with Festus senior Breanne Borman at the 2012 Festus Tiger Town Track & Field Invitational, Tuesday, April 3. Breanne is the youngest standout in the Borman family, following University of Oklahoma javelin national champion Brittany, and Park University freshman Danielle. Borman is a multi-event star who teamed up with sister Dani to help the Tigers to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Missouri Class 3 State Track & Field meet. Borman earned runner-up finishes in the high jump and 100 hurdles, and 6th place finishes in the long jump and 300 hurdles. Breanne joined sister Brittany at the 2011 USA Track & Field Championships where she placed 13th in the junior heptathlon, scoring 4646 points.Tuesday, Borman scored 24.5 points for Festus as the host Lady Tigers took runner-up team honors behind Affton. Borman won the long jump with a mark of 17-3 and had a huge comeback third leg of the 4x400 that preceded a furious finish by a Festus freshman who anchored the Tigers from behind in the final 50 meters to earn the victory. Borman also took 3rd in the 100 hurdles in 15.60, and the high jump clearing 5-2. Breanne has signed with Wichita State University where she'll compete in the combined-events for Coach Steve Rainboldt and the Shockers.

Interview with Jackson High School senior Taylor Dickerson at the 2012 Festus Tiger Town Track & Field Invitational, Tuesday, April 3. The Jackson High distance standout just missed All-State honors at the 2011 Class 4 State Track Meet with her 9th place finish in the 1600 in 5:03.13. The southeast Missouri native who is usually clad in her trademark black sunglasses will look to break the five minute barrier for the 1600 this season. Dickerson captured All-State honors as a junior in cross country with her 13th place finish at the 2010 Class 4 State meet. Injury limited her to a 38th place finish as a senior. Taylor celebrated her 18th birthday Tuesday by signing her letter of intent to compete in college at Maryville University in St. Louis, which has moved to NCAA Division II from Division III, before competing at the Tiger Town meet. Dickerson ran a leg of the Jackson 4x800 which placed 6th in 10:47. She later added a 3rd place finish in the 800 in 2:21, before finishing with a leg on the 4x400 where Jackson finished 7th in 4:27 in the rain. Dickerson has had a strong start to her senior season. March 24, Dickerson was runner-up in the 1600 at the Missouri Relays posting a time of 5:18. She followed that at the Perryville meet on March 31, where Dickerson was edged by 1/100th of a second by Saga Barzowski for the 1600 title, 5:08.92 to 5:08.93.Unfortunatley rain delayed the pole vault for a while Tuesday in Festus, keeping the Jackson team from leaving Festus until 10 p.m. for the 75 mile drive to Jackson.