The Jefferson City Jays and Lady Jays track and field teams are hoping to put their best performances on display this weekend.
The Jays are sending eight athletes to compete in six events, while the Lady Jays will have 14 athletes competing in 10 events at the MSHSAA Class 4 Track and Field championships at Dwight T. Reed Stadium at Lincoln University.
The competition will get underway at 11 a.m. today and will conclude Saturday evening.
"We just want to over-perform our seeds," Jefferson City coach Dan Ridgeway said. "We've got some that are seeded really high and some that are seeded really low."
Kezia Martin is expected to lead the way for the Lady Jays, who finished 27th at state last year with 10 points. The Jefferson City senior is the No. 2 seed in the triple jump and long jump after winning both events at a Class 4 sectional meet last weekend.
Martin took second at state in the long jump last year with a mark of 17-61/2 and was 13th in the triple jump at 35-81/2, despite entering as the top seed in the event at 40-8.
The three-time all-stater outperformed her state distances in both events at sectionals this year, going 17-10 in the long jump and 38-41/2 in the triple jump.
"She's one of the best jumpers in the state," Ridgeway said. "Really it just comes down to her being consistent. Long jump and triple jump, it just takes one jump to win it. The key is just getting that one good jump in the first three."
Mervyn John is the No. 5 seed in the 300-meter hurdles to lead the Jays, who finished 14th at last year's competition with 15 points. John won last week's sectional meet in 39.40 and finished 13th in the preliminaries at last year's state competition.
The Jefferson City senior will also participate in the 110-meter hurdles as the No. 11 seed (15.10) and the triple jump as the No. 10 seed (43-101/2).
Haley Watson, who finished seventh in the 300-meter hurdles in 46.26 at state last year, enters the same event as the No. 7 seed. The Jefferson City sophomore took second at last weekend's sectional meet in 45.63.
The Jays and Lady Jays will both have two athletes competing in the shot put. Alexis Roberson is the No. 8 seed (37-2) and Ellanie Jamison is No. 10 (37-0.25) on the girls side, while Rajae Scott is tied for 10th (51-9) and Zane Coleman is ranked 14th (51-3) on the boys side.
Emma Elwood and Andrea Hughes are also in the mix to score points as individuals for the Lady Jays. Ellwood is the No. 10 seed in the pole vault (10-6), while Hughes is 13th in the discus (110-5).
The Lady Jays are ranked 13th in the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays. They are 14th in the 4x800- and 4x200-meter relays.
Austin Chiagrom enters the 110-meter hurdles as the No. 10 seed (15.08), while Lucas Theroff is ranked 15th in the 800-meter run (1:59.38) for the Jays.
The Jefferson City boys 4x800-meter relay team will also compete as the No. 16 seed (8:11.77).
Ridgeway said both teams are in the position to accomplish what they are setting out to do.
"We're peaking at the right time," he said. "We've got the advantage being at home and we're well-rested. Like everybody else at the state track meet, we want to perform as high as we can."