Nevada relay advances

Afton Baldwin and the NHS 4x100 meter relay team were in the finals with their run Friday. Photo courtesy Cody Thorn/Neosho Daily News.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Nevada's girls' 4x100 meter relay team moved on to the finals at the Missouri Class 3 state championships Friday.

The team of Katelyn Brier, Afton Baldwin, Taylor Means and Brittany Pettibon turned in a time of 50.93 seconds, finishing third in their heat and sixth overall. The top eight advanced to the finals.

The Lady Tigers were simply hoping to place Saturday, with a season-best time of 50.73 (a school record), Nevada is well short of the pace set by the top three schools in the preliminaries Friday. University City is the top qualifier with a state record time of 48.11, that they set in Nevada's heat Friday.

Center and Festus also turned in times under 50 seconds in the prelims.

Nevada finished one spot short of qualifying for the finals in the 4x200 relay. The squad of Mariah Mock, Baldwin, Means and Pettibon placed ninth in the prelims with a time of 1:47.86. The top seed in the finals is again University City with a time of 1:43.52.

Also running Friday was Pettibon in the 100 meters. Pettibon placed 13th with a time of 13.35 to fall short of the finals. A time of 12.87 was necessary to move out of the prelims Friday.

Tyler Werner (pole vault) and Jacob Cherry (triple jump) didn't compete until Saturday.