Mt. Pleasant, WACO host qualifying meets

Track and field athletes across the state will compete in sectional and district meets at 4 p.m. today, looking for a berth at the state meet in Des Moines on May 17-19.

Mt. Pleasant and WACO will host their respective qualfiying meets.

The Panthers will see a lot of familiar competition, as the other four Southeast Conference teams ? Fairfield, Ft. Madison, Keokuk and Washington ? will each make the trip to Mt. Pleasant this afternoon. Centerville, Oskaloosa and Williamsburg will also participate in the competition.

There will be 15 teams at WACO?s 1A qualifier, including the host team, Winfield-Mt. Union and New London.

In Class 1A, the top two finishers from each event at the qualfifer earn a state berth, as well as the 12 next-best times or distances across the state. In Class 3A, it?s the top two finishers, and the eight next-best times or distances.

The track and field teams aren?t the only ones gearing up for postseason competition. Other teams also begin sectional or district play in the next few days:

? Boys? tennis: The Mt. Pleasant boys? tennis team began district play this morning, at 9 a.m. in Fairfield. Two individuals and two doubles teams from each school may participate in the competition; the first- and second-place winners from singles and doubles competition advance to the state tournament in Cedar Rapids on May 25-26.

? Boys? golf: On Friday at 10 a.m., Mt. Pleasant will play in the eight-team, Class 3A sectional tournament at Washington, and New London will host WACO and Winfield, along with six other 1A teams at Deerwood Golf Club. The top two teams ? or three, if the host team is included in the top two ? and the top four individuals advance to the district tournament on May 18.

? Girls? tennis: The Mt. Pleasant girls? tennis team will play in Fairfield against the Trojans, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The girls? team tournament is in bracket format; the winner moves on. The singles and doubles regional tournament will begin on May 17.

? Girls? golf: On Monday at 10 a.m., Mt. Pleasant will host seven other teams at the Class 3A sectional tournament, while New London, WACO and W-MU travel to North English for a tournament at 9:30 a.m. the same day. The top two teams qualify for the district tournament, as well as the top five individuals.