ROUNDUP: Garner's four goals lead Poplar Bluff

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

KENNETT -- Chelsea Garner had a hat trick before halftime Tuesday -- no fooling.

The Poplar Bluff senior scored four times in an 8-1 win at Kennett.

"We had problems with her all day," Kennett coach Rick Bell told the Daily Dunklin Democrat. "We couldn't correct it and she took advantage of it."

In other Poplar Bluff events, Sikeston won a track dual, Cape Central beat the tennis team while golf tied host Malden.

At Kennett, Jenni Hubbard added two second half goals for the Lady Mules (2-1) while freshmen Ciera Baker and Allie Thomas added a goal each. Baker also had an assist along with Allie Pattillo.

Jerica Wawak gave up a goal off a corner in the first half and made two saves in the first half while Meagan Stucker made one save for a scoreless second half in goal for the Lady Mules.

Poplar Bluff led 5-1 at halftime.

"They had a lot of speed," Bell said. "They also handled the ball very well -- much better than we did. Their fundamentals were very sound."

Kennett (1-5) tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Georgia Hrissikos before Garner and the Lady Mules answered.

Garner scored Poplar Bluff's first goal of the season but seven different Lady Mules have scored through the first three games during which Poplar Bluff has outscored opponents 13-6.

There was no junior varsity game.

The Lady Mules face defending district champion Jackson at 5:45 p.m. Thursday in the Notre Dame Soccerfest.

BOYS TRACK

At Sikeston, the Mules swept the throwing events, Austin Williams won both hurdle races and Travis Blalock won twice but the Mules came up short against the host 79-63.

Philip Klaproth won the shot with a throw of 46-feet, 4-inches while Bill Turner's throw of 116-0 won the discus. Kenyon Francis cleared 11-0 to win the pole vault while Williams won the 110- and 300-meter hurdle races.

Blalock won the 800 in 2 minutes, 18 seconds and took the 1600 in 4:54.

GIRLS TRACK

Hanna Blalock won twice while Shantae Franklin, Rebecca Piland and Julia Huck also finished first for the Lady Mules, who lost to host Sikeston 79-57.

Blalock, who broke the 3200-meter record in her first race as a freshman, won the 1600 in 5:38 and took the 800 in 2:45. Huck won the 3200 in 13:26.

Franklin won the 200 in 27.25 seconds while Piland cleared 4-6 in the high jump.

TENNIS

At Cape Central, the Mules were swept Wednesday, 9-0, in a rescheduled match from Monday.

Chris Drury won a set in his No. 3 singles match before losing to Will LaFoe, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0. Drury and doubles partner Kelsey Brown also fell short 10-7. Brown lost his singles match 6-0, 6-0.

The Mules forfeited the topseeded singles match after Malay Bhatt and Davis Wilson lost in doubles play 10-4. Wilson lost his No. 2 singles match 6-2, 6-0.

Anderson Gilberto lost 6-0, 6-3 while Narneet Hundal lost 6-2, 6-2 in singles play. The two lost their doubles match 10-4.

GOLF

At Malden, the Mules tied the Green Wave at 203 as Jonah Brown and Kyle Brooks tied for second, one stroke back at 49. Tyler Shulse shot a 52 while Ethan Swingle fired a 53.

Alex Riffle (57), J. Darby Smothers (58), Taylor Price (59), Alex Johnson (61) and Logan Kennedy (67) also played for the Mules, who host their invitational Monday at Westwood Hills Country Club.