Three years after flood, local track under water again

A new name and new ownership couldn't keep floodwater from once again overcoming a local racetrack this week.

Along with the playing fields, golf courses and sports venues under water this week, two popular racetracks in the 23-county region are under several feet of water. One of them - Black River Racepark near Poplar Bluff - just reopened three weeks ago after it was devastated by floods in 2008.

It's the second time the track (top photo) has been overcome by floods since it was built in 2004. Operating under its original owners as Poplar Bluff Speedway in 2008, the track was devastated by floods that left it closed for three years.



Parts of Malden Speedway (second photo) also are under several feet of water, most of it in the infield of the oval track. Parking and pit areas also are soaked with standing water.

Both tracks already have called off events for this weekend.

At Doe Run Raceway in St. Francis County, the track has cancelled its preseason practice day set for Friday because of damage it received from this week's storms. Its opening night has been moved to May 6.

Owners of Thunder City Speedway near in Ripley County are optimistic for weekend racing April 30. Roads leading to the track were under almost 6 feet of water Wednesday but are expected to be passable by the weekend.

An emotional weekend on the track for a Sikeston racer

On a busy weekend for Southeast Missouri racetracks, the biggest win of all happened out of state.

Austin Rettig of Sikeston won his first career event on the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series, seven years to the day after the death of his older brother Nathan.

Austin, 16, won the event at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., late Saturday. A day earlier, his dad — a longtime racer himself — made the right call.

"Dad told me yesterday that I was going to win on Saturday night, but to actually do it just means so much," Austin said. "I just know that Nathan was just there with me the whole way."

Nathan, the first to follow his father Allan's path as a late model competitor across the region, was killed April 9, 2004, from injuries he suffered in an ATV accident near his Sikeston home. He was 13.

On Saturday, Austin raced side-by-side with another of dirt racing's rising stars, Arkansas' Billy Moyer Jr. Austin's lead at the finish was 0.04 seconds.

"This one is definitely for Nathan," Austin said in victory lane.


• AROUND THE REGION: Short-track racing continued at St. Francois County Raceway near Farmington and at Malden Speedway, and the weekly schedules began for Thunder City Speedway near Doniphan and Black River Racepark near Poplar Bluff.

Click here to follow results this season and from previous seasons.

New York Times puts spotlight on star SEMO pitcher

The New York Times detailed the amazing rise of Southeast pitcher Jordan Underwood in its weekend edition.

Underwood, who pitches at Southeast, lost his left eye after he was hit in the face by a line drive two years ago in Oklahoma, but he's emerged as one of the Redhawks' top pitchers. From the story:

"Three weeks after a line drive crashed into his face and destroyed his left eye, Jordan Underwood sat at Logan’s Roadhouse in Oklahoma City and decided his tea needed some sweetener. He opened a packet, extended his arm to the glass and proceeded to pour sugar all over the table.

"Losing an eye — and with it conventional depth perception — might seem devastating to an athlete, like a pianist developing Parkinson’s disease. But less than two years after being fitted with an acrylic left eye, Underwood has emerged as the ace pitcher at Southeast Missouri State, a Division I program."

It's a truly remarkable story. Click the link to read it in its entirety.

Southeast hosts Saint Louis at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Southeast fires its women's basketball coach

John Ishee's fifth season will be his last as Southeast women's basketball coach. The school said in a brief statement Tuesday afternoon that Ishee's contract will not be renewed when it expires in April.

Ishee was Southeast's coach for five seasons, and although his overall record was 77-74, recent campaigns have been disappointing. Southeast just completed an 8-21 season that included a 4-14 record in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Southeast won OVC championships in 2007 and '08 under Ishee, and he was picked as the OVC's coach of the year in 2007. That season's team reached the NCAA Tournament, and the Redhawks were picked for the WNIT Tournament in 2008.

Marcus Payne was picked Tuesday as acting head coach, and the school said a national search will begin immediately.

Hayti looking for a football coach after David Gilmore resigns

The coach that took Hayti to six playoff appearances in his seven years on the job is leaving.

David Gilmore will take an administrative position at Kennett for the next school year, leaving a position at Hayti in which playoff appearances became the standard. In seven seasons as head coach, Gilmore's teams twice went 10-0 during the regular season, reached the state championship once (a 35-22 loss to Adrian in 2002) and twice reached the quarterfinal round.

Hayti's 2010 team was 7-4 and lost to eventual state champion Valle Catholic in the regional.

Hayti has not announced its new coach.

Kennett, Oak Ridge return to state rankings

Kennett and Oak Ridge are back in the state polls after both made brief appearances there earlier in the season.

The new state rankings Wednesday from state newspaper and radio stations included 14 Southeast Missouri teams, one more than a week earlier. Kennett and Oak Ridge joined the list, while Zalma dropped out.

Among boys teams in Class 1, Scott County Central remained No. 1, Summersville held at No. 6, Leopold held at No. 8, and Oak Ridge debuted at No. 10.

In Class 2, Bernie remained No. 5.

In Class 3, Charleston is still No. 8, and Kennett joined the list at No. 10.

In Class 4, Sikeston remained No. 1.

In girls rankings, Couch remained No. 3 in Class 2, followed by No. 4 Meadow Heights (down from No. 3 last week), No. 9 St. Vincent (up one spot), and No. 10 Neelyville (down one spot).

In Class 3, Kennett held at No. 9.

In Class 4, Farmington remained No. 9.

Three SEMO teams debut, four drop out in new state polls

Leopold, Zalma and St. Vincent joined the rankings in the latest state newspaper rankings released Wednesday, while four Southeast Missouri teams dropped out.

Among boys teams, Leopold and Zalma debuted in Class 1. Scott County Central remains No. 1, with Summersville No. 6, Leopold No. 8, and Zalma No. 10.

In Class 2, Bernie is No. 5. In Class 3, Charleston is No. 8. And in Class 4, Sikeston is No. 1.

Among girls teams, six from the region are ranked. In Class 2, Meadow Heights is No. 3, Couch No. 4, Neelyville No. 9 and St. Vincent No. 10. In Class 3, Kennett is No. 9. And in Class 4, Farmington is No. 6.

Four area teams dropped from the rankings this week: Cape Girardeau Central, North Pemiscot and Oak Ridge in boys, along with Crystal City in girls.

The poll is conducted by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. SemoSportsWeb.com does not participate in the voting.