Area cross country runners go to State
November 11, 2020
Shown above, left to right, are Cassville Wildcats, Ethan Bohmke, Caleb Leach, Pace Evans, Charles Elliott, DJ Pettyjohn and Jacob Martinez.
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Shown above, left to right, are Lady Wildcats Ella Reuter, Jolie Evans, Marianne McCracken, Annie Moore, Jordyn Stafford, and Maddie Bowyer.
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Lee Stubblefield
As a high school cross country runner, there is no substitute for state meet experience. The course, the competition, the emotionally charged atmosphere are all at levels not encountered during the regular season. Often, it is not so much the most talented teams and individuals that win as it is the runners who best handle the added stress and challenges of the day.
While all-state medals are only awarded to the top 25 runners in each race and trophies to the top four teams, the goal for every runner and team in the respective races is the same: run your best race when it counts the most.
Class 3, Thursday, November 5
Experience counts.
In the Class 3 boys race at Columbia on Thursday, Cassville senior Pace Evans ran a strong race to finish 37th. His teammates, four sophomores and a freshman, could not crack the top 100, but gained valuable experience for the future. The Wildcats finished 16th in the team standings.
Cassville boys finishers
37. Pave Evans, 17:34.9
125. Caleb Leach, 19:26.8
139. Ethan Bohmke, 19:58.1
140. Jacob Martinez, 19:59.2
157. Charles Elliott, 21:20.4
161. Donald Pettyjohn, 24:15.4
Three Cassville girls qualified for state. Senior Jordyn Stafford duplicated Evans’ performance, finishing 37th.
Cassville girls finishers
37. Jordyn Stafford, 21:38.8
38. Annie Moore, 21:40.2
69. Jolie Evans, 22:17.8
With only three individuals, the Lady Wildcats did not figure in the team scoring.
Individual champion, boys: Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs, 15:41.1;
Individual champion, girls: Macy Shelp, Lutheran South, 18:54.3
Trophy teams, boys: Fatima (98), Lutheran ST. Charles (109), Maryville (139), John Burroughs (142)
Trophy teams, girls: John Burroughs (59), Southern Boone County (90), Potosi (137), Aurora (138)
Class 2, Friday, November 6
On Friday, Southwest’s Christian Long posted a personal best 17:31.1 for the 5K distance, barely missing an all-state medal with his 27th-place finish.
The Trojans, with only four runners in the race after missing second at districts by a single point, went home wondering what could have been. The times on the leaderboard suggest that a healthy Travis Sickles could have placed as high as second. Spokane, the team that Southwest defeated to win the SWCL conference meet, finished fifth in the team standings.
It could be argued that Southwest had the fifth-best Class 2 team in the state this year. Just not on this day.
Southwest boys finishers
27. Christian Long, 17:31.1
51. Caden Uthe, 18:11.3
74. Otis Rainer, 18:40.9
146. Lucas Lakey, 20:25.5
• Purdy freshman, Bryce Osbun, finished 141st in 20:08.7.
• Southwest’s Cally Bowyer finished 124th in the Class 2 girls race in 25:58.0.
Individual champion, boys: Sam Shuman, Spokane, 16:03.6
Individual champion, girls: Rita Elmer, St. Pius X, 19:37.2
Trophy teams, boys: Father Tolton (92), Steelville (118), Lexington (126), Stockton (139)
Trophy teams, girls: Arcadia Valley (86), North Platte (106), St. Pius X (128), West Platte (135)
Class 1, Saturday, November 7
Individual champion, boys: Tyler Blay, West Nodaway, 16:30.3
Individual champion, girls: Riley Arnold, Blue Eye, 18:45.2
Trophy teams, boys: Calvary Lutheran (90), Blue Eye (96), Principia (98), West Nodaway (132)
Trophy teams, girls: College Heights (91), Valle Catholic (109), Harrisburg, (116), Van Buren (118)
Wheaton boys finishers
74. Zane Johnson, 19:20.0
133: Lance Greenwell, 20:52.4
Class 4, Friday, November 6
Individual champion, boys: Riley Simpson, West Plains, 15:39.5
Individual champion, girls: Lilian Jackson, St. Charles West, 18:21.6
Trophy teams, boys: Festus (45), Webb City (97), West Plains (97), Chaminade (128)
Trophy teams, girls: West Plains (53), Cor Jesu Academy (75), St. Teresa’s Academy (80), Smithville (116)
Monett’s Julio Cruz and Jose Salas Esquivel finished 72nd and 100th respectively in the Class 4 boys race.
Class 5
Individual champion, boys: Matthew Hauser, Rock Bridge, 15:34.5
Individual champion, girls: Ally Kruger, Liberty (Wentzville), 18:03.1
Trophy teams, boys: Rock Bridge (109), SLUH (125), Liberty (136), Liberty North (142)
Trophy teams, girls: Lafayette (80), Parkway West (89), Blue Springs South (98), Rock Bridge (118)
As a high school cross country runner, there is no substitute for state meet experience. The course, the competition, the emotionally charged atmosphere are all at levels not encountered during the regular season. Often, it is not so much the most talented teams and individuals that win as it is the runners who best handle the added stress and challenges of the day.
While all-state medals are only awarded to the top 25 runners in each race and trophies to the top four teams, the goal for every runner and team in the respective races is the same: run your best race when it counts the most.
Class 3, Thursday, November 5
Experience counts.
In the Class 3 boys race at Columbia on Thursday, Cassville senior Pace Evans ran a strong race to finish 37th. His teammates, four sophomores and a freshman, could not crack the top 100, but gained valuable experience for the future. The Wildcats finished 16th in the team standings.
Cassville boys finishers
37. Pave Evans, 17:34.9
125. Caleb Leach, 19:26.8
139. Ethan Bohmke, 19:58.1
140. Jacob Martinez, 19:59.2
157. Charles Elliott, 21:20.4
161. Donald Pettyjohn, 24:15.4
Three Cassville girls qualified for state. Senior Jordyn Stafford duplicated Evans’ performance, finishing 37th.
Cassville girls finishers
37. Jordyn Stafford, 21:38.8
38. Annie Moore, 21:40.2
69. Jolie Evans, 22:17.8
With only three individuals, the Lady Wildcats did not figure in the team scoring.
Individual champion, boys: Daelen Ackley, El Dorado Springs, 15:41.1;
Individual champion, girls: Macy Shelp, Lutheran South, 18:54.3
Trophy teams, boys: Fatima (98), Lutheran ST. Charles (109), Maryville (139), John Burroughs (142)
Trophy teams, girls: John Burroughs (59), Southern Boone County (90), Potosi (137), Aurora (138)
Class 2, Friday, November 6
On Friday, Southwest’s Christian Long posted a personal best 17:31.1 for the 5K distance, barely missing an all-state medal with his 27th-place finish.
The Trojans, with only four runners in the race after missing second at districts by a single point, went home wondering what could have been. The times on the leaderboard suggest that a healthy Travis Sickles could have placed as high as second. Spokane, the team that Southwest defeated to win the SWCL conference meet, finished fifth in the team standings.
It could be argued that Southwest had the fifth-best Class 2 team in the state this year. Just not on this day.
Southwest boys finishers
27. Christian Long, 17:31.1
51. Caden Uthe, 18:11.3
74. Otis Rainer, 18:40.9
146. Lucas Lakey, 20:25.5
• Purdy freshman, Bryce Osbun, finished 141st in 20:08.7.
• Southwest’s Cally Bowyer finished 124th in the Class 2 girls race in 25:58.0.
Individual champion, boys: Sam Shuman, Spokane, 16:03.6
Individual champion, girls: Rita Elmer, St. Pius X, 19:37.2
Trophy teams, boys: Father Tolton (92), Steelville (118), Lexington (126), Stockton (139)
Trophy teams, girls: Arcadia Valley (86), North Platte (106), St. Pius X (128), West Platte (135)
Class 1, Saturday, November 7
Individual champion, boys: Tyler Blay, West Nodaway, 16:30.3
Individual champion, girls: Riley Arnold, Blue Eye, 18:45.2
Trophy teams, boys: Calvary Lutheran (90), Blue Eye (96), Principia (98), West Nodaway (132)
Trophy teams, girls: College Heights (91), Valle Catholic (109), Harrisburg, (116), Van Buren (118)
Wheaton boys finishers
74. Zane Johnson, 19:20.0
133: Lance Greenwell, 20:52.4
Class 4, Friday, November 6
Individual champion, boys: Riley Simpson, West Plains, 15:39.5
Individual champion, girls: Lilian Jackson, St. Charles West, 18:21.6
Trophy teams, boys: Festus (45), Webb City (97), West Plains (97), Chaminade (128)
Trophy teams, girls: West Plains (53), Cor Jesu Academy (75), St. Teresa’s Academy (80), Smithville (116)
Monett’s Julio Cruz and Jose Salas Esquivel finished 72nd and 100th respectively in the Class 4 boys race.
Class 5
Individual champion, boys: Matthew Hauser, Rock Bridge, 15:34.5
Individual champion, girls: Ally Kruger, Liberty (Wentzville), 18:03.1
Trophy teams, boys: Rock Bridge (109), SLUH (125), Liberty (136), Liberty North (142)
Trophy teams, girls: Lafayette (80), Parkway West (89), Blue Springs South (98), Rock Bridge (118)
