For the first time in program history, a cross country team from Joplin High School has secured a conference championship.
Joplin’s girls topped the team standings at the Central Ozark Conference meet on Tuesday at the Inman Elementary School course in Nixa.
With four runners in the top 12, Joplin finished with 43 points. Nixa was a close second with 47 points.
For the Eagles, it was a historic achievement, as no JHS boys or girls team had ever captured a conference title, whether in the Ozark Conference or the COC.
“It was a special night,” Joplin coach Dustin Dixon said. “For the girls to win a championship was really fun. We knew it would be tough to beat Nixa on their own course and we did that. On paper, if you score a virtual meet, it had us ahead by two and a half points. We knew it would be really tight and it ended up that way. Our girls had a great night. The girls came out and executed the game plan very well.”
Joplin’s Jennalee Dunn was the runner-up, as the junior finished the 5,000-meter run in 19 minutes, 16 seconds. Nixa’s Alicen Ashley took first in 19:09.
“We knew the Nixa girl was really good,” Dixon said. “Jennalee really took the race over in the first mile or so and probably made that girl run a little faster than she was planning. And that put a little distance between Jennalee and the rest of the field, which gave her a comfortable second spot.”
Also for the Eagles, freshman Alexandra Carson finished fifth (20:05), while sophomore Sage Mitchell was 10th (20:29) and freshman Allie Keizer took 12th (20:38).
“Alex Carson ran really well,” Dixon said. “She ran really tough. I was pleased. Sage Mitchell had the race of her life. To PR on a wet course on a Tuesday night was really impressive for Sage. And Allie has had a really great year. She did what we needed her to do.”
Dixon noted Mitchell edged Nixa’s Macy Kopp by tenths of a second for 10th place.
“That was a two-point swing and that gave us a little cushion,” Dixon said.
Joplin sophomore Cylee Gilreath was 21st (21:40).
“She’s a first year cross country runner,” Dixon said. “She was around 40th at the mile marker and finished 21st. She just kept coming.”
Also for the Eagles, Mairi Beranek finished 30th (22:11).
BOYS TAKE THIRD
Joplin’s boys finished third with 76 points. Webb City (57) and Carthage (59) were first and second.
“We ran OK,” Dixon said. “I think they’re disappointed. We didn’t run like we expected to run. But give credit to Webb City. They ran really tough. They ran like a team that had won the conference meet six straight years. They ran like a confident team. We didn’t have a great night, and Webb City and Carthage both did. But we’ve never had a year where we could run bad and finish third in the conference, and that’s what our boys did last night. I told the guys, ‘No one remembers the conference meet if you advance to the state meet.’ They’ve got a chance to do that in 10 days.”
Joplin’s pack of Hobbs Campbell, Zaben Barnes and Evan Matlock finished 12th, 13th and 14th, respectively. Also for the Eagles, Ian Horton finished 17th, Kane Brooks took 20th and Nicholas Horton was 29th.
“We race all season on Saturdays,” Dixon said. “Getting them sharp and ready to go on a Tuesday night has been challenging for me. We didn’t look like we were ready to go last night. I promise we will be ready to go next Saturday.”
Dixon noted he was pleased with the effort both teams put forth.
“It’s been a couple of difficult weeks for us,” Dixon said. “We’ve had some COVID quarantines on both varsity teams. I think that affected our morale a little bit, and I didn’t know how our kids would respond. They responded well.”
Dixon added the team’s work is far from over, as the district meet, also in Nixa, is 10 days away on Oct. 31. A trip to the state meet will be up for grabs.
“Now we have to go back there and do it again,” he said. “I think they’ll be ready.”
COC Cross Country
Girls team standings: Joplin 43, Nixa 47, Webb City 70, Ozark 103, Neosho 146, Carl Junction 156, Branson 163, Carthage 177, Willard 246.
Boys team standings: Webb City 57, Carthage 59, Joplin 76, Branson 132, Nixa 141, Ozark 151, Willard 160, Neosho 197, Carl Junction 202, Republic 260.
RELATED STORY: Webb City boys edge Carthage for COC crown: https://somo-sports.com/top-stories/webb-city-boys-edge-carthage-for-coc-crown-continue-streak/
