Returning state qualifiers Abi Street and Evan Stevens are expected to lead the way for the Webb City girls and boys cross country teams this fall.
“We have one really good runner on both sides, so it will be exciting to watch them at the front of most races,” Cardinals coach Dustin Miller said of Street and Stevens.
A senior, Street placed fifth at last year’s Class 4 state cross country meet with a time of 18 minutes, 44 seconds. She finished fifth at the Central Ozark Conference championships and took third at the district meet.
According to MileSplit Missouri, Street holds the third fastest time (18:44) in the state among returning Class 4 athletes.
Street put together a stellar spring track season, finishing 12th in the 3,200 at the state meet.
Also back with prior varsity experience for the Webb City girls squad is senior Hally Philpot.
Miller listed freshmen Brooke Hedger and Kristina Bundy as the team’s top newcomers.
A junior, Stevens is the top returning runner for Webb City’s boys.
In ’21, Stevens placed 12th at the conference meet, eighth at the district meet and 36th at state.
According to MileSplit Missouri, Stevens owns the 13th fastest time in the state (16:32) among returning Class 4 runners.
Like Street, Stevens is coming off a solid track season, as he finished seventh in the 3,200 at the Class 4 state track meet.
Also back for the Webb City boys is junior Mason Hedger. Hedger finished 34th at last year’s conference race and placed 36th at the district championships.
Top newcomers for the Webb City boys are freshman Andrew Dawson and junior Dakota Grove.
Webb City took full squads to the state meet last fall, as both teams finished second at the district meets in Bolivar. At last year’s state meet, Webb City’s boys finished fifth in the team standings, while the girls placed sixth.
While Webb City has a pair of standouts back in Street and Stevens, both programs must overcome the loss of some talented seniors, including Riley Hawkins and Alanna Bundy on the girls side and Roman Borboa and Dustin Brockmiller on the boys side.
With only a couple of experienced performers on the roster at the start of the season, the goal for the Cardinals will simply be to make steady progress throughout the fall.
“We are young and inexperienced at the varsity level, so we expect to make significant improvements throughout the season,” Miller said.
Miller said the main key to success this season will be to develop gritty, consistent varsity athletes. If that happens, the Cardinals will have the pieces in place to put together a memorable campaign.
“Our lack of varsity experience will give us opportunities to learn how to control our emotions and focus on the game plan in order to be our best,” he said.
Miller noted his athletes put in the time and effort during the offseason. And he’s confident that commitment will pay off.
“Our kids have been very dedicated this summer,” Miller said. “We’ve learned a lot and made big steps towards achieving our max potential.”
Webb City will participate in Joplin’s warm-up meet on Aug. 27. The Cardinals will compete at the SWCCCA Meet in Bolivar on Sept. 3.
