COLUMBIA, Mo. — Webb City’s boys and girls both had two all-state runners at Friday’s MSHSAA Class 4 Cross Country Championships.
Abi Street and Riley Hawkins placed fifth and eighth in the girls race, running 18:44 and 18:58, respectively.
According to Coach Dustin Miller, it is the first time the Cardinals have had multiple girls all-state and it is the first time since 2003 the girls have had an all-state runner.
A unique twist, that runner, Kim (Boman) White, will have a daughter that will be a freshman next year at Webb City.
How did the team celebrate the success?
With friends and teammates dressed as the Pink Power Ranger, T-Rex and Chewbacca, among other Halloween costumes that got used only a few days later than normal.
“It’s been a tradition since I was in eighth grade and probably before that,” Hawkins said. “It is so fun all of our teammates and classmates come and support us. It makes us feel good.”
The Cardinals’ third runner, Alanna Bundy, was 40th and the team placed sixth overall.
“Realistically we couldn’t have been fourth, we could’ve been fifth, but I’m proud of the ladies,” Miller said. “They ran more relaxed than we have. This is the first time I had a girls team show up in a big important meet and compete to their ability.”
The Cardinals boys finished fifth (171), coming up 12 points behind Ladue Horton Watkins (159) for the fourth and final trophy. Webb City was the state runner-up last year.
With three runners from last year’s team gone, Dustin Brockmiller stepped up to earn his first all-state medal, while Roman Borboa moved up from 21st last year to 19th this year. Evan Stevens, a sophomore, took 36th after placing 59th last year.
“It was pretty awesome, we have only gotten two all-staters at once and that was last year,” said Borboa. “Dustin worked his way up. I never expected him to be up here with me.”
Carl Junction had three runners at the state meet and Collin Emmert brought home a state medal for the second year in a row.
Emmert was 18th last year but ran nearly 30 seconds faster this year and was 21st.
Lexi Carpenter was 82nd, three spots ahead of teammate Hannah Franks for the Bulldogs’ girls squad.
FULL RESULTS: MSHSAA Championships (pttiming.com)
