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CROSS COUNTRY: Eagles, Cardinals shine at Southern Stampede

Posted on by Jason Peake

On Saturday, thousands of high school and collegiate runners descended upon Missouri Southern’s Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course for the 33rd annual Southern Stampede.

An individual school record, top 10 finishes, and many season-best performances highlighted the day for high school runners from Joplin, Webb City, Carthage, Carl Junction, Neosho, McAuley Catholic, and Thomas Jefferson.

 

Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell runs to a third place finish in the Green Division at Saturday’s Southern Stampede. Campbell clocked a school record time of 15:24. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Joplin boys, girls both finish in top 10

The Joplin boys finished 10th overall in the 40-team Green Division with 340 points, their day highlighted by three runners among the top 18 individual finishers.

“We ran OK,” Joplin coach Dustin Dixon said. “We had some kids run well. We had some kids not run well. The university makes it very difficult to be successful here because we run so late in the afternoon. I told the kids that you’re not racing against the other kids, you’re racing against the heat.”

Hobbs Campbell broke his own school record on Saturday (15 minutes, 39 seconds) with a time of 15:24 that placed the Joplin senior third behind Kickapoo’s Tyler Harris (15:18) and Liberty North’s Sage Wilde (14:55).

Ian Horton, a junior, approached Campbell’s former school record and finished sixth overall at 15:42, not far behind Kickapoo’s Grant Musick (15:39) and Webb City’s Evan Stevens (15:38) in one of the first waves of runners.

Chance Tindall finished 18th in 16:08, Parker Durham 117th in 17:45, Aidan Koch 231st in 19:09, Brady Honeycutt 284th in 20:11, and Grey Edwards 335th in 22:28.

“The wheels fell off for us after that (our top three),” Dixon said. “Our No. 4 collapsed a couple hundred meters before the finish line. Our No. 5 had a good race today and he PR’d today. Then, the freshman at the back, he did his best.

“We had a kid obviously run poorly, because of the heat. It’s not his fault. He ran poorly, but it’s way too hot to give kids a good chance to run well out here.”

The Joplin girls competed Saturday in the Gold Division and placed fifth in the overall team standings at 201 points.

Allie Keizer placed fourth in 20:18, Averi Burks 23rd in 21:38, Mairi Beranek 62nd in 23:14, Cylee Gilreath 73rd in 23:39, Meridyth Mai 86th in 24:28, Isabella Cruse 92nd in 24:42, and Masyn Briggs 94th in 24:48.

“On the girls side, Allie Keizer ran pretty well today,” Dixon said. “To even out the races, the university asked some large schools if they were willing to run in the small schools division. I took them up on that opportunity to give us a little more space, because the race, as crowded as it was. … You saw the boys race start four times today and it started four times because they put too many people in the race. Kids trip over each other.

“I told the kids that we don’t make a big deal about the Southern Stampede because we know that some kids are going to run well, but there’s also so many challenges here because there’s too many kids in the race and it’s way too hot to run.”

Joplin returns to the course Saturday, Sept. 24, in the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia. Gans Creek hosts the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships in early November.

“I feel very confident in our team and our ability,” Dixon said. “Our boys have been very intent on defending our Central Ozark Conference championship that we won last year. I’m sure Nixa beat us today, but we are well on our way to defending that title. I’m proud of the way that we ran today.

“Goodness, in the race today, we had three kids run top 10 times in Joplin High School history. The fastest kid in Joplin school history, the second-fastest kid in Joplin school history, and maybe the seven-fastest kid in Joplin school history…they’re all on this team so it’s a darn good team.”

Webb City’s Abi Street is pictured during Saturday’s Southern Stampede. Street finished third in the Green Division. All photos by Shawn Fowler.

WC’s Stevens, Street place in top 5

The Webb City boys finished 22nd overall and girls 26th overall in their respective Green Division races Saturday.

Evan Stevens placed fourth in the boys race in 15:38 and Abi Street third in the girls race in 18:39. Both runners posted their best times of the season.

“I’m real proud of Evan and Abi,” Webb City coach Dustin Miller said. “They’ve put in consistent training all summer and all fall so far. They’re dedicated, they do all the little things right, and to watch them go out and compete in an elite race, it’s a lot of fun. I look forward to next week at Gans to see even more huge schools and to see how we progress.”

Evan Stevens

Blue Springs’ Abigail Brackenbury (18:27) and Cor Jesu Academy’s Adrienne Luna (18:30) were the only girls to finish ahead of Street. 

“She’s run completely alone in her first two races,” Miller said of Street. “She’s raced some quality girls, but she’s just on another level this year. It was good to have girls in front of her and realize that she had more in her tank.”

Stevens continues to impress, Miller noted. 

“He doesn’t believe how good he is yet,” Miller said. “I think now he sees, holy smoke, I was right there with the elite of the elite in the state of Missouri. He’s right there in the top 10 of the state with anybody else.”

Mason Hedger placed 56th in 16:49, Dakota Grove 153rd in 18:08, Spencer Kendall 163rd in 18:16, Andrew Dawson 242nd in 19:20, Noah Lankard 268th in 19:51, and Atticus Luzadder 274th in 20:00.

For the Webb City girls, Brooke Hedger finished 126th in 21:24, Kristina Bundy 157th in 22:10, Rachel Miller 158th in 22:11, and Hally Philpot 234th in 23:33.

“We look forward to this, certainly,” Miller said. “We run here, we train here twice a week in the summer, and we consider this our home course. I got to run here in college, and so it holds a special place to us. They look forward to it, because it’s the first time I really let the top kids loose every year. It’s a good challenge, a wonderful course, and an excellent event.”

 

The rest of the local varsity finishers

The Carthage boys finished 21st and the girls 37th in the Green Division.

Eddy Fuentes ran 86th in 17:17, Devin Smith 105th in 17:38, Miguel Solano 108th in 17:39, Michael Lanyon 122nd in 17:48, Caleb Fewin 158th in 18:11, Javen Boyd 237th in 19:17, Skuylor Honeycutt 252nd in 19:34, Colt Pugh 298th in 20:30, Xander Vasquez 311th in 20:58, and Indiana Gray 329th in 21:37.

Maggie Boyd finished 109th in 21:13, Katy Witherspoon 202nd in 22:46, Jennifer Rodas-Gomez 229th in 23:26, Jenna Wilson 273rd in 24:42, Sonia Lopez-Gramajo 284th in 24:55, Elsi Hernandez De Leon 293rd in 25:16, Sharon Velasquez-Mejia 299th in 25:46, Julissa Hernandez 300th in 25:53, Joanna Garcia 305th in 26:09, and Diana Pichardo 307th in 26:14.

Carl Junction’s boys were 40th and the girls 36th in the Green Division.

Jack Lawson finished 154th in 18:08, Alexander Allison 191st in 18:34, Isaac Willoughby 261st in 19:45, Colby Westhoff 296th in 20:23, Gavin Hall 302nd in 20:42, Jacob Garrett 314th in 21:07, and Luke Battagler 328th in 21:36.

For the Carl Junction girls, Alexis Carpenter was 136th, Klohe Burk was 166th, Sadie Burchett 198th, Bailey Feken 231st and Audrey Fletcher 241st.

Neosho sophomore Chloe Wood highlighted the Wildcats’ day with a 56th place finish in 20:22 in the Green Division.

Riley Kemna ran 115th in 21:17, Lakyn Prough 221st in 23:12, Makenna Davis 258th in 24:06, and Isabella Mabrey 315th in 27:37.

On the boys side, Neosho’s Gabriel Mabrey finished 214th in 18:51, Corbin Ables 239th in 19:18, Brandon Cargile 270th in 19:55, Christian Lindsay 277th in 20:01, Adam Farrell 286th in 20:13, Christian Williams 303rd in 20:57, Cannin Keena 310th in 20:57, Corbin Goins 324th in 21:27, Steven Knapp 339th in 23:13, and Zaine Powers 346th in 25:15.

Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry finished 11th in the Gold Division race in 17:11.

On the girls side, Sarah Mueller placed 84th in 24:20 for the Cavaliers.

McAuley Catholic’s boys finished 19th in the Gold Division with Joe Staton 81st in 19:26, Drew Zeb 89th in 19:38, Trae Veer 125th in 20:34, Alex Bohachick 152nd in 21:24, Connor Taffner 176th in 22:29, Cliff Nolan 179th in 22:33, and Grant Horinek 203rd in 25:38.

McAuley’s Kendall Ramsey placed 53rd in the girls race in 22:56.

 

FULL RESULTS: Missouri Southern Stampede 2022 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

 

Joplin’s Allie Keizer (1039) is among the runners competing during the early stages of the Gold Division race on Saturday at the Southern Stampede.

 

Missouri Southern State University hosted the Southern Stampede on Saturday.

 

Joplin’s Ian Horton is pictured during Saturday’s Southern Stampede. All photos by Shawn Fowler/SoMo Sports.

Carthage’s Maggie Boyd (329) is pictured during the Southern Stampede.

 

 

CROSS COUNTRY: Area athletes shine at Monett invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

MONETT, Mo. — College Heights Christian, Thomas Jefferson Independent, Carl Junction and Neosho were among the schools competing at Monett’s Richard ‘Whitey’ Mettlach Invitational on Tuesday at South Park. 

 

CLASS 1-3 DIVISION 

College Heights and Thomas Jefferson competed in the small school division, which featured schools from classes 1-3.

In the girls race, College Heights’ Jayli Johnson finished seventh in 23:37. 

The top six runners were Cassville’s Jolie Evans (22:33), Lamar’s Kiersten Potter (22:43), Pierce City’s Emma Hunt (23:10), Clever’s Chloe Smith (23:12), Mount Vernon’s Rylee Simons (23:22) and Clever’s Riley Britton (23:26).

Aurora’s Drew Mayes finished eighth and Cassville’s Dakotah Anderson was ninth.

College Heights’ Jesalin Bever finished 16th, Madi Carson was 20th and Madelynn Jordan took 21st. 

Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller finished 31st. 

Cassville was the top team in the division.

On the boys side, Cassville’s Caleb Leach took first in 18:22.

Lamar’s Cameron Bailey was second in 18:42, while Crane’s Christian Church took third in 18:50. Lamar’s Blaine Breshears, Quintin Webb and Pierce Heins finished fourth, fifth and sixth.

Rounding out the top 10 were Crane’s Calen Faucett, Marion C. Early’s Landon Duchscherer and Cassville’s duo of Ethan Bohmke and Charles Elliott.

College Heights’ Colton McMillen finished 32nd, Corbin Thomas was 34th and Steven Calandro was 40th. 

Lamar won the team crown. 

 

CLASS 4-5 DIVISION

Competing in the large school division, Neosho’s Chloe Wood won the girls race in 21:36.

Gravette’s Julia Whorton took second in 22:12 and Neosho’s Riley Kemna finished third in 22:27.

Monett’s Sadie Camp finished fourth and Carl Junction’s Alexis Carpenter took fifth. Monett’s Mary Jastal finished seventh, one spot in front of Neosho’s Lakyn Prough.

Carl Junction’s duo of Bailey Feken and Sadie Burchette finished 10th and 11th, respectively, while teammate Audrey Fletcher was 14th. 

Monett’s Jenna Spencer took 15th, Neosho’s Makenna Davis finished 16th and CJ’s Klohe Burk was 17th. 

Gravette was the team champion on the girls side. 

In the large school boys race, Monett’s Julio Cruz took first in 17:41.

Carl Junction’s Jack Lawson was the runner-up in 18:35, while Monett’s Victor Salas placed third in 19:12. 

Monett’s Kash Adams was fifth, Neosho’s Gabriel Mabrey took sixth and teammate Corbin Goins was eighth. Carl Junction’s Isaac Willoughby finished ninth, one spot in front of Neosho’s Adam Farrell. 

Neosho’s tandem of Corbin Ables and Brandon Cargile were 11th and 12th, while CJ’s Alexander Allison finished 13th. Neosho’s Christian Williams and Christian Lindsey were 15th and 16th and Carl Junction’s Luke Battagler was 17th.

Neosho was the team champion on the boys side with 47 points. Monett was second with 51.

 

FULL RESULTS: Monett Richard “Whitey” Mettlach Invitational 2022 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

CROSS COUNTRY: Parrigon leads Warriors at Father Tolton invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

COLUMBIA, Mo. — In a race that featured 139 runners, McAuley Catholic’s Michael Parrigon finished fifth in the boys division at the Father Tolton Cross Country Invitational on Saturday.

A sophomore, Parrigon crossed the finish line at 17 minutes, 37 seconds.

Michael Parrigon

The top four finishers were Father Tolton’s Quentin Hermann (16:51), Calvary Lutheran’s Kyle Hagemeyer (16:58), Father Tolton’s John Glaude (17:27) and Centralia’s J.R. Lesher (17:33).

Also for the Warriors, freshman Trae Veer finished 29th in 19:33, senior Phillip Motazedi was 30th in 19:34, senior Joe Staton finished 34th in 19:47 and senior Drew Zeb placed 38th in 20:05.

Freshman Alex Bohachick (57th) and senior Kable Reichardt (70th) also competed for McAuley.

McAuley’s boys finished third in the team standings with 123 points.

Father Tolton (31) and Centralia (76) were the top two teams. There were 13 full squads competing.

“The Father Tolton Invitational was a great experience,” Warriors coach Andy Youngworth said. “It simulates a state trip. We appreciate the administrative team letting us take these trips.

“Michael earned a fifth-place medal,” Youngworth added. “32 seconds between our second and fifth runner is a great improvement. The team has been battling some illness, but I thought we competed well and took third place against a tough field of Class 2 and Class 3 schools.”

For the McAuley girls, junior Kendall Ramsey finished 17th with a time of 22:26.

Junior Miriam Kramer (100th) and freshmen Brooke Righter (103rd) and Samantha Perrin (104th) also competed for the McAuley girls.

“Kendall ran a tough race,” Youngworth said. “She a lot of on her plate with volleyball and cross country, but she does a good job of balancing both sports. Our younger girls continue to improve and are starting to figure out what needs to be done to get better.”

Father Tolton’s Elyse Wilmes won the girls race in 18:46. There were 117 runners in the girls race, with 10 full teams.

Father Tolton (35) and Centralia (77) were the top two girls teams.

 

Pictured is the McAuley Catholic boys cross country team. Submitted photo.

 

Trae Veer is pictured during Saturday’s Father Tolton Invitational in Columbia. Submitted photo.

CROSS COUNTRY: Joplin boys win Ray-Pec invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

PECULIAR, Mo. — With four runners finishing in the top 10, Joplin’s boys cross country squad captured the team championship at the Raymore-Peculiar Invitational on Saturday.

Competing in the large school division, Joplin finished on top of the team standings with 60 points. 

Nixa was second with 69, while Lee’s Summit North (81) and Raymore-Peculiar (87) were third and fourth. 

Joplin senior Hobbs Campbell was the runner-up with a time of 16 minutes, 33 seconds. Blue Springs’ Keagan Enicks took first in 16:06.

Joplin’s Ian Horton and Chance Tindall finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Horton crossed the line at 16:43, with Tindall clocking a time of 16:53. Eagles sophomore Grey Edwards took 10th in 17:13. 

Also for the JHS boys, Parker Durham finished 45th in 18:46, Aidan Koch was 55th in 19:18 and Brady Honeycutt took 64th in 20:20.

There were 72 runners in the large school division, with 14 teams represented.

On the girls side, Joplin was led by Cylee Gilreath’s 28th place finish. She recorded a time of 22:36.

Also for the Eagles, Averi Burks finished 33rd, Meridyth Mai was 59th, Masyn Briggs took 64th, Isabella Cruse was 72nd and Annabelle Rutledge finished 78th.

The Eagles finished 10th in the team standings.

Blue Springs’ Abigail Brackenbury won the girls race in 19:18. 

The top three teams were Raymore-Peculiar (34), Blue Springs (46) and Nixa (105).

 

CROSS COUNTRY: Local athletes run at Seneca  

Posted on by Jason Peake

SENECA, Mo. — Lamar’s Kiersten Potter and East Newton’s Chase Sorrell claimed medalist honors, while Cassville’s girls and Lamar’s boys captured team championships at the 12th annual Seneca Invitational cross country meet on Thursday. 

In the girls race, Potter recorded a time of 20:38. Gravette’s Julia Whorton was second in 20:56.

Cassville’s Jolie Evans placed third in 21:26, while Neosho’s tandem of Chloe Wood (21:31) and Riley Kemna (21:54) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Pierce City’s Emma Hunt finished sixth, College Heights Christian’s Jayli Johnson took seventh, Aurora’s Drew Mayes was eighth and Monett’s Sadie Camp finished ninth. 

Local runners finishing in the top 15 were Neosho’s Lakyn Prough (11th), Monett’s Mary Jastal (12th), East Newton’s Gracie Johnson (13th) and Alonna Eytcheson (14th) and College Heights’ Jesalin Bever (15th). 

McDonald County’s top finisher was Clara Horton, who finished 19th. Madison Burton, Anna Price and Kate Cheney finished 24th, 25th and 26th. 

Neosho’s Makenna Davis finished 32nd. Also for College Heights, Madelynn Jordan finished 30th and Madi Carson was 39th. 

Seneca’s top performer was Dalisia Reed, who finished 43rd.

On the boys side, Sorrell toured the course in 16:43. Monett’s Julio Cruz was the runner-up (17:17), while Cassville’s Caleb Leach took third (18:04).

Lamar’s Cameron Bailey, Blaine Breshears, Quintin Webb and Pierce Heins finished fourth through seventh. 

Monett’s Victor Salas was ninth and East Newton’s Isaac Bales took 10th. 

McDonald County’s Hunter Leach finished 11th, East Newton’s Nicholas Shaeffer took 12th, Cassville’s Charles Elliott finished 16th, Lamar’s Coltin Nance finished 18th, Cassville’s Mason Gautney wsa 19th and Monett’s Kash Adams took 20th. 

McDonald County’s Lane Pratt finished 21st, while Jasper’s Leland Harris took 23rd. Neosho’s duo of Corbin Goins and Gabriel Mabrey finished 24th and 25th, respectively. 

For College Heights, Steven Calandro was 51st, Colton McMillen was 53rd, Josiah Thomas finished 64th and William Porter was 76th.

 

FULL RESULTS: https://mo.milesplit.com/meets/487013-12th-annual-seneca-cross-country-invitational-2022/results#.Yxp5SaHMJD8

CROSS COUNTRY: Carthage boys win own invite for first time in 21 years

Posted on by Jason Peake

CARTHAGE, Mo. — When the Carthage High School boys cross country team gathered for a group photo at the conclusion of Thursday’s Carthage Invitational, it was a meaningful moment for all those involved.

Why? The Tigers were posing with the team championship plaque, something that had eluded the program for more than two decades.

The Tigers claimed the team title at their own invite, edging Rogers 60-62 for the top spot in the standings.

The team title was a long time coming—21 years to be exact.

“I couldn’t be happier with our boys team,” Tigers coach Brian Crigger said. “This is the first time in 21 years we’ve won the boys division here. They knew they had a shot and they really wanted to do it. They ran great today and I’m really proud of them. This is special.” 

Carthage’s Caleb Fewin (89), Eddy Fuentes (90) and Miguel Solano (96) are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational at the Carthage Golf Course. Photo by Jason Peake.

Carthage had three runners finish in the top 10 and five in the top 23. 

Tigers senior Caleb Fewin finished seventh in 18:11, senior Miguel Solano was ninth in 18:23 and junior Eddy Fuentes took 10th in 18:25. Senior Michael Lanyon was 17th and freshman Devin Smith was 23rd. 

“I had some kids step up,” Crigger said. “Caleb ran great today. The top five all ran really well. This is a tough course and there was really good competition. Our No. 5 (Smith) closed the deal for us.”

Also for the Tigers, Javen Byrd finished 43rd, Indiana Gray was 48th and Skyulor Honeycutt finished 50th.

On the girls side, Carthage was led by sophomore Maggie Boyd’s sixth place finish. 

Katy Witherspoon finished 25th, Jennifer Rodas-Gomez was 27th, Jenna Wilson was 40th and Diana Pichardo took 42nd. Sonia Lopez-Gramajo (44th) and Alyssa Williams (45th) also competed for the Tigers. 

“Maggie ran real tough,” Crigger said. “We have some work to do on the girls side. It’s a tough, challenging course for the girls, but they ran hard. Sometimes the results don’t show how hard they ran. They’ve improved a ton since last year. That’s all we can ask for.” 

Crigger noted the program enjoys hosting the annual event at the Carthage Golf Course. 

“I appreciate all the teams that come out and support this meet,” Crigger said. “This is the 49th year for the meet. It has to be one of the longest running meets in the area. And it’s just a fun meet to host.” 

Carthage will be among the teams competing at the Southern Stampede on Sept. 17.

 

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL 

Boys team standings: Carthage 60, Rogers 62, Webb City 77, Willard 84, Glendale 86, Carl Junction 153, Springfield Central 173. Incomplete teams: Bolivar, Hillcrest, Parkview, Thomas Jefferson.

Girls team standings: Webb City 35, Rogers 41, Carl Junction 68, Glendale 107, Carthage 110. Incomplete teams: Springfield Central, Hillcrest, Parkview, Thomas Jefferson, Willard.

 

Carthage’s Maggie Boyd (81) and Webb City’s Hally Philpot are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational cross country meet.

 

Runners take off at the start of the varsity boys race on Thursday at the Carthage Invitational at the Carthage Golf Course. Photos by Jason Peake.

CROSS COUNTRY: Webb City’s Street, Stevens cruise to Carthage invite championships

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

CARTHAGE, Mo. — Abi Street and Evan Stevens were both all alone as they approached the finish line in their respective races at the 49th annual Carthage Invitational. 

The Webb City duo claimed individual championships in convincing fashion on Thursday at the Carthage Golf Course.

The pair of Cardinals cruised to first place finishes in their 5K competitions, as there were no other runners close by when they finished touring the course.

A senior, Street won the girls race in 19 minutes, 40 seconds, nearly two minutes faster than the runner-up, as Rogers’ Olivia Davis crossed the line at 21:23.

“I felt good today and our team did really well as a whole,” Street said. “There’s a lot of good girls here, so I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous. I stuck with my game plan and I just ran my race. I always hope to do as well as I can. I don’t really realize that I’m all alone at the end because I’m just zoned in. I don’t really pay attention to that. I just try to race my race.”

Webb City’s Abi Street was all alone late in Thursday’s varsity girls race at the Carthage Invitational. Street cruised to a first place finish. Photo by Jason Peake.

Street went to the front early in the race and continued to pull away from the competition.

“Abi had some company for the first kilometer or so and that was great,” Webb City coach Dustin Miller said. “Then she was solo once again by the end of the race. Abi is really fit right now. Hopefully next week at MSSU Abi will get to showcase her skills against some solid girls. I know she’ll be ready to go, so it will be interesting to see how she does there.”

Street is now 2-for-2 this fall, as she cruised to a first place finish at last Saturday’s SWCCCA Invitational in Bolivar in 19:07. She won that race by 20 seconds.

“I’m excited about the start to the season,” said Street, who placed fifth at last year’s Class 4 state meet. “I think our team will be really strong this season. Our freshmen are really stepping up and that’s motivating me, too.” 

Street wasn’t the only local runner to perform well on a warm Thursday.

Webb City’s Brooke Hedger finished fifth in 22:31, while Carthage’s Maggie Boyd took sixth in 23:05 and Webb City’s Rachel Miller placed ninth in 23:31. 

Carl Junction’s Alexis Carpenter finished 13th, Webb City’s Kristina Bundy placed 15th and Carl Junction’s Audrey Fletcher and Delaney Harris were 16th and 17th.

Webb City’s Holly Capron finished 18th, Carl Junction’s Sadie Burchett placed 20th, Webb City’s Emily Countryman was 21st, CJ’s Klohe Burk took 24th and Carthage’s Katy Witherspoon placed 25th.

There were 50 runners in the girls race.

With four runners in the top 15, Webb City was the girls team champion with 35 points.

“We had three freshmen score for us today and sophomore Rachel Miller PR’d today on this course,” Coach Miller said. “She’s a monster and she has dedicated herself to the training. She has a positive mindset and it shows. Bundy, Hedger and Capron are starting to figure things out, so I’m proud of them. Our girls got out well, which was our big emphasis. We competed well and put ourselves in a position to get the team win. That’s exciting for us.” 

Rogers (41) and Carl Junction (68) finished second and third in the team standings. Glendale (107) and Carthage (110) rounded out the standings, as Springfield Central, Hillcrest, Parkview, Willard and Thomas Jefferson did not have full squads competing. 

 

Webb City’s Evan Stevens went to the front early in Thursday’s varsity boys race at Carthage.

STEVENS SHINES

Webb City’s Evan Stevens is off to a great start to his junior season.

Stevens went to the front right away and never looked back on the way to a first place win on Thursday. 

Stevens toured the course in 16:46. The runner-up, Willard’s Nolan Hansen, finished in 17:23.  

“Overall, I thought I ran all right,” Stevens said. “I went out a little fast and faded on the hills a little bit, but I guess that’s to be expected. I went to the front right away and wanted to make people race me. It feels good to be all alone like that at the end. It makes me feel like I came out and did my job. It’s always awesome to finish first.” 

The individual win comes after Stevens placed third overall at last weekend’s SWCCCA invite in Bolivar.

“Evan had a great day,” Miller said. “He’s fit. I’m really excited to see what he can do next week with some top athletes competing at Missouri Southern. We’ll see if he can hang with some of those guys. There were some great athletes competing here today, too.” 

After Stevens and Hansen, Webb City’s Mason Hedger finished third in 17:31. 

“Mason went out harder than he did last week, and it paid huge dividends for him,” Miller said. “He had a shot at second, but Nolan held him off. I’m really proud of Mason. He’s figuring out how to race.”

Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry was fourth with a time of 17:40, Carthage’s Caleb Fewin finished seventh in 18:11, Carl Junction’s Jack Lawson placed eighth in 18:20 and Carthage’s duo of Miguel Solano (18:23) and Eddy Fuentes (18:25) finished ninth and 10th, respectively. 

Jack Lawson

Also, Carthage’s Michael Lanyon and Devin Smith finished 17th and 23rd, Webb City’s Dakota Grove was 26th, Carl Junction’s Alexander Allison took 28th and Webb City’s Andrew Dawson was 30th. 

There were 73 runners in the boys race.

Carthage (60), Rogers (62) and Webb City (77) were the top three teams. See a related story on Carthage’s team victory.  

Willard (84), Glendale (86), Carl Junction (153) and Springfield Central (173) rounded out the top seven. 

Miller noted his squad’s finish in the standings will provide extra motivation going forward. 

“I was really proud of the way the guys got out,” Miller said. “Our back end, our No. 3-4-5, they got out well but didn’t move up. We had some self-doubt creep in. We didn’t perform well in the last mile and it showed. We deserved to get beat today. It’s unfortunate, but it’s early in the year and we’ll learn, and we’ll be better.”

 

TJ’S ATTEBERRY FARES WELL IN ’22 DEBUT

Competing against athletes from much larger schools, Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry fared well on Thursday, placing fourth in 17:40.

“I’m always more interested in my time and I wasn’t super happy with it today,” Atteberry said. “This is a tough course. And this is my first 5K of the season. I was unhappy with my time, but I’m very happy with my place. That’s a lot better than I did last year.”

Atteberry finished fourth at last year’s Class 1 state meet and earned all-state honors in three events at last May’s state track meet. With that, Atteberry has the goals set high for his senior campaign.

To Atteberry, Thursday’s performance is a solid starting point.

“It’s a pretty good start to the season,” Atteberry added. “I’m almost a minute faster than I was here last year. And I’m pretty excited about this season. I have big goals in mind.” 

Atteberry will be among the local athletes who will compete at the Southern Stampede on Sept. 13 at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. Squads from Webb City, Carthage and Carl Junction will also compete at MSSU’s annual event. 

 

CARTHAGE INVITATIONAL RESULTS: Carthage Invitational 2022 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

 

Webb City’s Mason Hedger and Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry are pictured during Thursday’s Carthage Invitational. All photos by Jason Peake.

 

 

Evan Stevens heads to the finish line first on Thursday, with no other runner close by.

 

Runners from Carl Junction and Webb City are pictured at the start of the varsity girls race. Webb City’s girls captured the team championship. 

 

Webb City’s Abi Street and Rogers’ Olivia Davis lead the way during the early stages of the varsity girls race.

 

Runners take off at the start of the varsity boys race on Thursday at the Carthage Golf Course.

CROSS COUNTRY: Street, Campbell lead area athletes at SWCCCA Invite

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

BOLIVAR, Mo. — Webb City senior Abi Street left no doubt who the top female runner was at the Southwest Cross Country Coaches Association’s Richard Clark Invitational on Saturday at the Bolivar Municipal Golf Course.

Abi Street

In a field of 233 runners from five classifications, Street crossed the finish line first in the girls 5K with her time of 19 minutes, 7 seconds. 

The runner-up, Rolla’s Isabella Frost, finished 20 seconds behind Street, and Spokane’s Lily Hunsucker took third in 19:58.

Street, who placed fifth at last year’s Class 4 state meet, led the way as the Joplin area schools had an impressive showing at the event. 

Lamar’s Kiersten Potter finished seventh in 20:30 and Joplin’s Allie Keizer placed 13th in 20:51. Potter was the top finisher in Class 3, while Keizer was the fourth finisher among Class 5 schools. 

Webb City’s Brooke Hedger finished 27th overall and ninth in Class 4 with a time of 21:19 and Carthage’s Maggie Boyd took 28th overall and 12th in Class 5 in 21:20.

Joplin’s Averi Burks finished 37th overall and 14th in Class 5, East Newton’s Alonna Eytcheson took 41st overall and eighth in Class 3 and Joplin’s Cylee Gilreath was 50th overall and 19th in Class 5. 

Monett’s Sadie Camp and Mary Jastal finished 53rd and 58th overall and 14th and 15th in Class 4, respectively, while Webb City’s Rachel Miller was 59th and teammate Holly Capron finished 62nd. Miller was 16th in Class 4 and Capron was 19th.

Carl Junction’s Sadie Burchett finished 66th overall and 21st in Class 4, Nevada’s Avery Morris was 67th overall and 22nd in Class 4, CJ’s Audrey Fletcher was 69th and 23rd in Class 4 and Webb City’s Kristina Bundy finished 70th overall and 24th in Class 4.

Others finishing in the top 30 in Class 4 were CJ’s Klohe Burk (26th) and Webb City’s Hally Philpot (27th) and Emily Countryman (29th).

Joplin’s Mairi Beranek finished 32nd among Class 5 runners, while Carthage’s Katy Witherspoon was 35th in Class 5.

Bolivar (115), Kickapoo (128), Nixa (142), Ozark (160) and Webb City (173) were the top five girls teams.

 

JOPLIN’S CAMPBELL, WEBB CITY’S STEVENS SHINE IN BOYS RACE

In the first official outing of the 2022 season, Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell and Webb City’s Evan Stevens appeared in postseason form.

Hobbs Campbell

A senior, Campbell was the second overall finisher in the boys race with his time of 15:47. Kickapoo’s Tyler Harris took first in 15:33.

Joplin coach Dustin Dixon noted Campbell’s time was just seconds slower than he ran at last year’s state meet (15:45).

A junior at Webb City, Stevens finished third overall and was the top Class 4 runner with his time of 15:54. 

East Newton’s Chase Sorrell placed fifth (16:03), second among Class 3 runners. 

Joplin’s Ian Horton finished eighth in 16:11, while teammate Chance Tindall was 11th in 16:17. 

“Ian Horton and Chance Tindall both had great races,” Dixon said. “Out of 55 schools, our boys were second overall and second in Class 5. Our girls were eighth overall and fourth among Class 5 schools. It was a pretty good season opener for us.”

In a strong start to the season, the Eagles had four runners in the top 24, as Grey Edwards finished 24th in 16:56. Dixon said Campbell, Horton, Tindall and Edwards all recorded top-25 times in program history.

Monett’s Julio Cruz was 25th overall and seventh in Class 4. 

Carthage’s Miquel Solano finished 32nd (18th in C5), while Webb City’s Mason Hedger placed 34th overall (ninth in Class 4).

Lamar’s Pierce Heins finished 38th (fifth in C3) and Carthage’s Caleb Fewin was 39th (21st in C5). 

Among Class 4 runners, Webb City’s Dakota Grove (19th), Spencer Kendall (23rd) and Andrew Dawson (25th) had top 25 showings.

Webb City coach Dustin Miller noted it was a solid start to the season for his squad. 

Other top performers for Carthage were Devin Smith (35th in C5), Eddy Fuentes (42nd) and Michael Lanyon (45th).

Carl Junction’s Alexander Allison took 31st in Class 4.

There were 338 runners in the boys race.

Kickapoo was the team champion with 46 points. Joplin was second with 101. Nixa (104), West Plains (192) and Carthage (268) rounded out the top five teams. 

 

MCAULEY CATHOLIC, COLLEGE HEIGHTS RUNNERS FARE WELL

McAuley Catholic had seven athletes earn medalist honors in Class 1. The Warriors were the second place team in Class 1. 

“We had a great meet,” McAuley coach Andy Youngworth said. “A big meet atmosphere early in the year was a good experience for our kids.”

Michael Parrigon was the individual runner-up in his class, finishing with a time of 17:30. Hermitage’s Justin Horn took first in Class 1 in 16:52. 

A sophomore, Parrigon finished 41st overall in the boys race. 

Other Class 1 medalists for the McAuley boys were Phillip Motazedi (13th), Trae Veer (14th), Drew Zeb (18th) and Joe Staton (19th).

Other top performers for the Warriors were Alex Bohachick (26th) and Connor Taffner (32nd).

On the girls side, McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey finished fourth among Class 1 runners with her time of 23:10. 

McAuley’s Samantha Perrin and Miriam Kramer were 24th and 29th among Class 1 runners. Ramsey and Perrin were Class 1 medalists. 

College Heights Christian’s girls squad had four medalists in Class 2. 

CHC’s Marla Anderegg finished 13th in Class 2, while Jesalin Bever (15th), Jayli Johnson (18th) and Madelynn Jordan (23rd) were also medalists. CHC’s Madi Carson was 26th. 

On the boys side, CHC was led by Colton McMillan’s 28th place showing. 

 

FULL RESULTS: SWCCCA Richard Clark Invitational 2022 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

CROSS COUNTRY: Carl Junction girls claim team title at Aurora

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

AURORA, Mo. — With five runners in the top 14, Carl Junction’s girls captured the team championship at the Hot Dawg Cross Country Invitational on Thursday at Aurora High School. 

In the first meet of the 2022 season, the Bulldogs compiled 35 points, with Providence Christian (50), Cassville (58) and Sarcoxie (83) rounding out the team places.

Alexis Carpenter led Carl Junction by finishing seventh in 23:21. Also for the Bulldogs, Delaney Harris was 10th, Audrey Fletcher took 11th, Bailey Feken was 12th, Sadie Burchett finished 14th and Klohe Burk took 20th. 

Providence Christian’s Gabbie Bishop was the girls champion with a time of 18:55. 

Cassville’s Jolie Evans placed third (21:19), Pierce City’s Emma Hunt was fourth (21:44), Mount Vernon’s Rylee Simons took sixth (22:50), Aurora’s Drew Mayes finished eighth (23:35) and Cassville’s Jadyn Williams-Reed placed ninth (23:39).

Sarcoxie’s Laney Dorris took 13th and McDonald County’s Anna Price, Clara Horton, Kate Cheney and Madison Burton finished 16th through 19th, respectively. 

On the boys side, Providence Christian won the team championship with 31 points. Rounding out the team standings were Cassville (43), McDonald County (70), Carl Junction (112), Aurora (147), Marionville (178), Mount Vernon (197) and Valley Springs (215).

Cassville’s Caleb Leach won the boys race in 17:40.

Carl Junction’s Jack Lawson finished fourth in 18:09 and McDonald County’s Hunter Leach placed sixth in 18:49.

Cassville’s Charles Elliott and Ethan Bohmke finished eighth and ninth, while Mac County’s Lane Pratt was 10th. 

McDonald County’s Blaine Ortiz took 16th and Carl Junction’s Alexander Allison finished 17th.

CROSS COUNTRY: Returning standout Campbell to lead Joplin this fall

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

After a standout junior season, Hobbs Campbell appears poised to have a big senior year for the Joplin High School cross country team. 

And it’s not a stretch to say Joplin will feature one of the state’s best runners this fall.

“I think Hobbs’ primary goal is to chase after a state title,” Joplin coach Dustin Dixon told SoMo Sports. “There’s not many kids in Missouri that can say that’s at the top of their list, but he’s one of them. We feel like he’s got a good shot. He’s more fit than he has ever been at the end of August. He’s looked really strong in practice.”

In a stellar 2021 season, Campbell was the runner-up at the Central Ozark Conference championships. He placed fourth at the district meet and finished 14th at the Class 5 state championships with a time of 15 minutes, 45 seconds.  

Hobbs Campbell

Campbell also put together a breakthrough track season last spring. At the Class 5 state track meet, Campbell placed second in the 1600 and was fifth in the 800. 

In addition to Campbell, the Eagles have three other returning athletes who ran at last year’s Class 5 state championships — junior Ian Horton and sophomores Chance Tindall and Grey Edwards.

At last year’s COC Meet, Tindall took 14th and Horton finished 23rd. At state, Horton was Joplin’s second finisher after Campbell, placing 49th.

Edwards, last year’s No. 7 runner at state, had some injuries last fall but is coming off a solid track season.

Aidan Koch and Parker Durham, both juniors, are other athletes who are competing for varsity spots. 

Joplin’s boys are the defending COC champs. They took a full squad to state. Dixon would love to see the Eagles repeat that success.

“I think our boys team is going to be pretty good again this fall,” Dixon said. “I think we were the only team in Class 5 that ran multiple freshmen at the state championships.”

On the girls side, Joplin must overcome the loss of one of the program’s best-ever distance runners — Jennalee Dunn. 

“You can’t replace Jennalee Dunn, at least not quickly,” Dixon said. “Our girls team is in kind of a rebuild. We have some girls back who have been in the No. 6 or No. 7 spot before. We’re going to have quite a few girls that have little to no varsity experience. But a lot of our girls have had good summers. We’ve got some work to do on the girls side, but if we stay healthy, I like our chances to be competitive.”

Junior Allie Keizer, a returning state qualifier, is the team’s top returning performer from last season. 

“She’ll probably lead the way for us,” Dixon noted. 

Keizer was the team’s second finisher at last year’s conference race, placing 11th. She finished 14th at the district meet and was 96th at state. 

Junior Averi Burks is another athlete who will be a key performer.

“She had a great summer and is looking really strong,” Dixon said. 

Seniors Mairi Beranek and Cylee Gilreath also return with prior varsity experience. They were 24th and 50th, respectively, at last year’s conference event.

Masyn Briggs, a junior, is another runner who is expected to contribute at the varsity level.

Joplin’s girls were second in the team standings at last year’s COC event, one year after winning a conference crown. 

The main goal for both teams is to make steady progress throughout the fall, with peaking at the end of the season in mind. 

“We are confident that we can run our best at the time of the year when we need to be at our best,” Dixon said. “The kids know that and I think it will show. We’ll be ready to go when the end of October gets here.”

The Eagles hosted a warm-up meet on Saturday. They’ll compete at the annual SWCCCA Meet on Sept. 3 in Bolivar. The Southern Stampede is slated for Sept. 17.

CROSS COUNTRY: Atteberry, Mueller will lead Thomas Jefferson

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

One of the state’s top Class 1 distance runners will lead the way for the Thomas Jefferson Independent School cross country program this fall. 

After a stellar junior season, returning state medalist Kip Atteberry appears poised to put together a big senior year. 

“This will certainly be an exciting season for the high school team,” Cavaliers coach Clayton Carnahan said. “Kip ended the track season on a high note with three state medals, and he has only improved through summer training.”

Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry, pictured during last spring’s track season, is poised for a big senior year. Atteberry finished fourth at last year’s state cross country meet.

Atteberry finished fourth at last year’s Class 1 state cross country championships with a time of 17 minutes, 3 seconds. He was the runner-up at the district event and was the Ozark 7 champion.

Atteberry is coming off a great spring on the track. At last May’s state track meet, Atteberry placed third in the 3,200 (10:14), took fourth in the 1,600 (4:33) and finished seventh in the 800 (2:04), earning all-state honors in all three events. 

Carnahan listed sophomores Isa Bin Jeremy and Braden Honeywell-Lynch and freshman James Sheppard as newcomers who are expected to contribute nicely. 

Returning state qualifier Sarah Mueller is expected to lead the way for the Thomas Jefferson girls. 

A junior, Mueller finished 35th at last year’s state meet. She placed 17th at the district meet and took third at the conference event. 

Carnahan expects Mueller to shine this fall. 

“Sarah qualified for the Junior Olympics this summer in the 1,500 and had a PR of 5:51.93 during the summer season,” Carnahan said. 

The Cavaliers have two other returning starters on the girls side—senior Samantha Seto and sophomore Macie Shifferd. 

With a pair of standouts leading the way, Carnahan is confident the Cavaliers can put together a successful season.

“I expect both the high school and middle school teams to outshine previous seasons from the start,” he said. “They’ve already shown more stamina and athleticism through their hard work this season and are ready to grow as athletes quickly. The students on the team care deeply about one another’s success and have created a culture of accountability and excellence.”

Carnahan noted the team’s keys to success are simple.

“Throughout this season, we’ll need to stay focused on our individual and team goals and be willing to change pace when the time demands it,” Carnahan said. “The cross country athletes this season have already started the work they need to do to find success this season. Those keys for success will continue to be their consistency and reliability.”

The Cavaliers will run at Neosho on Aug. 27. Thomas Jefferson will also compete at two local events, the Carthage Invitational on Sept. 8 and the Southern Stampede on Sept. 17. 

CROSS COUNTRY: Kemna, Wood to lead Neosho girls, NHS boys in rebuilding mode

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The Neosho High School girls cross country team returns four starters, including its top two performers from last fall, while the boys squad is entering a rebuilding mode after big losses to graduation. 

“Overall, I think everyone is very excited to be starting a new season,” Wildcats coach Emily Abell said. “Our girls team has some great goals and they’re working together as a team to make this season great. On the boys side, it will definitely be a rebuilding year for the program after losing 10 seniors, but we’re getting there. They’ve been working extremely hard to meet expectations and fill those varsity sports. They’re all so close and all right there. I’m very pleased to see them working hard yet continuing to be supportive of one another and having fun along the way.” 

Abell noted both squads have been working hard in preparation for the upcoming season. She added the team is having a lot of fun, too.

“On both sides, I think this season will be a really fun one,” Abell said. “We have a bunch of goofy, fun-loving kids who are also willing to work. That’s a great combination. We’re able to have fun and get things done at the same time.” 

 

GIRLS OUTLOOK

Junior Riley Kemna and sophomore Chloe Wood are once again expected to lead the way for the Neosho girls. 

At last year’s Central Ozark Conference championships, Kemna finished eighth and Wood was 16th. Wood placed 10th at the district meet, with Kemna 13th. 

Riley Kemna

At the Class 5 state meet, Wood took 45th and Kemna was 77th.

Kemna is coming off a stellar track season, as she stood out in the 1,600 and 3,200. 

“Riley has been my No. 1 varsity runner the last two seasons,” Abell said. “She’s making great strides this season so far. Chloe was my No. 2 runner last season and I’m expecting great growth from her this season.”

Neosho has four returning starters overall, as seniors Makenna Davis and Lakyn Prough were also in last year’s lineup. Both are expected to once again be key contributors. 

With so much experience returning this fall, Abell noted the goals are set high.

“I’m anticipating top-two finishes throughout the regular season, minus MSSU,” she said. “I believe they can move up in the conference meet and have a solid fifth place finish.” 

Also listed on the roster are senior Isabella Mabrey and junior Makayla Peters. 

The Wildcats lost Bailey Miller to graduation. Last year’s No. 3 runner, Miller is continuing her athletic and academic career at Northwest Arkansas Community College. 

 

BOYS OUTLOOK

The Wildcats must overcome the graduation of a talented senior class that was led by standout Kaden Cole, who finished sixth at last year’s Class 5 state championships.

“We took a big hit this season,” Abell said. “I lost five of my seven varsity runners. We are looking to fill all of those spots. Specifically, a huge spot to fill will be Kaden Cole’s No. 1 spot as he moves on to compete at MSSU. He’s a great athlete and his 15s in the 5K will be tough to replace.”

Neosho’s returning starters are junior Carson Newell, who was the team’s No. 2 runner last year, and senior Gabe Mabrey, who was in last season’s top five. Newell placed 37th at last year’s conference meet, with Mabrey 62nd. 

The Wildcats will have several new faces competing at the varsity level this fall. 

“Since taking such a big hit to our boys team, we’re basically rebuilding the team,” Abell said. “My goal is to be in the top five during the regular season, with the exception of MSSU, and then to maintain our seventh-place position in the conference. Our conference is one of the toughest in the state.” 

Top newcomers include senior Brandon Cargile. 

“Brandon has worked extremely hard all offseason and he’s jumped right into my toughest workouts with ease,” Abell said. “He’ll make a great addition to our team.” 

Abell noted Christian Lindsay is just one of the team’s promising freshmen who may be contributing at the varsity meets. 

With the season’s first meet quickly approaching, Abell noted she’s confident both squads will make steady progress throughout the fall and put together memorable and successful campaigns.

“Goal setting is going to be a priority this season for us all,” she said. “I think that will really pay off as the season progresses. We have a lot of maturing to do on the boys side and that’s something we’ll be continuing to work on throughout the season. That’s where our goal setting sessions will come into play. Having cross country specific goals is going to be an important aspect, but we’ll also be looking at academics, leadership skills, and overall personal character. Time, dedication, growth and persistence is what this season will be all about.”

The Wildcats will host a warm-up meet on Aug. 27.

CROSS COUNTRY: Fletcher is Carl Junction’s new head coach, Bulldogs have increased numbers

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Chad Fletcher has taken over the reins of the Carl Junction High School cross country program. 

Fletcher spent the last five seasons coaching Carl Junction’s junior high teams.

“Each year we’ve increased our numbers a little bit at a time, and hopefully we have laid the foundation for CJHS XC to be a player in the COC and beyond,” Fletcher said. 

Chad Fletcher

Fletcher noted he’s been pleased with what he’s seen thus far. 

“Attitudes are very upbeat,” he said. “It takes a very special kind of kid to willingly get up so early each day to train and work to improve. They have a very specific individual set of goals for themselves—to make it to state, to make varsity, to improve and set PRs, to challenge for varsity in the future. It’s going to be a fun season.”

Entering the 2022 season, senior Lexi Carpenter is the program’s lone returning state qualifier. Fellow senior Sadie Burchett, who missed out on state by two places last season, is another top returner. 

At last year’s Central Ozark Conference Meet, Carpenter finished 18th and Burchett was 22nd. Carpenter placed 22nd at the district meet and Burchett was 34th. Carpenter finished 82nd at state. 

Senior Klohe Burk, juniors Audrey Fletcher, Bailey Feken and Bryanna McCabe and sophomore Delaney Harris return with varsity experience for the CJ girls. 

On the boys side, senior Brock Feken and junior Jack Lawson are the team’s top returning performers from last season. Both Feken and Lawson have just missed qualifying for state the last two seasons. 

Feken finished 31st at the conference meet, while Lawson was 33rd. Feken and Lawson placed 38th and 56th, respectively, at the district meet. 

Others returning with prior varsity experience are junior Luke Battagler and sophomores Alex Allison and Gavin Hall. 

The Bulldogs lost two state qualifiers to graduation—Collin Emmert and Hannah Franks. Emmert was a state medalist.

Both squads have increased numbers, as several newcomers, including many incoming freshmen, have joined the program.. 

“We have a ton of new runners from our sophomore and freshman classes that we’re hoping to contribute this season,” Coach Fletcher said. “They are working hard to sort themselves out in practice to hopefully earn some varsity time this year.”

One positive for the program is that with the numbers up across the board, there’s been more competition in practice.

“We have more XC athletes (34 combined boys/girls) than we’ve ever had, and many of them are young newcomers eager to earn their place at the table,” Coach Fletcher said. “They will push the varsity to keep their spots. Iron sharpens iron, and competition is always good.”

As far as a main goal, Fletcher hopes to see the Bulldogs make steady progress throughout the season. 

“This will be a challenging but fun season,” Fletcher said. “We have plenty of opportunities to compete against larger COC schools where their sheer numbers can make it difficult to match up one-on-one with them, runner for runner. But that gives us a target—to be the best, you have to beat the best. Both teams want to make it to state. Our hard work will give us a chance to do that.” 

Fletcher noted the keys to a successful season are simple. 

“Pushing each other and never being satisfied,” he said. “We can always improve, and we know that every other team is working just as hard as us. Positive attitudes are a must.” 

The Bulldogs will run at Joplin’s warm-up meet on Aug. 27. Carl Junction will compete at Aurora on Sept. 1. 

 

Carl Junction’s Lexi Carpenter and Sadie Burchett run at last year’s district meet.

CROSS COUNTRY: McAuley Catholic looks to take next step

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The McAuley Catholic cross country program will look to take the next step forward in Andy Youngworth’s second season at the helm.

The Warriors appear poised to pull off that goal, as Youngworth noted he’s already seen improvements from this time a year ago, including more numbers out for the sport and more dedication to training. 

“We had a great summer of off-season conditioning,” Youngworth said. “The kids are anxious to improve upon last season’s performance, and for the most part were very committed each and every day. Most kids ran on their own when we did not meet and that’s a huge factor as we try to build a distance running culture at McAuley Catholic. We do a lot of activities away from running that help cement the bond within the team. In the end, it helps if they like each other, get along and create connections that will remain for years to come.”

Youngworth, who is in his 29th year of coaching overall, noted there’s plenty of optimism surrounding the program as the 2022 season arrives.

“We have a great staff and very supportive parents who have really bought into what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. “Darbi Stancell returns as the head coach for the middle school and has 30-plus years of experience. We added Chris Moreno to the staff. He’s a longtime AAU track and field and cross country coach who also has almost 30  years of experience.”

 

BOYS OUTLOOK

McAuley returns six runners with prior varsity experience, including a pair of state qualifiers.

Michael Parrigon

Sophomore Michael Parrigon is coming off a standout freshman campaign. In 2021, Parrigon was the runner-up at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet, finished 10th at the district meet and placed 38th at the state championships. 

Senior Phillip Motazedi also returns after a solid ’21 season. Like Parrigon, Motazedi earned all-conference and all-district honors. He was seventh at the conference event and 12th in the district race before finishing 65th at state. 

Seniors Kable Reichardt and Drew Zeb and sophomores Grant Horinek and Cliff Nolan also return after gaining experience on last year’s squad. 

“Our three returning seniors (Motazedi, Reichardt and Zeb) have run together since they were freshmen and have done a great job in providing leadership,” Youngworth said. “Six of our returners ran on the varsity at some point last season and that experience will be a great asset as the season progresses.”

Newcomers to the program include senior Joe Staton and freshmen Alex Bohachick, Connor Taffner and Trae Veer.  

“All 10 runners have a chance to contribute this fall, and the competition to be in the top seven will be something that will only make us better,” Youngworth said. 

Youngworth added that this year’s team goals are simple.

“We want to be a competitive team at the meets we attend, compete for a conference championship, qualify as many individuals as we can to the state meet and see everyone improve as a runner and as a person,” he said. 

So what are the keys to accomplishing those goals?

“We have four seniors and they’re key to our success,” Youngworth said. “College Heights is the defending conference champion, and we have our work cut out for us as we try to attain that goal. They’re well-coached and have several of their top runners back for this season. It will be important to continue to focus on team goals over individual goals as the season progresses. We need all 10 guys to be invested in the long-range plans. No season is perfect. We’ll need to overcome injuries, illnesses and our depth will help with that. We need to continue to work hard and stay happy and healthy as we transition from our preseason training to the competitive season.” 

 

GIRLS OUTLOOK

McAuley Catholic’s Kendall Ramsey is a two-time state qualifier in cross country.

Once again leading the way for the McAuley girls will be Kendall Ramsey.

Ramsey is already a two-time state qualifier ahead of her junior season. In 2021, Ramsey was the conference runner-up, took eighth at the district race and finished 37th at the state meet with a time of 22:32.

“Kendall Ramsey brings experience and confidence to the team and she’s done a great job teaching the newcomers how to be a Lady Warrior cross country runner,” Youngworth said. 

The Warriors have five newcomers on this year’s girls roster—junior Miriam Kramer, sophomores Genevieve Billings and Marbellie Villanueva and freshmen Samantha Perrin and Brooke Righter. 

“For the first time in school history, McAuley Catholic hopes to field a full girls team,” Youngworth said. “We have several newcomers who have little or no running experience, so this will be a work in progress. That said, the new girls have had great attitudes and are beginning to understand what cross country is all about.”

With so many newcomers to the sport, the Warriors may not field a full girls team until the end of the season. 

“We’ll bring the team around slowly, making sure that each of our girls are able to achieve their goals,” Youngworth noted. “We’re trying to lay a solid foundation for the future, and always focus on attaining short term goals.

“Our inexperience is the main concern, but to be honest, it is a good problem to have at this stage of the program we are trying to build,” Youngworth added. “It’s great seeing this group become more confident each day as they work to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves and the team.”

Youngworth also mentioned the team’s keys to success.

“Just continuing to work hard and stay happy and healthy as we transition from our pre-season training to the competitive season,” he said. “A couple of the girls play volleyball, so it’s important to be able to juggle two sports and classwork in the best way possible.”

The Warriors will run at Neosho’s warm-up meet on Aug. 27. The team will compete at the SWCCCA Invitational in Bolivar on Sept. 3. 

 

McAuley’s Phillip Motazedi, Kendall Ramsey and Michael Parrigon are returning state qualifiers.

CROSS COUNTRY: Returning state qualifiers Street, Stevens will lead Webb City

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

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.

Webb City’s Abi Street is pictured at last May’s state track meet. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

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.

Evan Stevens is pictured at last May’s state track meet. File photo by Shawn Fowler.  

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. 

CROSS COUNTRY: Carthage looks to take next step in ’22

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

As his second season at the helm begins, Brian Crigger hopes to see his Carthage High School cross country program take a major step forward this fall.

“Last year we didn’t finish the season with any runners at the state meet and I feel like we have a handful of runners with a good shot to get to Columbia this year,” Crigger said. “Our coaching staff’s goal this year is to continue to work on our team culture and growing our program each year. We want our athletes to see that we care about them and we want them to reach their full potential, both in athletics, but more importantly, in life.”

With fall sports practices underway, there’s a sense of optimism in Carthage.  

“We are very excited for the upcoming season for both the girls and the boys,” Crigger said. “We are attending some new meets for the first time and are ready to see how we stack up against other teams around the four-state area. I think we are going to have an excellent season this year. All the athletes are very positive and excited to have a great year.”

The Carthage boys will be led by seniors Miguel Solano, Caleb Fewin and Michael Lanyon, junior Eddy Fuentes and sophomore Colt Pugh.

“We are going to rely heavily on Miguel, Eddy, Caleb and Michael to be our varsity leaders,” Crigger said. 

Among the returners, Fuentes was the team’s top performer at both the conference (43rd) and district meets (53rd). Fewin was close behind, as he finished 48th at the COC Meet and 60th at the district race.

The Tigers have some promising newcomers, including freshmen Devin Smith, Indiana Gray and Shane Ritzema.

“All three had a good summer of training and should be ready to take a jump to the next level,” Crigger said. “We also have a number of other freshmen that trained all summer and should have great seasons.”

The Carthage girls return an experienced group. 

Seniors Alyssa Williams, Mildred Elias and Sonia Lopez, junior Jenna Wilson and sophomores Maggie Boyd, Katy Witherspoon, Jennifer Rodas and Mildred Vicente all return with prior varsity experience. 

“Maggie and Katy are our two best returners based on last year’s times, but I also think a number of other girls are poised to have a run at the top few spots as well,” Crigger said. 

Witherspoon was Carthage’s top performer at last year’s COC Meet (31st) and at the district meet (50th).

As far as newcomers, Crigger expects senior Diana Pichardo to make an immediate impact this fall.

“She has been training with our top runners and is ready for a great season,” Crigger said. “We also have a handful of new underclassmen that should have an immediate impact on the girls side as well.”

With practices underway, Crigger noted his squad has been working hard to improve upon last year’s results. 

“Our strengths are that we have kids that know that consistency is key and the only way to get better is to get out of our comfort zone and push ourselves,” Crigger said. “Our goal is to get better every day and make some waves in conference and district this year.”

 A lack of big meet experience is something the Tigers must overcome this fall. 

“Since we had no runners run at the state meet last year we are missing the experience that comes with past success,” Crigger commented. “Our concern is we are going to be depending on some younger runners in varsity positions that they have not experienced yet. Right now, we have just been training hard getting into a spot to allow them to play key roles on the team.”

Crigger added the keys to success for his team are not complicated. 

“We need to understand that in order to do things we haven’t done before we must be willing to train harder than we ever have before and to trust the process and our teammates,” he said. 

Carthage’s boys and girls will run at Neosho’s warm-up meet on Aug. 27.

The Tigers will host the 49th Carthage Invitational on Sept. 8 at the Carthage Golf Course. 

 

CROSS COUNTRY: College Heights reloaded for ’22 season

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

The College Heights Christian School boys cross country program had a stellar 2021 campaign. 

The Cougars not only captured the Ozark 7 championship, but also advanced their entire squad to the state meet.

Entering the 2022 season, College Heights returns nearly every key performer from last year’s team. With that, the expectations are set high for the reloaded Cougars. 

“We are excited to compete this year,” College Heights coach Phillip Jordan said. “There is a bit of uncertainty with the boys, as we have several playing other sports and cross country will be their secondary sport. However, we have talented runners who have experience and understand what it takes to compete at a high level.”

Returning runners for the CHC boys are seniors Derrick McMillan and Corban Thomas, juniors Jace Edwards, Steven Calandro, Caleb Quade and Brayden Youngberg.

At last year’s Ozark 7 Meet, Quade finished third, McMillan was fifth, Edwards finished eighth, Thomas took 10th and Youngberg was 11th. 

The Cougars advanced their entire boys squad to state last fall by finishing third at the district meet. Quade (54th) and McMillan (56th) were the top performers at state. 

“The strengths of our boys team will be our experience and the understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level,” Jordan noted. 

Also of note, the team would have also returned Rolen Sanderson this year, but he is no longer attending CHC. 

Newcomers to watch on the boys squad are sophomore Josiah Thomas and freshmen Colton McMillan and Will Porter. 

As Jordan noted, many of the Cougars will also be competing in either soccer or football. 

“We only have three full time runners, so naturally the biggest question mark will be how will our boys playing other sports stay in shape to run competitive times? The solution is simply these kids putting in the work on their own,” Coach Jordan said. “If they can find the time between sports, academics, and rest then we will have a shot to reach our goals.”

College Heights’ girls also won a conference championship last year and had two athletes advance to state. 

College Heights returns senior Jayli Johnson and juniors Madelynn Jordan, Madi Carson and Katie Moss. 

Johnson took first at last year’s conference meet, with Carson fifth and Moss 10th. Johnson, a multi-sport standout, placed fifth at the district meet to lead the Cougars. She finished 39th at state. Carson also competed at last year’s state meet. 

“On the girls team, we are looking to bounce back after a tough season in 2021,” Coach Jordan said. “We are healthy and have a ton of potential and also hope to be competing for a chance to qualify as a team for state. The strengths of our girls team is our balance and consistency. We have a great balance between our classes and an understanding of working together to make each runner better.”

Newcomers on the girls team are sophomores Kinley Marsh and Marla Anderegg and freshmen Amelia Hagale and Jesalin Bever. 

Coach Jordan noted an area of concern is inexperience at the varsity level. 

“We will rely on a few runners who haven’t run cross country before or haven’t run at the high school level,” he said. “The regular season will be important to give these girls experience and confidence that they can compete to their potential.”

Coach Jordan said the main key to success for both teams is simple. 

“Consistency,” he said. “We have to consistently work, have positive mindsets, and improve throughout the season. Also, we need to develop a firm understanding of what it takes to reach the highest level. I believe both of our teams have a chance to defend their Ozark 7 Conference championships and also will be in position to qualify for the state meet.”  

The Cougars are scheduled to begin the season at the SWCCCA Meet in Bolivar on Sept. 3.

PREP CROSS COUNTRY: College Heights claims Ozark 7 titles; TJ’s Atteberry, CHC’s Johnson are medalists

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

College Heights Christian’s boys and girls cross country teams were crowned team champions at the Ozark 7 Conference Meet on Friday at Missouri Southern’s Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. 

With three of the top five runners, and with five in the top 10, the College Heights boys had 30 points.

McAuley Catholic was second in the standings with 48 points, while Wheaton (78) and Thomas Jefferson (83) finished third and fourth.

Thomas Jefferson’s Kip Atteberry was the individual medalist in 17 minutes flat. 

McAuley’s Michael Parrigon took second in 18:16, while College Heights’ Caleb Quade (18:27), Rolen Sanderson (18:29) and Derrick McMillan (18:43) rounded out the top five.

Finishing sixth through 10th were Wheaton’s Blake Morgan, McAuley’s Phillip Motazedi, CHC’s Jace Edwards, Wheaton’s Camren Brattin and CHC’s Corbin Thomas.

College Heights’ Brayden Youngberg was 11th, while McAuley’s foursome of Armando Alberto, Drew Zeb, Kable Reichardt and Kevin Tran finished 12th through 15th, respectively.

McAuley’s Cliff Nolan and Grant Horinek were 17th and 19th. Thomas Jefferson’s Eann Espinoza, Jack Goodhue, Sheraz Anis and Lincoln Miller were 22nd through 25th.

The College Heights girls finished with a team score of 15, as the Cougars fielded the only full squad.

College Heights’ Jayli Johnson was the top finisher in the girls race, as she crossed the line at 21:54.

McAuley’s Kendall Ramsey was the runner-up in 22:30. Thomas Jefferson’s Sarah Mueller finished third in 22:54, while Wheaton’s Lakeisha Wise was fourth in 23:39.

CHC’s Madi Carson took fifth, while Thomas Jefferson’s Macie Shifferd was sixth and CHC’s Sophia Moore took seventh.

Rounding out the top 13 were Wheaton’s Lori McNeill, TJ’s Mia Grubbs, CHC’s Katie Moss and Stella Moore, TJ’s Julianne Wachtel and Wheaton’s Kauseng Hang. 

Local squads will compete at district meets on Oct. 30.  

 

FULL RESULTS: Ozark 7 Conference Meet 2021 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Joplin boys capture first-ever conference championship; JHS girls take second

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

Dustin Dixon and the members of the Joplin High School boys cross country team set a number of lofty goals at the beginning of the 2021 season.

Dixon’s Eagles achieved one of those goals on Tuesday night in Nixa. 

And for the first time in program history, a boys cross country team from JHS has captured a conference championship.

With four runners finishing in the top 14, Joplin won the Central Ozark Conference Championships at Inman Elementary School. 

Joplin finished on top of the standings with 58 points. Branson (89) and Willard (92) were a distant second and third, with Nixa (97) and Webb City (101) next in fourth and fifth place, respectively. 

“We set a lot of goals at the start of the season and winning a conference championship was one of them,” Dixon said. “This is the first conference championship in program history of any kind, whether Ozark Conference or COC. We came into tonight pretty confident given how we had run this season. This was our fourth team win of the season and it’s just a testament to the work these boys have done. They had a really great track season last spring and we came into the season with the expectation of winning this meet and contending for a state championship. That’s still the goal. Tonight was the first step in the championship season.” 

Webb City had won seven straight conference championships entering the season. But this year, the Eagles would not be denied, as five JHS runners finished in the top 23. 

“Our boys ran great,” Dixon said. “The difficulty of winning this conference is a testament to the teams in it. Beating a team like Webb City is no easy task. But we knew we had the pieces this year. We came out and ran well. And they did it tonight. But now we look forward to next weekend’s district championship and state. We’ll see what we can do.” 

Joplin was led by Hobbs Campbell’s second place finish. Campbell crossed the line at 15 minutes, 50 seconds. Neosho’s Kaden Cole took first in 15:49, just nipping Campbell for the individual medalist.

Also for the Eagles, Nicholas Horton finished eighth (16:33), while Zaben Barnes took 11th (16:41), Chance Tindall finished 14th (16:52) and Ian Horton was 23rd (17:16). 

“Chance stepped up huge and had the race of his life,” Dixon said of the freshman. “We needed him and he showed up.”

Webb City’s Roman Borboa (16:21) and Dustin Brockmiller (16:23) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, while Evan Stevens was 12th (16:45). 

Carthage’s Mariques Strickland finished 27th, while Carl Junction’s Collin Emmert and Brock Feken took 30th and 31st.

Carl Junction’s Jack Lawson was 33rd and Webb City’s Mason Hedger finished 34th. 

Neosho’s Carson Newell finished 37th and teammate Connor Jordon was 40th.

 

DUNN LEADS JHS GIRLS TO RUNNER-UP SHOWING

Republic claimed the girls championship with 74 points, followed by Joplin (82), Nixa (87) and Webb City (90).

Dixon was pleased with his team’s showing.

“The girls team has been so disjointed all year,” Dixon said. “We’ve been missing kids at various meets for various reasons. On paper, we were projected to be anywhere from fourth to seventh and they got second place. They nearly defended last year’s title. They ran great.”

Joplin’s Jennalee Dunn was the runner-up with a time of 18:57. Nixa’s Alicen Ashley took first in 18:50. 

“Jennalee ran awesome tonight and lowered her school record again,” Dixon said. 

Webb City’s duo of Riley Hawkins and Abi Street finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Hawkins crossed the line at 19:10, with Street finishing in 19:37. 

Neosho’s Riley Kemna placed eighth in 19:54, while Joplin’s Allie Keizer finished 11th in 20:15.

Webb City’s Alanna Bundy finished 13th, Joplin’s Sage Mitchell was 15th and Neosho’s Chloe Wood took 16th.

Carl Junction’s Alexis Carpenter finished 18th and her teammates Hannah Franks and Sadie Burchett were 21st and 22nd. 

Neosho’s Bailey Miller was 23rd, Joplin’s Mairi Beranek finished 24th, Webb City’s Isabelle Lopez took 28th and Joplin’s Averi Burks was 30th. 

Carthage’s Katelyn Witherspoon finished 31st and Carl Junction’s Ally Montez was 34th.

Carl Junction’s Bailey Feken placed 38th and Webb City’s Emily Countryman took 40th. 

District meets are scheduled for Oct. 30. 

 

COC Cross Country Championships

Boys team standings: Joplin 58, Branson 89, Willard 92, Nixa 97, Webb City 101, Ozark 145, Neosho 172, Republic 190, Carthage 211, Carl Junction 223.

Girls team standings: Republic 74, Joplin 82, Nixa 87, Webb City 90, Ozark 111, Carl Junction 133, Neosho 143, Branson 176, Willard 221, Carthage 261.

 

Joplin’s boys cross country team made history on Tuesday, capturing a conference championship for the first time in program history. Submitted photo.

 

FULL RESULTS: COC XC Championship-2021 2021 – Meet Results (milesplit.com)

PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Joplin boys capture team championship at Warrensburg

Posted on by Jason Peake

 

WARRENSBURG, Mo.  — In a final tune-up before the conference meet arrives, Joplin’s boys cross country team claimed the large school championship at the Warrensburg Invitational on Thursday. 

With five runners in the top 19, the Eagles had a team score of 52. Willard and Hickman tied for second with identical team scores of 77. There were 19 teams in attendance. 

Joplin’s Hobbs Campbell was the race’s runner-up with a time of 16:28. Warrensburg’s Drew Belardo was first in 16:21.

Joplin’s Ian Horton (17:07) and Zaben Barnes (17:12) finished ninth and 10th, respectively, while Nicholas Horton took 14th (17:26) and Chance Tindall was 19th (17:45). 

Also for the Eagles, Max Russell was 44th, Aidan Koch took 52nd and Grey Edwards was 89th. 

In the girls race, Joplin’s Sage Mitchell and Allie Keizer finished 33rd and 34th, respectively. Both recorded a time of 22:41.

Also for the Eagles, Averi Burks finished 45th, Jackaline Triplett was 46th, Meridyth Mai finished 59th, Isabella Cruse took 62nd and Cylee Gilreath was 70th. 

Grain Valley (45) and Hickman (127) were the top two teams. Joplin was seventh with a team score of 200. 

The Eagles will compete at the Central Ozark Conference Meet on Tuesday in Nixa. 

  

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