OAK RIDGE — St. Vincent senior Reagan Meyer won the girls title in 21 minutes, 3.57 seconds, at the Class 1, District 1 cross country meet Saturday in Oak Ridge. Teammate Anna Welker, a sophomore, finished second in 21:56.90, leading the Lady Indians to the district team title.
It was the first time in team history that St. Vincent runners have ever finished first and second in district competition in either category.
Along with claiming the top 2 spots, all five remaining members of the Lady Indians squad ran season-best times to help St. Vincent claim the team’s second-ever district title. Alton was second with 42 points, Ellington was third with 69, Meadow Heights was fourth with 97 and Campbell was fifth with 103.
On the boys’ side, St. Vincent junior Carter Hennemann won the boys individual title with a time of 17:24.32, but the Indians finished sixth as a team, out of the running to compete as a team at the state meet.
In all, St. Vincent will have nine runners competing in the state championship meet, scheduled for Saturday at Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia.
In the girls’ race, St. Vincent’s Audrey Amschler was 16th in 24:24.78, and Jocelyn Weibrecht was 30th in 25:51.63 to qualify for the state meet, while teammate Adeline Carlton was 31st in 26:00.67. Sisters Sybina and Sybella Nations finished 46th and 47th, with times of 29:11.12 and 29:26.58, respectively.
On the boys’ side, St. Vincent sophomore Luke Ryan finished 24th in 19:37.84 to qualify for state, while Caden Hadler was 38th in 20:28.97, and Jackson Strattman was 39th in 20:29.45.
Bo Burgin finished 70th in 22:17.14, Noah Winschel was 72nd in 22:17.59, and Tristin Anders was 94th in 25:34.95.
Van Buren won the boys’ team title with 43 points, followed by Meadow Heights with 72 and Oak Ridge with 85. Alton was fourth with 97, and Bloomfield was fifth with 98.
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IRONTON — Saxony Lutheran junior Raylee Matthews finished in 21 minutes, 43.78 seconds to claim the 11th-place spot at the Class 2, District 1 cross country meet at the Arcadia Valley Sports Complex in Ironton, leading the Lady Crusaders to a third-place team finish, qualifying them for the state cross country meet, scheduled for Saturday at Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia.
East Carter won the district title with 76 points, followed by Brentwood with 84. Veritas Christian Academy was fourth with 95.
Individually, five other Lady Crusaders finished on each other’s heels, as Eva Williamson was 19th in 22:31.31; Adalyn Brandhorst was 20th in 22:35.97; Emmy Bengtson was 21st in 22:46.67; Gretchen Wolfe was 22nd in 22:53.09, and Briley Meyr was 23rd in 22:57.39. Allee McKee finished 51st in 28:07.95.
On the boys’ side, Nicolas Chambless was the only state qualifier for the Crusaders in a very competitive field, finishing 26th in 18:07.75, as the Crusaders finished ninth in the team standings with 219 points.
Woodland won the district title with 41 points, followed by Jefferson with 69 and Veritas Christian Academy with 153. Kingston was fourth with 154.
Individually for Saxony Lutheran, Mark Richey was 36th in 18:33.54, Jacob Schupp was 40th in 18:45.40, Samuel Petzoldt was 57th in 19:42.89, and Henry Klaus was 60th in 19:53.49. Evan Ward was 69th in 20:14.83, and Simon May was 83rd in 21:28.01.
Altogether, Saxony Lutheran will have 10 runners competing at the state meet, including nine from the girls’ team.
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CAPE GIRARDEAU — Perryville senior Clayton Bauwens was the only Pirate to qualify for the state cross country meet, finishing 27th with a time of 17 minutes, 26.38 seconds at the Class 4, District 1 meet Saturday at the Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center in Cape Girardeau.
Bauwens’ top-30 finish led the Pirates to an eighth-place finish in the team standings. Festus claimed the district team title with 50 points, followed by Webster Groves with 51 and DeSoto with 80.
Festus senior Carson Driemeier won the individual title with a time of 15:12.89.
Individually for Perryville, Micah Brown was 43rd in 18:42.87, Easton Blechle was 47th in 18:55.00, Marcas Smith was 68th in 19:55.15, Rodney Rauh was 75th in 20:31.75, Cale Austin was 83rd in 21:34.71, and Colton O’Keefe was 88th in 22:22.49.
On the girls’ side, Perryville was led by Anna Rehagen, who was 60th in 24:54.78. Lucy Blythe was 61st in 25:00.55, Alexa Hagan was 66th in 25:17.54, Addelynne Kirn was 68th in 25:39.98, Katie Baggett was 73rd in 26:42.34, Esveidy Antonio Garcia was 77th in 27:08.88, and Grace Buchheit was 79th in 27:40.02.
Webster Groves junior Carson Selby won the individual title with a time of 18:54.50. Festus won the girls team title with 29 points, followed by Webster Groves with 49, and Clayton with 114. Lutheran South was fourth with 147.
The Class 4 state meet is scheduled for Friday at Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia.
