JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The path to the podium was a little different this year, but at the end it was Francis Howell again as the top girls team in Class 4.
Howell graduated two all-state runners from last season’s championship squad, and Vikings coach Nate Tower stepped down over the summer to focus on family matters. Dave Rogles stepped in and seamlessly picked up the reins, while freshman Maddi Leigh gave the Vikings a scoring punch they could count on.
Howell’s Arnica Zitting led the team with her sixth-place finish as the Vikings tallied 102 points to defend their title and repeat as Class 4 cross country champions Saturday at Oak Hills Golf Center.
“This is still Tower’s team,” Rogles said. “The girls grew up under him, and they ran for him, and him coming down this weekend didn’t hurt.”
Leigh battled in the chase pack throughout most of the race, but Rogles felt like the fast start finally took its toll, and Leigh was forced to hold on for 23rd.
“I would’ve like to have that first mile come back,” Rogles said. “It was awful fast. I think it helped us even though it hurt everybody.
“(Leigh) has an assassin’s attitude and will not back off an inch. Slowing her down would’ve been beneficial to her personally. I would’ve like to have seen our team with her slowed down that first mile and Arnica slowed down and Kristen Adams slowed down.”
Rogles also credited the effort of senior Rebecca Turney, who finished 38th and was the team’s third scoring runner.
“Rebecca Turney probably won the race for us in the last 1,000 meters,” Rogles said. “She ran awesome. She nailed a lot of people there.
“After her freshman year she was the second-fastest freshmen in the state at this meet. She went on missionary work in South America, and her stomach has not been right since she came back. And this year she’s starting to overcome that. We keep her healthy and we’re a lot better team. She came up big for us today.”
Nerinx Hall moved up to capture second place with 113 points, giving the Markers their best finish since finishing runner-up in 1998.
Lafayette edged Eureka for third with the sixth-runner tiebreaker after both teams finished with 133 points.