District 4
Location: Lamar, MO (Lamar XC Course)
Teams: Billings, Blue Eye, Crane, Exeter, Galena, Greenwood, Hurley, McAuley Catholic, Purdy, School of the Ozarks, Sparta, Thomas Jefferson Independent, Wheaton
2017 Team Qualifiers: Boys - Liberal (37), Wheaton (84); Girls - Liberal (29), School of the Ozarks (44)
Top Returners (2017 Place): Adian Hiebsch - School of the Ozarks (3rd), Olivia Labrier - Blue Eye (2nd)
District 1 | District 2 | District 3 | District 4 | District 5 | District 6 | District 7 | District 8
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You want a fast race? You want 2022 studs? You got 'em both in this one.
Contested at Lamar and featuring the fastest Class 1 boy and girl in the state based on time, District 4 will surely be one to keep an eye on.
In the boys race, it is freshman Titus Thompson from the School of the Ozarks with his sparkly 16:29.80 from the notoriously quick East Newton course as the favorite in this one. Don't sleep on Thompson because of the fast course, though. He has followed it up with a 16:34 at the Clever Invitational most recently, thus pushing him into a position where he will be contending for a state championship beyond this District 4 race. He will first have to hold off his teammate Adian Hiebsch and Wheaton's Marek Smith before he takes on Oak Hills, though, and appears set up well to do so.
We will mention Blue Eye more shortly, but they appear to be in a solid position to earn their first state meet berth in school history as they sit just ahead of Class 1 newcomer Crane in our virtual meet. Crane, after dropping from Class 2, will have to hold off Purdy if they hope to earn their second ever state meet trip and first since 2012.
Where did the Blue Eye freshman girls come from, though? Particularly, the Arnold sisters?
"They are two very hard working, dedicated kids who trained all summer long," says head coach Jacob Thompson-Krug. "They have a great attitude about competing against each other everyday. They are also varsity volleyball players. It's rare to see such mental maturity from freshman. I would say their mental toughness and desire to push themselves is their greatest strength."
Riley Arnold has burst onto the scene as not only one of the fastest girls in Class 1, but in the entire state, as her eye-popping 18:33.55 from last Tuesday's Huntsville (AR) Invitational shows. But, not too far behind her twin sister, is Avery Arnold. Her 19:02.0 personal best as her in a great position to compete at the Class 1 state meet, as well. Both sisters are combining with fellow freshman Braylynn Siercks to create a three-headed monster that appears unstoppable heading into District 4.
The Blue Eye girls' 1-2-3 finish should be enough to secure their fourth trip to the state meet and first since 2016 while Sparta is the next closest squad and Wheaton sits in a distant third.
Lamar Country Club Course:
