While the new Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia hosts the state championships, Mizzou and Columbia College home meets, the upcoming NCAA Division I Midwest Regional on Friday, November 11th, and the annual Gans Creek Classic high school and college meets, it also saw another high school meet held there for a second straight year.
Harrisburg hosted the Brian T. Simpson Invite on Saturday, October 8. The meet honors the Blue Springs native, University of Missouri graduate, and former Harrisburg teacher, and cross country and baseball coach. Five years after his passing after a pickup truck crossed the center line and collided with the bus Simpson was driving the Harrisburg cross country team on, middle and high school athletes and teams raced in his honor at the world-class cross country course.
The weather matched the beautiful setting of Gans Creek, giving athletes the opportunity to race among the colorful foliage and clear, blue sky. The middle school winners ran to fast times as did Smithton senior Riley Bryan in the high school girls race. South Shelby's Noah Wilt won the high school boys title, while North Platte swept the high school team titles.
Not a Cloud in the...
The North Platte boys run the starting straight of Gans Creek Course on their way to victory in the varsity boys 5k, taking 1st out of 11 teams with just 58-points.
South Shelby sophomore Noah Wilt leads Bourbon freshman Brett Payne (left), North Platte junior Noah Heckman (right), and Stoutland senior Bradley Shaw (back left) at 3,100-meters into the varsity boys race.