Josh Allison capped off his senior year by becoming only the sixth
boy in his high school history to claim an individual state
championship.
The senior who signed with Southern Illinois is the first to win the cross country title after he won the MSHSAA Class 4 XC Championship in November. His performance also set the tone for the school to win its first-ever championship in either boys or girls athletics.
Allison was voted the Class 4 senior boys runner of the year with 55% of the vote.
He won nine different races this year, starting with the 3-mile Fleet Feet Classic at Arnold City Park on Aug. 30 and ending with the Class 4 title. His lowest finish of the year was taking sixth at the Gans Creek Classic in September. He was beaten by Class 3 champion Connor Burns of Southern Boone County, Class 5 champion Sage Wilde of Liberty North and then three other Class 5 all-staters.
In second place in the voting was Willard's Nolan Hansen. There was a three-way tie for third with Festus' Ian Schram, Ryan Seabaugh of Central Cape Girardeau and Monett's Julio Cruz.
