This will be my 6th State XC Meet as Webmaster of MoMileSplit. With just 48 hours until the state meet i thought it would be fun to throwback to some of the stories from the state meet in recent years.
I wish we had the headline and links to the great stories over the years. For those currently running in high school it might be hard to imagine a time without smartphones or a site like this one to cover and document the accomplishments of the athletes who have participated in this great event.
2008
I believe this was the first state xc article written for Missouri Runners by David who at the time was a sophomore in high school. Little did we know this was only the beginning.
2011
Herculaneum Sweeps Class 2
Herculaneum wins both the boys and girls Class 2 titles.
Nightingale, LSW Repeat, Wilfong & Rock Bridge Capture Elusive Gold
Repeats, 5-Peats and a first time state champion are all part of our Class 4 coverage.
Kearney Girls & Drew White Dominate Class 3
The girls from Kearney and Drew White of Festus are the focus of our Class 3 recap.
2012
Track Stars Fischer & Rickets Win XC Titles
Herculaneum’s Kaitlyn Fischer was on a mission. She had her track gold medals, but the state cross country title had eluded her for three years. Both Saga Barzowski and Courtney Rogers, the two girls who account for the past three Class 2 state titles, were in the field once again.
Rush & McNiel Win Class 1 Titles
Tyler Rush had the thrill of finishing 1-2 with his teammate last year and claiming a team title.
Class 3 Boys: Bartlesmeyer Battles Back & Festus Packs Title
Bartelsmeyer admits his speed gives him more confidence on the track than in cross country. But he knows when and how to use it for cross country success as well.
Werner, Ste Genevieve Cap Off Magical Season
After Ste. Genevieve freshman Taylor Werner arrived on the high school scene with a jaw-dropping performance at Forest Park, speculation quickly started swirling about whether she could take down the girls’ state record.
Francis Howell, Long Capture Class 4 State Titles
Francis Howell had set a course for a state title all season.
Belete Crowned Class 4 Boys Champion
While Blue Springs senior Simon Belete was being swarmed by well-wishers with congratulatory hugs and pats on the back for winning the Missouri boys’ Class 4 state cross country meet, one classmate couldn’t resist reminding the newly crowned champion that he had been the better runner in the eighth grade.
SLUH Gives Competition The Boot
The state cross country meet always brings out some of the gutsiest performances. St. Louis University High sophomore Matt Hennessey was in a walking boot all week leading up to the Class 4 state meet, and his only run was the practice lap the Jr. Billikens took on the Oak Hills Golf Center course on Friday.
2013
Capital City Advantage?
After the first season where teams got a chance to see the Oak Hills Golf Center before the state meet, the typical response from those that participated in the Capital City XC Challenge in October was to downplay the talk of gaining an advantage.
Fatima sticks together to claim Class 2 titles
Seven seconds. That’s all the time that separated Fatima’s first five scoring runners in the girls’ Class 2 state cross country race Saturday at Oak Hills Golf Center.
Overstreet pulls away for Class 2 title
Lamar junior Kaden Overstreet came close to a state title last year with a second-place finish, so he was not going to miss another opportunity.
Gillam's fast start leads to Class 3 victory
The runners knew the battle at the front of the Class 3 boys’ race had big team implications. That added extra pressure to every stride as they neared the finish line.
Ste. Genevieve returns to winners' circle
Ste. Genevieve defended its girls’ title, scoring 46 points behind five all-state performances.
Russellville boys join in championship party
State trophies are nothing new for the Russellville girls. The boys joined the party this year as the Indians swept the Class 1 team titles.
Rogers runs alone to Class 2 title
Courtney Rogers knew what it would feel like to win a state title, but there was still something missing from this victory.
Catholic runners lead strong area showing at state cross country meet
Catholic’s top three runners formed a tight pack early in the Class 2 girls race and stayed close throughout to lead the Lady Irish to a second-place finish, their fourth top-two finish in five years.(via www.news-leader.com)
Hill shows plenty of heart en route to Class 1 title
Russellville senior Miranda Hill felt fortunate just to be running in the Class 1 state meet Saturday, and winning the race was almost unfathomable even a month ago
Brown's motivated run results in title
Seth Brown can never doubt that he left everything out on the Oak Hills course.
Howell defends Class 4 title
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.
SLUH repeats after results scare
For a handful of fleeting moments, Lafayette thought it had won the Class 4 boys cross country title Saturday at Oak Hills Golf Center.
Long's record-setting run comes as no surprise
The cross country community has grown used to seeing Eureka’s Hannah Long run away with races.
Werner does it again, smashes another record
Taylor Werner was completely unaware that her target had moved.
Redemption for Kauppila comes with state record
Everything was different this time around the Oak Hills state cross country course for Marquette’s Noah Kauppila.