JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Nerinx Hall got a glimpse of what the Missouri cross country landscape looks like from the podium last year as the Class 4 runner-up.
The Markers climbed one more peg up that championship ladder with Saturday’s MSHSAA Cross Country Championships title run with a low score of 82 points in Class 4 to beat runner-up Lafayette, which scored 103, at the Oak Hills Golf Center.
Nerinx Hall erupted in joy near the finish line as the results came in, and coach Gaylerd Quigley’s smile was as big as they come.
“It’s just unbelievable,” Quigley said. “I guess when you’ve never won a state title before, you don’t know what it feels like. You don’t want to get your hopes up too much. I don’t want to be disappointed if we don’t win, but I knew we could be right there in the mix today. I just really felt it with these girls.”
Senior Sophia Racette led the Markers with a runner-up finish in 18:09.01, which places her 10th on the all-time fastest list of Missouri state performances. Racette said she knew Eureka’s Hannah Long would take off and make it a race for second place, and she was ready to battle a strong pack of runners for that honor.
“(Marquette’s) Hannah Pierson went with me, and from then on it was surviving to the finish,” Racette said. “We ended up running way faster than I expected we would run. I never thought I could run that time on this course. Once the pack dwindled down, it was just survivor. We were all in pain, and we all were suffering, but it was just to get there first, and I’m glad I was able to capitalize on that opportunity.”
Racette said she also knew she had to keep Pierson at bay to score as low as possible for the team. It’s an obligation all the Markers feel, but they enjoy carrying that weight for each other.
“There’s no exceptions in the team placing. Everyone has to run for place, and I count in that too,” Racette said. “Everybody has to beat as many people as possible. I was thinking, ‘If Hannah (Pierson) beats me, that’s one more point we get,’ and so that was in the back of my mind the entire time.
“Everybody’s been working so hard all season. We’ve had so many pep talks and meetings about running for each other and doing it for the team. The whole thing was just running for your teammates. Put it on the line, and no matter what happens, do it for your team.”
Quigley gave Racette credit for leading this team to the top of the podium. He said she was the one that took charge of the program all season and made sure all of the girls were focused on the same goal.
“This is Sophia Racette’s team right here,” Quigley said. “Most of the time I have it on autopilot. I design the workouts. They get in line, and she shows them exactly how we’ve been doing it. That’s how a program develops. These girls … I can’t say enough about how much they like each other and enjoy working hard together. It’s what it’s all about.”
As with most team victories in cross country, there’s a runner that exceeds the pre-race expectations. For the Markers that was freshman Sloane Montgomery, who improved from being the team’s No. 6 at sectionals to the third scoring runner on the state course. She finished 26thoverall in 19:26.
“That’s the kind of thing that propels you at the state meet to a state title,” Quigley said.
The Markers also had a boost this season from the addition of senior Meggie Hagerty, who was running cross country for the first time. Hagerty joined the Markers’ track team last spring and became a valuable part of the team, and that convinced her to commit to the cross country team. She finished as the fifth scoring Marker, coming in 45th (19:54) on her birthday.
Nerinx Hall will compete at Nike Cross Regionals next weekend, and while Quigley said the team’s goals of traveling for one more race and having fun haven’t changed, Racette said the state title may have nudged the girls to be a little more serious about showing the rest of the Midwest what they have to offer.
First, though, Racette and the rest of the Markers had to make some plans to celebrate.
“This is the day I’ve been dreaming for all season long, my entire high school career. I cannot believe it’s happening,” Racette said