BIG RIVER RANKINGS #6
10.29.07
TEAM RANKINGS
TOP 10 GIRLS TEAMS
#1) JEFFERSON CITY – Sectional Champs. Their spread has been incredible all year long. All they need to do this Saturday is more of the same. State Prediction: 1st, Class 4
#2) WEST PLAINS - The Zizzers were District Champs in commanding fashion. State Prediction: 1st, Class 3.
#3) LEE'S SUMMIT WEST – Big time victory in the always tough Kansas City Sectional. State Predicition: 2nd, Class 4.
#4) STE GENEVIEVE – Ste. Gen looked the part of a top team at arguably the toughest Class 3 District. State Prediction: 2nd, Class 3.
#5) FESTUS – Second to Ste. Gen at Districts but they will have a shot at turning the tables this Saturday. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 3.
#6) ST. TERESA'S ACADEMY – This team is back in the rankings after a second place finish at Sectionals. Keep in mind that their #2/3 runner was forced to drop out due to dehyrdation. They could be a threat for second in Class 4. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 4.
#7) OAK PARK – Seven points back of St. Teresa's at Sectionals. State Prediciton: 4th, Class 4.
#8) NOTRE DAME DE SION – Won their District pretty handily. State Prediction: 4th, Class 3.
#9) CAPE CENTRAL – Sectional Champs in a very tough race. State Prediction: 5th, Class 4.
#10) ROCKWOOD SUMMIT – Edged out by Cape Central at Sectionals. State Prediction: 6th, Class 4.
HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical order): Eureka, Kickapoo, Lafayette, Lee's Summit North, Liberty, Neosho, Lindbergh
.............................................................TOP 10 BOYS TEAMS
#1) SLUH – Sectional Champs. Held out #3 man Austin Cookson. Throw him in and they have another 20 second spread. State Prediction: 1st, Class 4
#2) PARKWAY WEST - Sectional Champs. These guys are the one team that it seems could overtake SLUH if things fall in their favor. They now look like they might even have a better 1-2-3 punch than Francis Howell North.
State Prediction: 2nd, Class 4.
#3) WEST PLAINS – District Champs. This team is very good and would likely challenge for the Class 4 title if they were to go up against SLUH and Parkway West. State Prediction: 1st, Class 3.
#3) LEE'S SUMMIT WEST – Sectional Champs. Their 1-5 runners were separated by less than a minute at Sectionals which gives them a much better spread than Hickman, Kickapoo, Howell North and DeSmet. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 4.
#4) COLUMBIA HICKMAN – Sectional Champs over Kickapoo and they appear to be coming on at the end of the year. State Prediction: 4th, Class 4.
#5) KICKAPOO - Runners-up at Sectionals but they have room to improve if previous #2 man Danny Thater moves back up. State Prediction: 5th, Class 4.
#6) POTOSI – District Champs. They will have to face off against West Plains in Class 3 in hopes of defending their Titles from the past two years. State Prediction: 2nd, Class 3.
#7) OAK PARK – Runners-up at Sectionals. They have a pretty good spread and have been solid all year long.
State Prediction: 6th, Class 4.
#9) FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH – Third in what was certainly one of the top two Sectionals. Their 1-2-3 punch should guarantee them a top 8 finish at State. State Prediction: 7th, Class 4.
#10) DE SMET – The Spartans solidified their spot in the top ten with another great run at Sectionals. With #1 man Connor Callahn a probable top five guy this is a team that could jump all the way to the podium if things go perfectly.
State Prediction: 8th, Class 4.
HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical): Cape Notre Dame, CBC, Festus, Herculaneum, Jefferson City, Liberty, Rockhurst
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
10.29.07
All season long (though maybe not as often as the team rankings) we will try to keep an eye out for the top 15 runners in the State. Again, these are the top 15 regardless of Class. It is a lot easier to miss a runner or two so we apologize if we shorted you or your teammate. Feel free to email us at info@bigriverrunning.com if you know someone who should be on the Big River Top 15. Enjoy!!
TOP 15 GIRLS
#1) Diane Robison, Parkway Central – Sectional Champ, ran 18:15 at Forest Park for a course record. State Prediction: 1st, Class 4.
#2) Natalie Todd, JR, Ladue – Ran 19:00 on a tough Big Driver course at Sectional. State Prediction: 1st, Class 3.
#3) Aimee Bonte, SR, Rockwood Summit – Bonte was a Sectional Champ as well and will now face off against Robison who bested her by three seconds in their last meeting. State Prediction: 2nd, Class 4.
#4) Brittani Johnson, SR, West Plains - Johnson won a tough Class 3 District and should be able to challenge Todd in an effort to win her third straight State Title. State Prediction: 2nd, Class 3.
#5) Courtney Wood, FR, Neosho- Wood posted an 18:44 win at Sectionals. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 4.
#6) Hilary Orf, SR, Marquette - Cut the distance between Bonte and herself to seven seconds at Sectionals. State Prediction: 4th, Class 4.
#7) Alyssa Allison, JR, Festus - Allison looked in top form at Districts with a big win over Potosi's Sarah White. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 3.
#8) Michelle Hicks, Lebanon- Hicks was runner-up at Sectionals to #5 Wood. State Prediction: 5th, Class 4.
#9) Lauren Borduin, SR, Rock Bridge - Borduin was fourth at Sectionals but could have been holding back a bit. State Prediction: 6th, Class 4.
#10) Erin Huddleston, JR, Branson - Branson will be in action in the tough Class 3 District Meet against the aforementioned trio of Reida, Johnson and Mitchell. State Prediction: 4th, Class 3.
#11) Sara White, SO, Potosi- White was second at Sectionals to #7 Allison. State Prediction: 5th, Class 3.
#12) Meghan Yohe, FR, Liberty - Yohe was the Sectional Champ in Kansas City. State Prediction: 7th, Class 4.
#13) Elizabeth Keaveny, SR, St. Teresa's - Keaveny looked like her old self at Sectionals with a runner-up finish. Her career suggests she could finish even higher than predicted at State. State Prediction: 8th, Class 4.
#14) Brittany Tate, JR, Lee's Summit West - Tate was 12th at Sectionals but she was the District Champ the week before. Maybe she was resting? State Prediction: 9th, Class 4.
#15) Johanna Kleinsasser, FR, Lee's Summit West- The freshman Kleinsasser was a close third at the Kansas City Sectional and has been right there with Tate all year long. State Prediction: 10th, Class 4.
TOP 15 BOYS
#1) Eric Fernandez, SR, Parkway West – Sectional Champ. Fernandez is undefeated and has not lost a race in a very long time dating all the way back to the track season. State Prediction: 1st, Class 4.
#2) Rick Elliot, SR, Kickapoo – Sectional Champ. Look for Elliot to push the pace at State and for the race to come down to he and Fernandez. He certainly has the tools to win it. State Prediction: 2nd, Class 4.
#3) Adam Behnke, SR, Lutheran South – Behnke cruised a 15:59 at Districts and made it look easy. After besting the Potosi boys at Hancock he has rolled through the rest of the season unchallenged and made a habit of going under 16:00. Look for him to do it again at State. State Prediction: 1st, Class 3.
#4) Jacob Swearingen, JR, Potosi– District Champ on his home course. Let's not forget that this is the same runner who blistered the State course to the tune of 15:52 last year as a sophomore. Expect a battle all the way to the end.
State Prediction: 2nd, Class 3.
#5) Nick Niggeman, JR, Potosi – Runner-up at Districts. Expect he and teammate Swearingen to go to the front and work together at State. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 3.
#6) Matt Scwhab, SR, Francis Howell North – Schwab has been super consistent all year and is capable of sub 16 on the State course. State Prediction: 3rd, Class 4.
#7) Sam Masters, SR, Columbia Hickman - Two ticks back of Scwab at Sectionals. State Predcition: 4th, Class 4.
#8) Phil Bascio, SR, CBC- Bascio has raced and finished second to Fernandez two weeks in a row. He knows what to expect at State. That could be an advantage. State Prediction: 5th, Class 4.
#9) Chris Bell, Branson - Bell was the District Champ in 15:38. State Prediction: 4th, Class 3.
#10) Jack Taylor, Nixa - Talyor was second to Bell at Districts but ahead of Palomino from West Plains. State Predicition: 5th, Class 3.
#11) Phillip Palomino, JR, West Plains – Yet another Class 3 star. Up front Class 3 will be just as tough as Class 4. State Prediction: 6th, Class 3.
#13) Connor Callahan, JR, DeSmet - Callahan was second to Darwin Price at Sectionals but had beaten him at Districts. State Prediction: 6th, Class 4.
#14) Nick Happe, JR, Francis Howell North- Happe was just behind #7 Masters at Sectionals proving that spots 7-15 could really change around after State. State Prediction: 7th, Class 4.
#15 TIE) Darwin Price, SR, Normandy - Price was Sectional Champ and went sub 16 at Sectionals. He goes to the front and on a great day could be a factor for the win. State Prediction: 8th, Class 4.
#15 TIE) Max Storms, JR, O'Hara- Storms is the favorite in Class 2 and has the ability to challeng the Class 2 State record. State Prediction: 1st, Class 2.