The NTN Heartland #1 ranked Saint Louis University High, feeding off the power of the thundering "Blue Army" showed us the definition of the pack attack with their 5 point win (113-118) over Parkway West in the Missouri Boys Class 4 race Saturday at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jeff City, Missouri.
Parkway West, led by individual champion Eric Fernandez put 3 runners across the line before Sluh's number 1 runner.
Sluh's depth prevailed however, with them putting 6 runner's in front of Parkway West's 4th. Springfield's Kickapoo, led by front man Rick Elliot was 3rd with 143 points. NTN Heartland #6 ranked Lee's Summit West finished 4th for the final trophy spot with 168 points led by Sophomore Kevin Colon.
Fernandez blasted through the course leading from line to line in 15:50, scoring the 10th fastest time on the books. Elliot held off Francis Howell North's Matt Schwab 15:58 to 15:59 finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Normandy's Darwin Price finished 4th in 16:07 with Columbia Hickman's Sam Masters rounding out the top 5 in 16:09
In the girls Class 4 race Lee's Summit West brought home the gold this year after besting all the other teams including NTN Heartland #4 ranked Jeff City who dropped out of trophy contention to 5th place. Lee's Summit West Led by Junior Brittany Tate scored 73 points over number 2 finisher Eureka with 106 points. Rockwood Summit was 3rd with 127 and Cape Central scored 144 points for that 4th team trophy.
Sophomore sensation Diane Robison of Parkway Central was in total control throughout the 5k race, running the only sub 19:00 minute time of the day to finish in 18:39. Marquette's Hilary Orf edged out Rockwood Summit's Aimee Bonte 19:16 to 19:18. Neosho's freshman flyer, Courtney Wood was 4th in 19:29 while the team champions frontrunner Tate was 5th, running a 19:34.
The boys Class 3 race was everything the pre-race hype said it would be pitting NTN Heartland #9 ranked Potosi's young front running trio against the perennial powerhouse West Plains. It was nip and tuck all the way thru, even with one of Potosi's vaunted trio, Nick Niggeman having problems they managed to put 4 runners in front of West Plains 3rd. However, West Plains answered back putting all 7 of their runners in front of Potosi's 5th. The spread was too much however, and West Plains fell, 87 to 78. Cape Notre Dame was 3rd with 104 points and Branson was 4th with 168.
The individual race was a real dual with Lutheran South's Adam Behnke pushing the pace thru most of the race, Postosi's Jacob Swearingen passed Behnke with 200 meters to go as Adam ran into problems heading up the vaunted Heartbreak hill to the line. Swearingen finished in 16:00 flat to Behnke's 16:12. Branson's Chris Bell was 3rd in 16:19. Mexico's Hayden Legg and Potosi's Joe Skelton battled all the way to the finish with Legg coming out on top 16:24 to 16:25 for the 4th and 5th spots.
The NTN #5 Heartland ranked West Plains Girls showed us what the ranking was all about by putting all 5 of their girls in front of everyone else’s number 4. They scored 74 points over #2 St. Genevieve who was locked in a nail biter with Branson, just outscoring them 90 to 92. KC's Notre Dame de Sion rounded out the top 4 with 120 points.
Ladue's super Junior Natalie Todd finished the race in 19:05 for the second best course time of the day among the lady harriers. Potosi freshman Sarah White was second in 19:14 while Festus' Alyssa Allison and Branson's Erin Huddleston finished 3rd and 4th in 19:31 and 19:45. Two time defending Class 3 Champion, Brittani Johnson of West Plains put the cap on a stellar HS career by beating all the odds and returning from an early season knee surgery to lead her Lady Zizzers with a 5th place finish in 19:49.
In the Class 2 Boys race, perennial powerhouse, Herculaneum, racked up another number 1 finish to add to their long list of championships. The Blackcats put all 5 scorers in front of runner-up Smithville's number 2 while running to a 67 to 115 victory. Smithville just edged 3rd place Osage after tying them thru 5 runners. The pusher rule was invoked giving Smithville the 2nd place nod as their 6th man crossed in 78th place compared to Osage's 6th at 93rd. Springfield Catholic was 4th with 134 points.
Kansas City O'Hara's Max Storms was the undisputed individual Champion after his 16:34 run over number 2 Jason Barry of Osage who finished in 16:51. The next 3 spots were hotly contested as teammates Zach Lhamon and Matt Wilkinson paced each other to third and fourth place finishes of 17:05 and 17:08. Adam Praholw of Lutheran North filled out the top five, crossing the line in 17:09.
The Lady Blackcats of Herculaneum made it a double with their class 2 girls title, scoring 69 points to the Smithville girls 90. Mountain Grove was 3rd with 114 and St. Peters Lutheran rounded out the top 4 with 145.
Individual champion, Pembroke Hills' Lilly Fisher crossed the line in 20:10 after taking control of the race at the midway point. Herky's Eileen Schweiss was 2nd in 20:25, just ahead of Wright City's Megan Kowalik at 20:29. Kelsie Hutsell of Willow Springs was 4th in 20:32. St. Peters Lutheran's Emily Haberstroh was 5th in 20:44.
The Class 1 boys race was quite possibly the most dominating race of day with Joplin's College Heights taking the first place trophy by putting all 5 runners in the top seven, scoring 17 points. West Platte was 2nd with 76 points while Lone Jack and Valley Park were 3rd and 4th scoring 154 to 163.
College Heights Senior, Ethan Beaver who won in 16:51, led teammates Caleb Hoover; 17:00, Josh Carter; 17:16 and Alan Good; 17:20, across the line in front of Lone Jack's Sean Freehan who was 5th in 17:21.
Penney ran away with the Girls Class 1 race, scoring 27 points and putting all five scorers in the top eighteen. Joplin's College Heights was second with 60, Alton was 3rd with 104 and Cass-Midway was 4th with 160 points.
Emily Beaver, matched brother Ethan, with her Championship win, running 20:13 to lead the Lady Cougars to their 2nd place finsh. Penny's front runner, Senior Jordan Esry crossed the line in 2nd, at 20:28. Lee's Summit Community Christian's Ashley Wolkomir was 3rd in 20:36, Penny's Ashley Flook 4th in 20:49.