It's a relatively light week that still includes a number of conference meets and a couple of bigger invitationals. With a lighter schedule this week, we preview just a few of the meets that you should be keeping an eye on.
10/14 Borgia Invitational Washington, MO
Confirmed Teams: Affton, Bayless, Bishop DuBourg, Chaminade, College Prep, Christian Brothers College, Clayton, Hancock, Helias Catholic, Jefferson City, John Burroughs, Kirkwood, Living Word Christian, Maplewood Richmond Heights, Mary Institute-Country Day School, New Haven, Osage, Principia, St. Francis Borgia, St. Louis University, St. Mary's (St. Louis), Ste. Genevieve, Troy-Buchanan, Visitation Academy, Whitfield
The Borgia Invite is MoMileSplit's Meet of the Week this week as we will be on site providing pictures and videos from the meet at Big Driver in Washington. A number of important athletes and teams will be in attendance here. Helias Catholic brings the #1 ranked Class 3 girls team, but also Jack Crull and Jenson Starr on the boys side. Jefferson City, should they bring their top boys, will probably be the favorite for the team win, but Kirkwood will be formidable contenders after their runner-up finish at Suburban Conference. Kirkwood's Christian Baker will be previewing his District 2 course, a course on which he could bring home a district title individually. Living Word Christian will bring Class 3 #2 Mercedes Schroer to compete for the individual title on the girls side and Class 3 #5 Kylie Goldfarb of John Burroughs will be looking to take her down in a battle of super freshmen. Maplewood Richmond-Heights brings in breakout sophomore Malik Stewart as he looks to run well on another tough course. New Haven brings in the Class 1 #1 boys and girls teams. Borgia is coming off of a big win at the AAA Conference on the boys side. Whitfield will bring in Class 2 #13 Samantha Bolourtchi. Though the course may be tough, the competition appears to be fierce. We will get a good preview of how well these athletes run on tough courses as they prepare for the state course in November.
10/10 Central Ozark Conference - Small School Buffalo, MO
Teams: Bolivar, Buffalo, Hollister, Logan-Rogersville, Marshfield, Reeds Spring, Springfield Catholic
It's not a huge conference meet, but there are a number of athletes who absolutely make this meet worth watching. Bolivar, for starters, brings in the #2 girls team in Class 3 at the moment. Led by Kelie Henderson, the Liberators are looking strong in their effort to repeat as state champions this season. On the boys side, Stephen Kielhofner of Springfield Catholic looks ready to easily win this one with Buffalo's Trenton Wells most likely trailing him in second. Coming off of a head-to-head loss to Class 3 #2 Max McDaniel, who will be in action at his own conference meet this Saturday, Kielhofner could use a strong race at Buffalo to keep him securely as the #1 in Class 3 as we head further into October.
10/10 COC-Large Division Nixa, MO
Teams: Branson, Carthage, Carl Junction, Neosho, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Webb City, Willard
This is a big race on both side. Carl Junction rolls in as the heavy favorites on the girls side, but the individual race will be a toss up between a number of solid girls in SWMO. Willard sophomore Sydney Pyrah is looking good after a big victory at the Buffalo Invitational last week. Carl Junction has five girls who could win, but we are looking specifically at Madison Beecher as the one who will be most competitive for the Bulldogs. Madeline Caruthers from Branson will be another individual to keep an eye on in this one.
On the boys side, Class 4 #2 Ryan Riddle should run away with the individual title here, but the fight for second will be an interesting one. His Webb City teammates Joseph Dawson and Haddon Spikereit will be battling it out with Nixa teammates Christian Blake Procell and Eros Sustaita. Both boys have not really ran up to where they were at the SWCCCA meet, but not many in SWMO have since then. Keifer Dooley of Branson will be competitive for that runner-up spot as well. Inman Intermediate School can run fast if the rain from the weekend has passed, but if not, this could be more of a race for place than for time.
10/14 JCAA Conference Festus, MO
Teams: Crystal City, DeSoto, Festus, Grandview (Hillsboro), Herculaneum, Hillsboro, Jefferson R-VII, Perryville, St. Pius X (Festus), St. Vincent, Windsor
Festus looks ready to dominate this meet on both the boys and girls side, but the real race will be between Max McDaniel and Hillsboro's Kevin Koester. Koester and McDaniel are 1-1 against each other so far this season, but McDaniel is coming off a 15:40 at Chile Pepper, 12 seconds faster than Koester's season best. Koester has yet to lose a 5K, though, so this should be an interesting race to watch. On the girls side, Nautica Stricklin and Melissa Wolk will be competing for the individual title most likely.
10/10 Owensville Invitational Owensville, MO
Teams: Belle, Bourbon, Chamois, Cuba, Hermann, Lighthouse Prep, Linn, New Haven, Owensville, Pacific, South Callaway, St. James, Steelville, Sullivan, Union
Allie Gibbs should be in action once again this Tuesday at Owensville. She and her Steelville teammate Alyssa Church will do battle with Owensville's Sophie Ashner. Gibbs has handled most all non-Class 4 competition with which she has come into contact, but she has yet to see Ashner. The boys race will be another matchup against boys who know each other well. Garrett Becker and Jerod Nolie will face off again, with Cole Stephens (Linn) and the New Haven boys - Joseph Rethemeyer in particular - joining the party, too. The individual race on the boys side should prove to be an interesting one.
10/14 NCMC Conference Mexico, MO
Teams: Boonville, Fulton, Hannibal, Kirksville, Marshall, Mexico, Moberly
Another matchup between Alex Dukes and Mason Gaines is on tap at the NCMC Conference. Dukes has handled Gaines in every race they have ran so far this season, but Gaines had his number at this meet last year. Hannibal's Ayden Nichols will be lurking, too. Mexico and Fulton will also be battling it out for the team title.
10/10 Centralia Invitational Centralia, MO
Confirmed Teams: Atlanta, Brookfield, Calvary Lutheran, Centralia, Christian Fellowship, Clark County, Father Tolton, Glasgow, Harrisburg, Higbee, La Plata, Mexico, North Callaway, New Bloomfield, New Franklin, Palmyra, Salisbury, South Shelby, Columbia Independent, Mo School for the Deaf, Meadville, Mo Military Academy, Northeast (Cairo), Prairie Home
10/11 Parkway South Patriot Classic Ballwin, MO
Confirmed Teams: Eureka, Fox, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Mehlville, Northwest Cedar Hill, Oakville, Parkway South, Seckman
10/12 Cuba Invitational Cuba, MO
This meet was rescheduled from last week and it's anyone's guess as to who will actually show up as many of the confirmed teams at this meet may also be at Owensville.
10/12 GAC North Championships Warrenton, MO
Teams: St. Charles, St. Charles West, Orchard Farm, Warrenton, Winfield
10/12 SEMO Conference Large School Meet Dexter, MO
Teams: Jackson, Cape Central, Notre Dame Cape, Dexter, Poplar Bluff
10/12 Warrensburg Invitational Warrensburg, MO
Confirmed Teams: ACE at Southeast, Calhoun, Center, Central Academy of Excellence, Crest Ridge, Grain Valley, Harrisonville, Holden, Kingsville, Knob Noster, Lexington, Lone Jack, Meadville, Midway, Norborne, Notre Dame de Sion, Oak Grove, Odessa, Pembroke Hill, Plattsburg, Plaza Heights Christian, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, Sherwood, Smith-Cotton, Smithton, St. Paul Lutheran (Concordia), Warrensburg, Weaubleau, William Chrisman
10/14 EMO Conference Elsberry, MO
Teams: Bowling Green, Clopton, Community, Elsberry, Mark Twain, Montgomery County, North Callaway, Silex, South Callaway, Van-Far, Wellsville-Middletown, Wright City
10/14 Farmington Invitational Farmington, MO
Confirmed Teams: Advance, Arcadia Valley, Caruthersville, Chaffee, Delta, DeSmet, Dexter, Farmington, Kelly, Kingston, Leopold, Marquand-Zion, Meadow Heights, North County BT, Potosi, Oak Ridge, Saxony Lutheran, Rockwood Summit, Valle Catholic, Viburnum, West County R-IV, Zalma
10/14 West Platte Invitational Platte City, MO
Confirmed Teams: Bishop LeBlond, Christ Preparatory Academy, Cristo Rey Kansas City, East Buchanan, Kansas City East Christian Academy, Lathrop, Lawson, Lutheran (Kansas City), Mid-Buchanan, Midway, North Platte, Osborn, Penney, Plattsburg, Princeton, Rock Port, St Mary's Academy, St. Joseph Christian, West Platte
10/12 Southwest Invitational Washburn, MO
10/12 Waynesville Invitational Fort Leonard Wood, MO
10/13 TRXC Border War Saint Charles, MO
10/14 Humansville Invite Humansville, MO
10/10 Wentzville South Middle School Invite Wentzville, MO
10/9 Clopton Hamburger Meet Clarksville, MO
10/9 Dixon Bulldog invitational Dixon, MO
Results coming soon