Katelynn Quade (Marquette)
Quade burst onto the scene in her first cross county season last year, and earned All-State honors in the process. She placed 4th at the state meet last season, and should be considered a contender for the state title this Fall at Gans Creek. She had another successful track season as well, improving her 3200m to 11:33 while just missing out on a medal with a 9th place finish in the always tough Class 5.
Madelyn Gray (Ft Zumwalt South)
The Zumwalt South Bulldog had a great sophomore campaign showing great improvement throughout the season. She finished 48th at State to follow up her 91st place finish from 2017. She picked up a state medal on the track this Spring when she placed 4th in the Class 4 800m. Look for her to carry that momentum into the Fall.
Mia Reed (Washington)
She earned All-State status a year ago, and will look to climb even higher on the podium in 2019. She placed 24th at State last season, improving on her 42nd place finish a year ago. She dropped her personal best to 19:11 in the process which is one of the top returning times among Juniors. She also had a successful track season, running personal bests of 11:42 in the 3200m and 5:21 in the 1600m.
Matthew Hauser (Rock Bridge)
Hauser probably saw one of the most drastic improvements among State Qualifiers from 2017 to 2018. He went from 145th place in 2017, to earning a State Medal in 2018 with a 16th place finish. He also had an incredibly strong track season running 9:38 in the 3200m and 4:24 in the 1600m this Spring.
Thomas Andersen (Parkway West)
The Parkway West Longhorn had a solid sophomore season last year, and will look to build on that momentum to try and get on the podium this season. He placed 39th a year ago at Oak Hills, which improved upon his 61st place finish in 2017. He also had a big track season, running 9:43 in in the 3200m and placed 5th in the toughest 3200m sectional in the State. Look for him to stay hungry and try and earn his first State Medal this Fall.
Micah Bruggeman (Joplin)
Not that he wasn't already good as freshman, but Bruggeman really broke out in his sophomore season. He placed 74th at State last Fall with one of his slower races, but has a personal best of 16:10 and has ran sub 17 four times. Track season though is where he took off. He picked up State Medals in both the 800m and 1600m, placing third and sixth in Class 5. Additionally he picked PR's of 1:55, 4:18, and 9:46 during the track season. Don't be shocked to see him make the leap to the front of the pack this cross country season.