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Today we'll take a look at a couple of last year's top freshman who will look to avoid the fabled sophomore slump, and have big seasons in 2020.
After recording the fifth fastest time ever ran by a Missouri freshman last season, Cullen Krieg (Festus) will look to build upon that and chase records this fall. The 15:59 that he ran at the state meet at Gans Creek, was good enough to earn him a sixth place finish in Class 3. It's not very common for freshman boys to medal at all, let alone finish as high as he did on the podium. If history is telling, look for him to make a huge jump this spring and be a favorite to win the Class 4 crown.
Myles Thornburg (Liberty) was the top freshman finisher in the Class 4 race at Gans Creek, where he placed 32nd with a time of 16:09. That's the second fastest returning time for a sophomore in the state, and definitely will have him in the hunt for a big jump up on to the podium in the newly minted Class 5.
Rock Bridge will be looking to chase down a team title this year, and returning sophomore Ian Kemey will likely be a big part of the effort. He was 51st a year ago with a time of 16:22, and you should expect a big jump from him this season as the Bruins fight for the inaugural Class 5 title.