With the Class 3 State Championships happening at Gans Creek Thursday night, we are going to a look at the five runners to watch.
Defending Class 2 State Champion Daelen Ackley (El Dorado Springs) will no doubt be the main attraction in the Class 3 Meets. He currently holds the second fastest time in all classes with a 15:14 he ran at Camdenton, and is 40 seconds faster than his closest challenger in Class 3. The race where he ran 15:14 is the only race he's lost this season in seven tries, as finished the runner up to Class 5 leader Matthew Hauser (Rock Bridge). Ackley will no doubt be the hands down favorite heading into Thursday.
Caleb Lind (Lutheran St. Charles) has made a huge jump here in his junior season. He finished 23rd last year at the Class 3 State meet, but currently sits as the second fastest runner in Class 3. He owns a season best of 15:55, and ran 15:56 at Gans Creek back in September. He'll be looking to help his team to the team title as well this weekend.
Samuel Wilhelm (Knob Noster) has been racking up wins this season, winning his first seven meets of the season before falling to Ackley at Districts. In addition to all the wins, he also owns the third fastest time in Class 3 this season with a time of 15:56 from Warrensburg and has been low 16's multiple times.
The girls race will feature two of the state's best runners who have be dueling it out for four years. Macy Schelp (Lutheran South) enters the meet with the fastest time in Class 3 with an 18:29 she ran at the Ed White Warrior Invite in September. Her only losses this season have come at the hands of Class 5's Julia Ray (MICDS) and Kylie Goldfarb (John Burroughs) who she's split her two matchups with this season.
Kylie Goldfarb has only ran three races this season, but the 2017 State Champion looks as strong as ever and holds a season best of 18:53 from the Metro League Championships. She improved her finish in each of her three races this season, finishing third behind Ray and Schelp at the Eagle-Crusader Invite and then second behind Ray and in front of Schelp at Metro League, before winning her district race on Friday.