Then came the track season of 2022, which provided week after week of distance running brilliance. It came to a crescendo with Connor Burns' 3:58.83 mile at the Festival of Miles and his 2-mile win at the Brooks PR Invitational in 8:45.00, both state records. The mile performance made Burns just the 3rd high school junior to break the 4-minute barrier and it made him the fastest, ahead of Jim Ryun and Lukas Verzbicas.
Burns senior campaign has gone about as well as possible. He jogged a 16:41 5k on the brutal Cole County course to win the Jefferson City Jim Marshall Invitational. Then, last week Burns returned to his former home, Peoria, IL, to race on the renowned Detweiller Park course, the home of the Illinois state championships. Burns ran to a 20-second victory, clocking 14:22.20 for 3-miles. The time ties him for the 98th on the Detweiler Park course all-time list.
Kemey and Hauser are off to good starts for Rock Bridge after great track seasons. Kemey won the Granite City (IL) Invite in 14:34.20 for 3-miles to start the season. He had to come from behind to win in Granite City ahead of Marion (IL)'s Dylon Nalley, who finished 2nd in 14:38. Hauser began his time as an upper-classman with a 3rd-place finish in Granite City in 14:47 for 3-miles.
Rock Bridge senior Ian Kemey
On September 10th, in their second meet of the year Rock Bridge traveled to Ohio for the Mason Cross Country Invite. Hauser took 2nd in 15:55 for 5,000-meters, 10 seconds back of a Mason, Ohio athlete on his home course. Kemey was 4th in 16:02. The Bruins duo sandwiched a freshman from Tippecanoe High School in Ohio, who finished in 15:56.
Liberty North junior Sage Wilde may be having the most impressive first month of the season of the elite Missouri quartet. Wilde kicked off his campaign winning the Tim Nixon Invitational in 14:54 on a new course in Liberty. Wilde's margin of victory was 46-seconds.
A week later at the Olathe Twilight in Kansas, Wilde edged a Shawnee Mission East senior by a second, winning in 14:45. Last week in Joplin, Wilde earned his 3rd sub-15-minute performance at the Missouri Southern Stampede. He finished in 14:55 for a 22-second win over Kickapoo star Tyler Harris.
Liberty North junior Sage Wilde
The varsity races up and down the schedule cause intrigue and will provide thrilling competition, individual and team. The meet will award medals and trophies on the Greg Hall Champions Plaza for the second straight year, after its dedication the day before last year's meet. The live results at each kilometer make the team battles that much more dramatic. With that said, the chance that Burns, Wilde, Hauser, Kemey, and a few others could break the magical 15-minute barrier again or for the first time, or even break Hauser's 14:52.70 high school course record, brings a greater excitement and thrill, when it's happening and as the finish line gets closer and closer.
Class 1 state champion and West Nodaway/Nodaway Valley junior Riley Blay is even entered in the gold division race. He, like many may come away with personal records (PR), but while it may not be a sub-15-minute performance, it could be the fastest time ever for a class 1 athlete, whatever that is. The chase is what's thrilling. The chase to catch and beat one's competition and the chase against the clock.