2022 Gans Creek Classic Boys Report


Varsity Boys Blue

The Varsity Boys Blue Division race was at 10:00 a.m. and Steelville senior Conner Diaz was off with the gun. Bowling Green junior Ben Chance and Central (Cape Girardeau) senior Ryan Seabaugh tried to keep pace. At 2k, the pair had caught Diaz with Seabaugh leading Chance by a tiny margin, and Diaz 2.5-seconds back. At 3,000-meters, Chance had started to pull away, leading Seabaugh by more than 5-seconds.

Chance earned All-State honors last year, taking 9th in Class 3 in 16:31 on the Gans Creek Course for his father and coach Matt. Matt ran collegiately at Simpson College, the same NCAA Division III school outside of Des Moines, Iowa, that produced University of Central Missouri coaches Kirk Pederson and Kip Janvrin.

 Bowling Green junior Ben Chance storms down the finish stretch to win the Varsity Boys Blue Division race in 16:01.

Ben finished with a 3:11 final kilometer to finish in 16:01 for the race title, with a 12-second margin of victory. Chance led the Bobcats to a 10th-place team place, taking 3rd among Class 3 schools.

Platte County junior Andrew Johnson finished strong, moving up 11 places over the final 3,000-meters to take runner-up honors in 16:13. Willard senior Nolan Hansen was 3rd in 16:25 while Central-C.G.'s Seabaugh and Steelville's Diaz settled for 4th and 5th in 16:27 and 16:31.

 Andrew Johnson made it 2 for 2 in Varsity Blue Division silver medals, taking 2nd in the boys race after Platte County's Sisely Mitchell took 2nd in the girls race.

Coach Jared Wilmes has lost a lot of talent the last two years. The 2020 Tolton Catholic Boys squad won the Class 2 state title and the 2021 team placed 4th in Class 3. Like Bowling Green coach Matt Chance, Wilimes ran collegiately (Missouri) and coached his son (2022 graduate Garrett). The Tolton boys appear they may be headed for another state trophy. The Trailblazers were steady, in the lead the whole race, floating between 131 and 152 points at the five kilometer measurement points.

Senior Quentin Hermann lead the way, the first of three medalists for Tolton. Hermann was 16th in 17:44 while sophomore John Glaude and junior Owen Hartline were 23 and 24th in 17:18 and 17:19. The team totaled 141 points for a 34-point margin of victory.

 Tolton Catholic senior Quentin Hermann (left) tries to catch a Warrensburg and CBC runner before crossing the finish line. Tolton Catholic won the team title with 141 points while Hermann was the top individual finisher for the Trailblazers, taking 16th.

Carthage placed 2nd to earn the final team trophy. The Tigers are in coach Brian Crigger's 2nd year as head coach after taking over for Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Famer Andy Youngworth, who retired and is now coaching at McAuley Catholic. Carthage totaled 175 points to edge DeSmet Jesuit by 3 points (178), while Parkway Central beat Platte County for 4th, 255 points to 259 points. There were 302 runners and 37 scoring teams in the race.