On the first Friday of May every year, the Hillsboro Invitational provides an excellent opportunity for Class 3, 4, and 5 teams and athletes to compete one last time before the 3-week stretch of the state series. Seven days before Districts, schools with their conference meets behind them descend on the seat of Jefferson County with a final chance to improve their district seeding and qualify additional entries with three or more athletes meeting a standard.
Lutheran South also usually hosts a meet on the final weekend of the regular season. However, the Saturday meet was not held this year with construction just beginning on campus. That drew even more teams to Hillsboro, including Lutheran South. The Hosts had to turn away schools because of the overwhelming interest that couldn't be practically accommodated because of time. The large amount of talent that was entered into the meet produced many top Missouri marks, personal records (PRs), and school records (SR).
Field events started at 1:00 p.m. while track events at 2:30. Conditions were sunny with mild temperatures for a few hours before the skies became overcast before clearing for the final events.
Live Results
Results
Race Video
Luna Eclipse
Distance
St. Louis County's Cor Jesu Academy continues a strong stretch of seasons in cross country and track and field. Despite losing state champion Franci (Frances) Luna to graduation and the college ranks where she's running at Ole Miss, the Chargers won a 3rd straight state cross country trophy in the fall with a 4th-place Class 5 finish. Franci wasn't the only All-State standout Luna. Younger sisters Adi (Adrienne) Luna and Maria Luna have succeeded in their own right with multiple All-State finishes. Adi will join big sister Franci at Ole Mississippi next year where she'll study business and run for the Rebels, alongside her sister.
Cor Jesu won their conference meet, the Metro Womens Athletic Association meet the week before, and ran to a school record in the 4x800. The quartet of Anna Stirton, Mary McKenzie, Maria Luna, and Adi Luna ran to a school record of 9:46.09, which puts them 5th on the state performance list. In Hillsboro, the same foursome ran to victory in the event in 9:57, with Adi anchoring.
She returned to the track for the 1600 and 3200-meters where she dueled with a pair of Rock Bridge standouts. Luna had already claimed the family record in the 3200 with a 10:55 earlier in the season to break Franci's 11:00 mark. Adi, who had set a 1600 personal best of 5:08 last month, battled Rock Bridge's Carolyn Ford in the 4-lap race. Luna led from start to finish, with Ford on her heels until she pulled away on the homestretch.
Luna finished in 5:03.38 which puts her 5th in the state and first in Class 4. The time also gave her another family record, bettering Franci's 5:04.21 clocking that won last year's Class 4 state title. Ford finished in 5:08, good for 10th on the state list.
Five ladies went under 5:30 with two of those coming from underclassmen who ran to PRs. Jackson sophomore Annika Banks was 3rd in 5:22 and Cor Jesu freshman Mary McKenzie 4th in 5:25. Lutheran South junior Reese Schelp finished 5th in 5:25. Like Luna, Schelp is continuing a female family tradition. Schelp's older sisters Riley and Macy were South standouts before going on to compete and be teammates at Alabama.
In the 3200-meter run, Adi Luna battled Rock Bridge freshman Mae Walker. Unlike the 1600, Luna let the Lady Bruin runner set the pace. Walker appeared diligent and determined to keep a specific pace, taking splits on her watch and taking a quick look every 400 meters.
On the penultimate lap, Luna moved to the lead with Walker a step behind. Luna pushed on the final lap, pulling away from Walker and finishing in 10:58. Her previous 10:55 PR puts her 5th on the state list and tops in Class 4 by just over a second. Walker, who had set a 1600 PR of 5:09 the previous week, finished with a big PR in just her 6th open distance race of the season. She clocked 11:03, good enough for 9th in the state.
Cor Jesu freshman Mary McKenzie was 3rd in 11:46. Perryville senior Tegan Bishop made it four under 12-minutes, finishing in 11:54. After taking 3rd in the 1600, Jackson's Annika Banks was 5th in 12:01 while Schelp was 6th in a PR of 12:03 and Farmington's Aiden Moriarty 7th in 12:04.
In the 800, Mallorie Metzger of Jackson High won from wire to wire with a state top-25 time of 2:21. Affton sophomore Anna Daughtry was 2nd in the 2-lapper in 2:26, giving her two 2nd-place finishes after taking the silver medal in the 400.