Tolton Girls Reign; Norris, Brackenbury go 2-3 in GCC Gold

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Columbia's Tolton Catholic Lady Trailblazers claimed the Class 2 state title in 2021 and were Championship Factored up and claimed the Class 4 state title last year. With their enrollment increasing by a small of students this year and the Championship Factor in effect after another title, Tolton learned last month that they have ended up in Class 5 this autumn.

Instead of trying to win a 3^rd straight state title, a 2^nd straight Class 4 crown, and proving they are Missouri's best team during regular season competition and with their performances in a Class 4 District and the Class 4 state race, they now get to do it throughout the regular season and in championship season in the largest classification. After their Gans Creek Classic performance, they look undoubtedly like the Show-Me State's best.

The Trailblazers lost superstar Olivia Andrews to graduation and the college running ranks at TCU, but have added a star freshman in Angelina Cottone. Even when not all the pistons are firing at their max, the Tolton Catholic engine runs powerfully. The Trailblazers never trailed in the Varsity Girls Gold race that started at 9:30 on Columbia's south side. Lafayette senior Natalie Barnard blitzed the field and never looked back. Barnard ran to victory in the 3^rd-fastest time for a high school girl on the Gans Creek 5k course (article: Lafayette's Barnard wins GCC Gold in Gans Creek HS#3 17:48).

A chase pack of six trailed Barnard by about 20 meters at the first kilometer. That included Kirkwood's Josie Baker, Tolton Catholic's Elyse Wilmes, Harrisonville's Kayleigh Norris, Blue Springs' Abigail Brackenbury, Raymore-Peculiar's Ashlyn Smith, and St. Michael the Archangel's Elsa Henry. That group had another 20 meters on the next pack of runners.

The massive river of racers run at 1,150 meters while leader Natalie Barnard and a chase pack of six are up ahead.

Tolton Catholic, Liberty, and Liberty-Wentzville had strong packs of at least 3 runners together through the first mile.

Trailing only winner Barnard, Kirkwood's Josie Baker leads Kayleigh Norris, Abigail Brackenbury, and others up the hill at the mile mark.

With her finger covering her mouth, Ray-Pec senior Ashlyn Smith appears to have a message for her cheering teammates behind the fencing at the mile mark of the Girls Gold race.

At 2k, Tolton's top 4 were 7-12-15-22nd while the Liberty Lady Blue Jays' top 4 were 27-30-31-32. At 3,000 meters, Barnard's lead had grown to 12 seconds while Norris was securely in 2^nd with a 12-second gap of her own on Brackenbury. Brackenbury led Baker by 5 seconds with Smith in 5^th, Henry 6^th, while Maya York made it two Ray-Pec Panthers in the top 7.

The team battle heats up at the mile from 11th place on.

With their pink, lightning bolt-emblazoned ChickNLegs shorts, the Liberty Lady Blue Jays have a pack of 4 around 30th with their 5th not far back en route to a 2nd-place team finish.

Three Festus Lady Tigers are easily visible with two more on the inside en route to a 6th place finish in the Girls Gold race, finishing as the top Class 4 team.

Tolton Catholic totaled 130 points at 3k with Liberty in 2^nd with 170. Lafayette had 230 in 3^rd, just ahead of Ray-Pec (4^th-243), Francis Howell Central (5^th-283), Liberty-Wentzville (6^th-316), Blue Springs (7^th-317), Festus (8^th-323), Rock Bridge (9^th-323), and Kirkwood (10^th-330) rounded out the top 10.

Barnard continued to put ground on the field and galloped down the homestretch with no one in sight until she was 50 meters from the line. The Lancer finished in 17:48.6. Her performance was the 3^rd-fastest by a high school girl on the Gans Creek 5k course in its five seasons. Her final winning margin was 21.5 seconds.

The only two performances faster than Barnard's came in 2021. St. Teresa's Academy's Amelia Arrieta and her 2021 Gans Creek Classic jaw-dropping 17:24.8 sits atop the list. The now Villanova sophomore finished 3^rd six weeks later at state in Class 5. Barnard's former teammate sits 2^nd on the Gans Creek 5k high school list. Grace Tyson claimed her first of two straight Class 5 state titles in 2021, beating 2^nd and 3^rd placers Eureka's Leah Kleekamp and Arrieta. Tyson finished that race in 17:42.9. Arrieta now runs at Villanova, Tyson at Indiana, and Kleekamp at Alabama.

Kayleigh Norris finished 2^nd in 18:10.1. Her performance came a year after her statewide breakout race at Gans Creek. The then-sophomore placed 4^th in the Gans Creek Classic Blue Division in 18:58, just her fourth of the season and her career after playing tennis as a freshman. Her Gans Creek runner-up finish came a week after her win at the Missouri Southern Stampede in 17:43.

Brackenbury finished 3^rd in 18:29 a week after taking 3^rd at the MoSo Stampede, adding two big highlights to her excellent high school resume. Brackenbury said she got her running start in grade school and the teacher who got her started in the sport was on hand to see her race.

Kirkwood's Baker had a large enough lead that hard-charging Maya York of Ray-Pec couldn't catch her.

Baker crossed the finish in 18:47 and York in 18:48. York clocked 3:37.7 for the final 1,000 meters, behind only Barnard's 3:36 as the fastest ultimate kilometer. While York's fast final kilometer got her past teammate Ashlyn Smith, Smith easily held on to 6^th, making it six under 19-minutes, in 18:53.

At 3,110 meters, Brianna Krueger leads a trail of runners from 8th place on.

Twenty-nine, 10, 7, 6, 5. Ray-Pec's Maya York moved up each kilometer to help the Panthers to finish 3rd.

Ashlyn Smith gave Ray-Pec two low sticks, placing 6th, immediately behind teammate Maya York.
Platte County senior Sisely Mitchell finished 7^th in 19:01 while Tolton Catholic freshman Angelina Cottone led the Trailblazers finishing 8^th in 19:05. Elsa Henry earned a top-10 finish, taking 9^th in 19:07 a year after winning the White Division race. St. Charles West freshman Brianna Krueger was 10^th in 19:13 while Lafayette senior Ashley Rinkenberger, Francis Howell Central junior Reese McDevitt, Rock Bridge sophomore Claire Richardson, and Ft. Zumwalt West senior Riley Linville rounded out the top 15.

Sisely Mitchell of Platte County placed 7th in 19:01 a year after taking 2nd in the Blue division.

Tolton Catholic freshman Angelina Cottone finished 8th in 19:05.

 St. Michael the Archangel senior Elsa Henry placed 9th in 19:07 in the deepest race a year after winning the White race.

Tolton Catholic junior Madison Taylor placed 19^th in 19:36 to give the Trailblazers 3 top-25 medalists. Fellow 3^rd-year teammate Elyse Wilmes didn't look like her normal self. She struggled over the final 3k, but gutted out a top-40 finish, taking 39^th in 20:12. Trailblazer freshman Sarah Kesterson placed 70^th to give Tolton a total of 140 points to easily capture the team title by 51 points.

Liberty placed 2^nd with 191 points. While they didn't have any individual medalists, they put 4 in the top 41. Freshman Lily Hurt placed 27 while juniors Charlotte Timba, Ella Brown, and Cambell Grosdidier were 33-34-41^st. Senior Reagan Phillips was the fifth finisher in 66^th for the Jays.

Raymore-Peculiar took the 3^rd and final team trophy, scoring 210 points. After the 1-2 punch of Maya York and Ashlyn Smith, fellow senior Isabel Chatfield gave the Lady Panthers 3 top-40 finishers, placing 38^th in 20:09.  Blue Springs' Faith Fotiades gave the Wildcats two medalists. After Brackenbury's bronze medal, Fotiades placed 22^nd in 19:40. Senior Aa Power placed 35^th as Blue Springs placed 4^th with 271 points.

While they graduated their #1 and #3 runners from last year's historic state championship team (50 points) in Grace Tyson and Elissa Barnard, Lafayette seniors Natalie Barnard and Ashley Rinkenberger are trying to lead the Lady Lancers back to State. Lafayette was fighting for a trophy at Gans Creek. With Barnard leading the race and Rinkenberger in the top 20 the whole way, Lafayette was in 3^rd at 3k with 230 points and 4^th at 4k with 254.

Unfortunately, the temperature had warmed up dramatically by the 9:30 a.m. start. Their 4th runner at 4k didn't finish the race and their 3rd runner dropped more than 150 places in the last kilometer, but somehow managed to still finish under distress. The Lancers ultimately tallied 425 points and placed 17^th.

Liberty (Wentzville School District) placed 5^th with 281 points. The Lady Eagles' #1 Imane Larhdiri, who just missed a Class 5 All-State medal last year placing 26^th, finished 20^th in 19:37. Jillian Kalbac was 30^th while Kailey Lawrence was 40^th. Festus impressed, placing 6^th overall and as the top Class 4 squad. The Lady Tigers are in their first season with Wes Armbruster as head coach after a long stint as an assistant to Bryant Wright, who still coaches the boys.

Festus totaled 302 points. Sophomore Katelyn Thurman led a pack of six top 100 finishers with their top 5 at 53-61-62-64-72^nd. The Tigers #4 at 4k was one of 13 ladies in the race that didn't finish. The warming conditions were likely to blame to some extent. Otherwise, Festus likely would have had seven in the top 100 and six in the top 80.

Without their #1, sophomore Mae Walker, who was on hand and wearing tape on her leg, Rock Bridge had a solid performance with just five runners. Sophomore Claire Richardson led the way, placing 14^th in 19:17 for a medal as the Bruins totaled 320 points.

Kirkwood edged rival Webster Groves for 8^th, 323 points to 324. Francis Howell Central finished 10^th with 328. Defending Class 3 champion St. Charles West was 11^th with 341, finishing as the top Class 3 team. The race featured 35 scoring teams, 388 racers, and 375 finishers.