Milesplit Southwest - Missouri is gearing up for an incredible and historic 2024 Cross Country season! Over the next few days, we will be previewing what to expect this fall from each of the five classifications. We are talking about team and individual title storylines, who might be making a leap after a strong track season, and are there any freshmen/transfers to watch out for this season? 

Take a look at our Class 4 Preview and be on the lookout for the rest of the classes coming soon!

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Six Storylines to Watch Class 4

Festus Boys Look Unmatched, Girls Are Preseason Frontrunners

Different year, same Festus. In 2024, expect the Tigers' Boys and Girls teams to vie for the State meet sweep. 

Now two years removed from their first defeat at the State meet since 2013, this Tigers squad looks ready to win their second in a row and start a new streak. Carson Driemeier leads the way fresh off his first career individual state gold in the Class 4 3200. His 5k best of 15:14.10 has him tops among Class 4 returners and pairs nicely with track bests of 4:13.84 and 9:11.71 in the 1600 and 3200, respectively. With the departures of Isaac Rivera and Andrew Johnson, among others, Driemeier stands atop the individual ranks heading into the season with very few challengers. 

But where the Festus boys are strong is in their pack-running ability. They always seem to have 5-6 boys within all-state range with a viable No. 7 that pushes back the rest of the teams. This spring, Tate Uding continued his forward momentum, posting personal bests of 4:21.98 and 9:34.69 in the 1600 and 3200. He owns a 15:50.10 personal best 5k from last November's finale. At least two incoming freshmen appear ready to make an instant impact on the team in Hudson Bates and Lucas Declue. Overall, the incoming freshman class looks very strong for the Tigers. Finally, Lucas Campbell (16:22.30),  Aidan Cole (16:30.70), and Lucas Kavanaugh (17:13.3) round out the returning top 5 for a team that is sure to be competitive for victory no matter where they go this fall.

Tate Uding

As for the girls, Festus will absolutely benefit from the departure of reigning champs St. Joseph's Academy. Regardless, they return a strong contingent of runners led by sophomore Lucy Boyer. Boyer enjoyed a solid freshman campaign in which she ran 19:26.50 for 5k, 2:26.54 for 800 and 5:26.69 for 1600. Surprisingly, she has yet to earn an individual state medal (31st at last year's State meet), but that drought should be short-lived. 

Festus' (left to right) Lucy Boyer, Kendall Counts, and Camrynn Gildea

The Lady Tigers are also strong in their pack-running abilities. This was on display throughout last cross country season and helped them pull in the 3rd place trophy at Gans Creek last year. They return a 1-5 within 48 seconds of each other and a 1-7 within 1:13. Kendall Counts and Katelyn Thurman both own sub-20:00 personal bests, with Alyssa Collins and Kayla Rousseau not too far off.

If Festus can pull it off, it would be the third time the Tigers have swept both the Boys and Girls divisions in their classification, with the other two times coming in 2014 and 2017. 

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Adair, Glatz, Moresi Form Up The Chase Pack

With Festus' Driemeier out front, a formidable chase pack should take shape very early on this season led by Smithville's Liam Adair, John Burroughs' Charles Glatz, and Parkway Central's Alexander Moresi.

Adair is coming off a lost junior track season, one which he posted one 1600 and one 3200 mark, though the 3200 was a solid 9:43.78 mark at Florida Relays. He also ran 9:35.77 in the winter. After running under 15:40 six times in 2023, though, we may have expected to see more from the Smithville Warrior, but injuries play no favorites, unfortunately. His 15:18.00 from last year's Tim Nixon Invitational and 15:30.60 mark for fifth at the State meet have him firmly among the top individual title contenders, should he bounce back from the spring.

Glatz pulled off a feat last fall that very few runners tend to accomplish: He ran faster than his previous season personal best in all eight races in which he competed. That's right, last season Glatz did not post a single mark over his 2022 best of 16:31.60. In fact, he only posted two marks slower than 16:20, and ran 15:32.60 for 6th when it mattered most. This spring, he was able to pull in an 8th place state medal in the Class 3 3200, but was unable to improve upon his 9:33.66 sophomore 3200 mark. Burroughs is a safe Class 4 pick with 4 championship factor points and a stable enrollment so expect to see Glatz among the Class 4 standouts this fall.

Moresi headlines what appears to be a three-headed monster at Parkway Central, with the other two members being Brendan Alfonso and incoming freshman Lucas Amador (profiled later). Moresi and Alfonso both picked up all-state medals last fall, finishing out their junior campaigns with 15:42.80 and 15:57.50 personal bests. Moresi ended up empty-handed of individual track medals (though his squad finished 8th in the 4x800 relay), but he did pick up new personal bests of 4:23.87 and 9:38.01. Alfonso finished the dreaded 5th and 6th in the 1600 and 3200 this spring at the Sectional meet, but he, too, posted impressive times of 4:29.19 and 9:34.61. These two guys will firmly be in the mix this November in Class 4. 

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Kayleigh Norris' Race to Lose

Heading into the 2024 season, there is a clear frontrunner in the Class 4 Girls Individual race: Harrisonville's Kayleigh Norris.

Norris has emerged as one of the top runners in the entire state over the last two years, picking up all-state medals in each of the last two cross country seasons, including an emphatic victory to cap off her junior campaign. The Wildcat won 8 races, finished 2nd in the Gans Creek Classic Gold Division, and 15th in the massive El Caliente race at the Chile Pepper Festival. She would go on to run her personal best of 17:41.30 at the NXR Midwest Regional Championships, finishing an impressive 16th there. This spring, she posted eye-popping personal bests in the 800, 1600, and 3200 of 2:13.14, 4:49.40, and 10:29.91. She now sits MO No. 38 all-time in the 800, No. 10 all-time in the 1600, and No. 11 all-time in the 3200. A generational talent, this year's Class 4 race may be Norris' to lose.

Three girls that appear ready to challenge Norris are Rockwood Summit's Caterina Rossomanno, Sullivan's Mariah Denney, and Union's Viola Johanson. Rossomanno had a tough finish to her junior cross country campaign after picking up the District 1 victory in her personal best of 18:28.70 and earning a 4th place medal in 2022. She bounced back well on the track with 5:08.60 and 11:29.33 personal bests in the 1600 and 3200, en route to 6th and 7th place medals at the Class 4 State meet in those events.

Denney had an eventful freshman track and field campaign after finishing 5th at the Class 4 State Cross Country meet. She posted a mark in 9 different individual events ranging from the 400 to the 3200 to the shot put and high jump. She would go on to earn all-state honors in the 800 and 1600, finishing out her season with 2:18.87 and 5:15.11 bests. Her 18:34.75 5k best is third among Class 4 returners. 

Johanson was just behind Denney at the District 2 meet last fall, but just ahead of her at the State meet. She ran 18:40.30 to finish 4th. It was a massive season for the sophomore as she improved 1:41 year-over-year and, after having never broken 19:40 before the District 2 meet, she ran sub-19:00 twice. This jump carried over nicely into the spring as she picked up a couple of nice personal bests in the 1600 and 3200, though her season came to an end at her District meet. Expect her to be a top 5 contender once again in 2024 with eyes on the prize should she make another massive end-of-season leap like she did last year.

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West Plains Boys, Girls On The Cusp

It has been far too long since we have seen a West Plains Boys team atop the State podium. After winning 13 State titles between 1980 and 2008, the boys have left with a trophy 9 more times, but have been winless at State over the last 16 years. It's a drought that could come to an end this season, as a strong young core from a couple of years ago has finally materialized into a stellar upperclassman group. 

The Zizzers return four of the top five from their fifth place 2023 team. It was another impressive pack-running season for the Zizzers as they put their top four boys within 14 seconds of each other and 1-5 within 48 seconds. The major loss, though, comes with the departure of top returner Jackson Free, who has transferred across the border to Mountain Home (AR). His 15:53.70 mark will be missed, but the three-headed monster of Carson King, Hoyt Stiner, and Kyler Gunter will look to pick up the slack. Trevin Smith will be a major key to the team's success as he ran a 9:58.05 personal best this spring and heads into his junior season as a key No. 4 man. Hunter Stanley mo turned in a solid spring and will be contending with Levi Batchelor for the fifth spot. If anyone can challenge Festus this fall, this is a team positioned well to do so. 

Kyler Gunter

Carson King

The girls team has experienced State meet gold more recently with wins in 2020 and 2021. The beat goes on for this squad as they return all five of their girls who led the team to a runner-up finish to the departed St. Joseph's Academy. Addison Sanders and Emily Ritter picked up all-state medals last year, while Seri King, Karlee Romans, and Emma Dixon all came in within 23 seconds of each other and in the top 60 places. While Festus may be the favorites on paper for the boys and girls sweep, it's West Plains who should be firmly on everyone's radar, too, as a pick to pull off the same feat themselves.

West Plains' (left to far right) Addison Sanders, Emily Ritter, and Seri King

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Who Made a Spring Jump?

Aidan Kemnitzer - Lincoln College Prep - The legacy that Isaac Rivera and his fellow seniors left on a Lincoln College Prep team that was once not nearly as relevant on the state level as they are now may be felt for many years to come. The Tigers put it all together last season to finish third as a team and earn their first ever team trophy in Cross Country. Roman Garcia remains as the top returner for the squad, but Aidan Kemnitzer showed this spring he won't be too far behind. Kemnitzer posted marks of 4:26.56 and 9:30.27 in the 1600 and 3200 before finishing 5th at State in the latter. We expect the 16:15.40 mark that earned him 33rd at State last fall to drop significantly this time around.

Elijah Case - St. Charles - St. Charles lost several seniors this past year and may be in reload mode this season, but they have a clear frontrunner to replace all-stater Nate Maples in junior Elijah Case. Case finished just outside of the medals last fall with a 31st place run in 16:09.20 breakthrough, 38 seconds off his previous best. He parlayed that into a 4:35.38 and 9:49.69 personal bests on the track and will surely be a top runner to watch in Class 4 this season.

Madilynn Shipley - Farmington - Farmington's Madilynn Shipley dipped under 12:00 in the 3200 this spring after running 19:41.10 in the fall, and finishing 47th at the Class 4 State meet. After finishing the dreaded 9th at the Class 4 State Track and Field meet in the 3200, the sophomore has some high level experience to fall back on as she transitions into what could be a breakout second high school season.

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Freshmen/Transfers to Watch

Lucas Amador - Parkway Central - All eyes are on Parkway Central's Lucas Amador this fall after he posted an 8th grade track season matched only by former St. Louis Blazers teammate and SLUH rising sophomore Jackson Miller. Amador ran a US No. 2 all-time Mile at the Brooks PR Invitational of 4:22.49 and dipped under 2:00 in the 800 on the AAU circuit, running 1:59.91. He ran 12:36.20 for the win in the 4k at Middle School XC Nationals in Louisville last fall, as well, and should be a solid compliment to the Colts' top returners Moresi and Alfonso, making Parkway Central a sneaky dangerous team on the state level this year.

William Laurine - Ladue - William Laurine is another potential game changer in the stacked St. Louis area as he brings in personal bests of 4:38.11 in the 1500 meter run and 13:17.82 in the Cross Country 4k. Laurine was notably absent from track this spring, but should be firmly among the top freshmen to watch in the entire state this fall as he dons the Ladue Rams uniform for the first time.

Brighton Lack - Webster Groves - Incoming freshman Brighton Lack adds yet another solid runner to the depth that Webster Groves has accumulated over the last few years. It finally all clicked for the Statesmen in 2023 when they picked up their first state trophy since 1970. They return four key members of last year's team and three more boys under 18:00. Lack should help pad the middle part of the varsity squad after posting personal bests of 5:00.89 in the 1600 last spring and 13:52.81 in the 4k last fall. He's run 11:13.66 over 2 miles on the cross country course as a 6th grader, finishing behind Jackson Miller and Lucas Amador in that race. While so many are turning their attention Amador and Laurine this year, Lack may be among the best 2024 freshmen in his own right.