Festus, West Plains, Norris: 2024 Class 4 XC Storylines

SCW and Krueger, Klaiber and ElDo: 2024 MO C3 XC Storylines

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Class 2 Storylines

Elsberry Boys, Monroe City Girls in Preseason Power Positions 

Heading into the 2024 season, the Elsberry boys appear to be the heavy favorites to put it all together and win their first boys team championship in any sport in school history since they won the Class C Track and Field Championships in 1935. 

It looked like the boys may pick up their first cross country team trophy in 2023, but they ended up finishing fifth, just six points behind fourth place North Platte. They will return six of their top seven from that fifth place team, led by junior Jedidiah Heras. Heras was 19th overall at last year's State Championships and finished out his season with a 17:13.45 personal best. This spring, he dropped his 1600 and 3200 bests 25 and 41 seconds, respectively, to 4:33.36 and 10:11.86, qualifying for State in both events. Nolan Wilson was the team's No. 2 at last year's State Championships, earning 45th place and Seth Miller heads in with an 18:03.66. With several major improvements over the spring, Elsberry looks poised to run the table this fall. They already posted a 1-5 average in the 3K at the Como Kick-off of 10:38 (11:29 2 Mile Conversion), led by Heras in 9:35.12. 

Elsberry's Jedidah Heras

Defending champion Woodland, South Shelby, and Hermann appear to be Elsberry's premier challengers in the boys team race.

On the girls' side, another Northeastern Missouri school who finished 5th at the 2023 State meet, Monroe City, leads the preseason rankings in Class 2. Led by Bradi Keller, the Panthers were a hard-luck 10 points off 4th place and, in fact, 14 points off 2nd place. It was a tight finish last year, but this year, Monroe City is a strong choice for a trophy this year. Keller was 14th overall last November and heads into her sophomore season with a 20:25.56 personal best. With a 3:38 1-5 split among their 2024 returners, they will need to tighten up the group in order to really guarantee their spot atop the ranks, but with so many of the top teams losing Class of 2024 seniors, expect this squad to click when it matters most. They opened up with a 2nd place team finish this weekend at the Mexico Fall Invitational.

Bradi Keller (center left, #525) and the Monroe City Lady Panthers

Reigning champs Lafayette County only have four girls on their roster at the moment, 2023 3rd place Hermann is lurking close behind, and 7th place North Platte made some gains over the spring. Monroe City won't be a lock for the win as there are several strong teams all very close to each other heading into the season.

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Calvin Layton Looks to Carry Torch for Woodland

The top returner on time is Woodland junior Calvin Layton. With the departure of his older brother, Reed, Calvin is looking poised to carry the torch for the Cardinals in 2024. 

Layton heads into the season with a 16:31.50 personal best from the SCAA Conference meet. He was 4th at the Class 2 State Championships, the second part of the solid 1-2 punch which helped his team earn the team title. Over the spring, he dropped under 10:00 in the 3200, running 9:54.63 and posting a 4:37.55 best in the 1600. The then-sophomore earned a 6th place medal in the Class 2 3200. He will have a solid supporting cast behind him, led by Class 2 800 Champion Hayden Vangennip. 

Butler's Brandon Hammett is hot on Layton's trail, though, as he appears to be having quite the breakout at the moment. After a 24th place finish at the Missouri Southern Stampede, Hammett went on to finish either 1st or 2nd in his next 6 races, including a runner-up finish at the Class 2 State Championships in his personal best of 16:36.70. Well...former personal best. Over the weekend, Hammett dropped the hammer, running 16:18.10 for 4th in the Silver division at the Tim Nixon Invitational, putting the entire Class 2 field on high alert. 

Other names to watch in Class 2 include Brett Payne, who ran 4:34.24 and 9:53.71 last spring, 2023 3rd place finisher Nolyn Corder, and Clark County's Mason McDaniel, who had a strong track season, among others.

Bourbon junior Brett Payne

Mansfield junior Nolyn Corder

Clark County junior Mason McDaniel

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Kensington Curd Enters 2024 The Heavy Individual Favorite

The girls individual race, on paper, appears to be much less close than the boys race as Brentwood's Kensington Curd will be the heavy favorite to repeat as Class 2 State Champion in 2024. 

Two fellow sophomores made the 2023 Class 2 State XC Championship race much closer than we expected based on the rankings, but Curd was able to hold off their charges with a 19:24.30 mark. It was her sixth win of the year, but 46 seconds off her personal best of 18:38.50 from the St. Louis Fall Classic. That mark is 34 seconds ahead of the next closest Class 2 challenger: Pierce City's Emma Hunt.

The Class 2 scene definitely experienced a bit of shake-up over the spring with the emergence of Penney's Jade Gray and solid campaigns from Jefferson's Emerson Selsor, North Platte's Chloe Heckman, and Clara Trent of New Covenant Academy. Woodland's Faith Rouggly will be among that group, as well, as it should be a highly competitive meet if Curd doesn't pull away from the field like she did last year.

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Who Made the Spring Leap and Who Are the Freshmen/Transfers to Watch?

Jade Gray - Penney - We mentioned her briefly above, but Gray will be heading into her first career cross country season after popping off impressive marks on the track this spring. The rising senior ran 2:26.18, 5:18.15, and 11:35.43 in the 800, 1600, and 3200, earning all-state honors in all three events. 

Coby Tagtmeyer - Smithton - Tagtmeyer will be one to watch after improving his 800 best from 2:09 to 1:59.60 and finishing second in the Class 2 race this spring. 

Sam Fick - Bishop Dubourg - Fick heads into his high school career with some impressive middle school marks. He has run 5:01.75 for 1600 meters and 14:29.40 for 4000 meters on the cross country course.