When my son Luke began running cross country at Raytown High School exactly four years ago, he and I had no idea what kind of long distance odyssey was ahead of us.
The last four cross country and track seasons have been full of wonderful high points and disappointing low points, hundreds upon hundreds of training miles and, most importantly, dozens and dozens of friendships formed with other runners, coaches and some parents in Missouri.
I've been an interested observer the whole way. I began running myself again after 30-plus years away from the sport. I have enjoyed getting in good enough shape to even run with some of the people I'm about to list below.
And that's what this piece is all about: A celebration of the people I have met along the way. It's a celebration, if you will, of distance running in Missouri.
I hope this story makes a lot of people realize how special the sports of cross country and track are in this state. And I know all of the runners, coaches and parents reading this could supply their own long list of names of people who have made the sport of distance running better in the state.
I have listed people and schools below in alphabetical order.
And although the list is heavy with Raytown and KC area names, I have tried to make sure I recognize the quality of competitors I have seen in other parts of the state, too.
I know I will have left someone out, and I apologize for that. Please send me a PM if I have because I want this to be as complete as possible. If I have some times or dates wrong, PM me, too, and I will correct them.
Oh, and about that headline:
Runners run to test themselves, to be the best they can be, to participate in a great sport that teaches them a lot about life.
Coaches coach because they want to see young people push themselves to compete.
And parents cheer because we want our sons and daughters to be successful in life and long distance running can help them do that. But we also cheer because we recognize excellence in others, and it's a joy to watch that, too.
On with the celebration:
John Bedsworth: Also known as "Little John," Bedsworth is a Raytown junior who has come a long way from the gawky, 12-plus minute 3200 runner as a freshman. On a beautiful spring day in the 2009 track season, John ran a 4:59 at the Mid-6 Conference Junior Varsity meet as a sophomore. He improved more in his junior year of cross country and, this season, ended with a 10:19 pr in the 3200. He's going to be the leader of Raytown's team next year.
Liga Blyholder: The LS West senior has been an incredibly tough competitor the last two seasons I have watched her run. She had a breakthrough track year in 2009, finishing second to Emily Sisson at the State Meet 1600. Then, in cross country, she ran just behind teammate Chelsey Phoebus for most of the races. Blyholder recently powered her way to a 4:52 to win the 1600 State Meet title that had eluded her last year. And she did it just as Sisson had done: Blyholder broke away from the pack with a 69.9 second third lap. In 2009, LS West coach Jesse Griffin had told me after Sisson's win that Emily had pulled a "major league move" with her own powerful third lap. This year, it was Blyholder who was the major league runner in the 1600.
David Clark: The Raytown senior was part of the "four freshmen" at Raytown in the 2007 track season, all of whom ran sub-5:00 miles. Clark ran cross country only sporadically, instead taking to the soccer field where he played varsity on a Raytown team that was co-conference champs the past two seasons. Clark, a 4.0 student, was part of Raytown's state-qualifying 4x800 meter relay team in 2009 (it finished 12th) and part of the 4x800 relay team that just finished as the 6th place All-State team in that event. He is a very good athlete but more importantly a very fine young man.
Kevin Colon: With his long hair, Kevin was difficult to miss on the cross country course or the track. I won't ever forget his dominating 2008 cross country season, in which he won the Class 4 State Cross Country individual championship while leading the LS West Titans to a team state title. Early in his career, Colon never seemed to peak at important state track meets, and even missed most of the major meets his junior year. But he made up for that his senior year, eventually winning the 3200 State title and taking a second place in the 1600 last weekend.
Guillermo del Campo: Guillermo was our family's foreign exchange student from Chile in 2008-09. He played soccer on Raytown's team, then said he would come out for track. I hoped he would be the missing piece for Raytown's 4x800 relay, which in 2008 had missed qualifying for Sectionals by about 1 second at District. Guillermo ran a 2:26 in his first 800 and my heart sank. In races after that, though, he ran a 2:18, a 2:13, a 2:11, a 2:08 and by then it was obvious he was a hard-working guy who didn't want to let his 4x800 teammates down. He eventually ran a pr of 2:01.8 at the 2009 State Meet on Raytown's 12th place team.
Erin Edwards: This diminutive Raytown South senior didn't run in the last track season because of an injury. But she had already accomplished plenty as an All-State cross country finisher in her junior and senior years. Another 4.0 student, Edwards has been a great summer training partner, too, cracking me up with her dry wit.
Paul, Daniel and David Everett: Paul has done a masterful job as site administrator this year, following in the big footsteps left by Tracy Rollins. He spent untold hours making momilesplit a better site for runners, coaches and parents. As for his sons, sorry Daniel and David, I still can't tell you apart. From my interaction with them, especially at the KU Relays, I can report they are intense competitors but also complimentary of other good runners in Missouri. They will have excellent senior years at Westminster, I am sure.
Michael Farmer: I could tell the story about giving Farmer a ride to the 2008 State cross country meet, which involved a sick Farmer throwing up outside my car racing down I-70 early in the morning. But that would be gross, so here's a more positive story: Farmer, a Raytown South grad, is one of those very smart, well-informed guys who truly wants to see runners get better, and who wants to help them any way he can. He takes a lot of kidding but keeps on ticking.
Joe Farrand: Joe swam all four years at Raytown High, so he ran only a few cross country races. But he was a standout on the track, especially in his senior year. How did he do it? Extra morning workouts, more sleep and watching his diet. All basic and important stuff. The results: a 9:27 6th place 3200 finish at the State Meet, a 4:19 5th place 1600 finish at State and
- most importantly for the team - a 1:55.5 split on the 6th place 4x800 team. Joe is a talented musician headed for Simpson College.
Frank Gallick: The Blue Springs cross country coach once led Raytown's team. But here's what kind of guy Frank is: For the last three years that I know of, and perhaps before that, Gallick has volunteered his time to help set up the course for the Raytown cross country summer race that raises funds for a scholarship for a Raytown cross country senior. Then Gallick gets a few Blue Springs boys (it was Philip Hickman and Co. one year; Ryan Podjenski last year) to run in the race, too.
Jesse Griffin: The LS West girls coach has won two state cross country titles his last two years. That's impressive. But I find even more impressive his willingness to share what he knows with other runners and neophytes (like myself), all to help get the best out of other people. He pushes his runners hard, gets results and makes sure the girls enjoy the experience.
Dave Hansen: I have seen the St. Teresa's girls coach at road races, where he runs excellent times, as well as at high school events. He is always willing to talk about the fine points of running and how positive he is that some of his athletes can get better. He would make a very good permanent coach somewhere. Just take a look at his All-State 4x800 team, of four freshmen, this year.
Will Hansen: The Oak Park 2007 graduate was one of the best runners in the area his senior year. Plus, he was the winner of the best 1600 race I have ever seen in the spring of 2007. Forgot it? Well, here is the finish once again, as videotaped by his ("C'mon Will! C'mon Will!") dad.
Sierra Jenkins: In her very first cross country race as a freshman in 2006, Sierra won the Bob Craddock open, chomping on her gum the whole way. Sierra was a special athlete then and, as a Clinton senior in 2009, won the Class 3 State title in cross country.
Wes Jensen: The Raytown junior has run cross country the last three years and was mostly a sprinter his first two years on the track. But in 2010, Raytown was looking for a fourth person for its 4x800 team. Wes was one of the people who essentially tried out for the team. He finally had a breakout 2:07 at the LS North 2-Hour Invite in April. On that day, it appeared Raytown just might have a chance to go back to state in the team relay. And it did, with Jensen running a pr of 2:02.8 at State to lead off the team's 6th place finish.
Johanna Kleinsasser and her dad, Brian: Johanna burst onto the scene as a great freshman runner for LS West. She's had some injuries in track along the way, but has also run on state title cross country teams. Her dad is a great supporter of the sport.
Maksim Korolev: I interviewed the Harrisonville senior a few times, and as everyone else knows, he's unflaggingly polite. He's also a tremendous competitor. My favorite memories are of his just-completed senior season, in which he smashed records at the Cass County course, the Raymore Peculiar course, and came close to the State record on a scorching warm November day last year. His double victory at the State track meet last weekend was well deserved and a great way to end his high school career.
Jon LaPlante: As I tell everyone, Jon is the model of a good athlete but more importantly of a high-quality young man. LaPlante, a LS North senior, was All-State in cross country his senior year and became an 800-meter specialist in qualifying for State in 2010. He also won awards for his sportsmanship and his strong academic record. His parents, Ronald and Janet, have been wonderful supporters of not just Jon and LS North, but also of other runners.
LS North: Speaking of North, I have enjoyed getting to know Coach Kris Solsberg and Coach Andrew Norris. They have looked past my friendship with Raytown South coach Sean Nunn 
. Besides LaPlante, I have talked the most with Kolton Sheldon, who placed 3rd as a sophomore at the State Cross Country meet in 2009. I also enjoyed getting to know Connor Moylan. I put a lot into first impressions, and he was a polite young man when I congratulated him on an exceptional race as a sophomore at Lake Jacomo. North should be a strong team in the coming years.
Joshua Luke: As a first-year biology teacher at Raytown, Luke in 2010 became the school's fourth distance track coach in four years. He turned out to be an energetic and inspiring coach for the runners. My favorite story: He told the 4x800 team it shouldn't just be content to qualify at Sectionals for State. He wanted the team to try to win the race. And that's what happened. Coach Luke says he will be back at Raytown next year, which is good news for the distance runners there.
Danny Marshall: Raytown's head track coach in my son's freshmen and sophomore years was a big booster of the distance runners.
Sean Nunn: This part of the post could go on forever, but here's the short version. Nunn, the head cross country coach at Raytown South, has played a hugely supportive role in the running careers of many high school runners in this area. His running camps in Colorado have been extremely valuable and enjoyable. His enthusiasm for the sport of distance running, as many people on this site know, has no bounds. Sean also supported other high school athletes by making sure they knew they were capable of great things as long as they worked hard at it. Plus, Sean is a great person to talk to about the history of running in the state, especially when we're on easy 8-mile runs on summer mornings.
Crissie and Teri Owensby: Crissie was one of the better late-season runners in the KC area until she graduated last year. She's also a great companion for summer runs, and is smart as a whip. (What is it with 4.0 Raytown South runners such as Owensby, Edwards, Farmer, etc.?) Her sister, Teri, was involved in her own wonderful cross country story in 2009, as I have already written. Try this link for her story.
https://mo.milesplit.com/forums/mo/topics/65007
Ryan Podjenski: Or Po as a lot of people know him. The Blue Springs senior has been a polite young man when I talk to him, but also highly competitive. His determined running style, much like the upright running style of Samantha Nightingale of Blue Springs South, has been a joy to watch the last few years.
Potosi: One of the most memorable cross country races I ever saw was in 2006 when Josh Thebeau won Class 3 State in 15:37, Josh Mathis was runnerup, Jacob Swearingen finished 3rd, Nick Niggeman was 6th and Daniel Forbes was 8th. It was a great, cold day to run, and Potosi made the most of it.
Alan Shields and Paul Stahl
Raymore Peculiar: Coaches Alan Shields (Big Al) and Jamin Swift have been two people who are always supportive of good cross country runners, including for other teams. They just came off a State Meet where their 4x800 runners finished 7th in a school record 8:01.47. It was a great accomplishment, something to build an even better program on in the future. A Ray-Pec grad, Paul Stahl, is also someone I have enjoyed knowing.
Cheryl Reichert: Raytown's head track coach the last two years has, like Marshall before her, been a strong booster of the distance crew. She put a lot of faith in the seniors this year, knowing they would push themselves to improve. But she also had high expectations for them. As a throws coach, Reichert has had great success the last few years, with a girls shot put and discus All-State performer last year and the boys State Champ discus thrower this year in sophomore Steven Deshazer.
Rockhurst: Coach Michael Dierks has been yet another well-informed person who always took time to answer my questions. And he was among the first to congratulate Raytown's 4x800 when it surprised a lot of people by qualifying for State in 2009, along with Rockhurst. I have also met some good quality Rockhurst runners along the way, especially Enrique Mejia. Now it appears Zach Herriott, a sophomore, is poised to be a great runner in the future for the Hawklets.
Tracy Rollins: The administrator of the milesplit site when I first noticed it a few years ago, Rollins has been a true inspiration for me and others in wanting this site to be a good one for runners, coaches and parents.
Stephen Saylor: The Raytown South grad was one of Luke's original running buds in the off-season. Plenty of memories stand out, including his great 7th place finish at the State cross country meet his junior year and his 4th place finish at the State 3200 in his senior year.
Max Storms: The O'Hara grad and current Mizzou runner was part of the summer running group that had plenty of fun on morning runs and at the Colorado trips organized by Coach Nunn. One of my best memories of Max came in 2007 when he won the Class 2 State Meet. He's a great young man and, along with Saylor, one of the better runners this area has produced in a while.
Joe Schur: The Blue Springs girls coach has never failed to be an outgoing and supportive person. My favorite memory: During the warm weather delay before the Class 4 cross country State Meet last year, Joe jumped over the fence near the starting line and jogged out to wish Luke good luck as he was warming up before the race. It was a first-class move to see in the sport.
SLUH: I had heard plenty of stories about SLUH and its runners over the years, and had read plenty of milesplit posts when I finally decided to try to meet the coaches before the 2009 cross country State Meet. That was barely an hour, of course, before SLUH went out and won the state title in a close battle with LS North. But the coaches were pleasant to talk to and have been since then, especially coaches Porter and Flanagan.
Missy Van Deusen: Missy was Raytown's cross country coach for the last four years, assisted by Kristi Nevinksi. The highlight came in 2009, when the team finally had enough runners to field a full squad and finished 2nd to LS West at the Suburban Mid-6 Conference Meet.
Caleb Wilfong: I met this Rock Bridge sophomore last weekend at State, where he had an incredibly successful meet. What stood out was that he immediately told me that he thought his cross country team would be really good in the fall, better than some might expect, because they were hard workers. His emphasis on the team approach was good to hear. His career will be fun to watch.
Daniel Worthington: The Raytown South sophomore is the latest in the line of Nunn's good, hard-working runners. He ran a 10-flat pr at Districts in 2010, and should be poised for even better things next year.
Megan Yohe: The Liberty senior was recently named The Kansas City Star's female scholar-athlete of the year for her academic and athletic success stories. My favorite Yohe memory is of the 2009 KU Relays, when she and Emily Sisson staged a remarkable 3200 run. Yohe ran with Sisson much of the way, failed to fall back even when Sisson surged, and came down the stretch with Sisson only to finish second in 10:31.26 to Sisson's 10:31.07.
Hope all of Missouri's runners have a productive summer, and look forward to seeing everyone on the cross country courses this fall.
Yael