Big River Rankings: Pre-Season 2012
For those of you who have followed our rankings over the past few years you know that these are just for fun and hopefully serve to give athletes a little extra motivation as the season rolls along. We will come out with the rankings every few weeks. For those of you who are new and checking out the rankings for the first time we hope you enjoy them and if you have anyone or any team that we missed let us know by emailing Kyle Cameron at kyle@bigriverrunning.com
**Coaches remember to sign up for the 2012 Forest Park Cross Country Festival on Saturday September 8th. The meet will once again be one of biggest and best meets in the Midwest featuring more than 3,500 athletes and 13 races.
ALSO: We are already looking forward to the USA Cross Country Championships in Forest Park on February 2nd, 2013. This will be the second year in a row that Saint Louis hosts the event and we expect an amazing field of America’s best distance runners to compete for a spot on Team USA at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, including many 2012 Olympians! We encourage all of you to come out and compete in either the High School or the Junior Division and then stick around to watch your favorite runners later in the day. Like the meet on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and check out the Championship Website.
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TEAM RANKINGS
TOP 10 GIRLS TEAMS
#1) LEE'S SUMMIT WEST – We called 2011 “somewhat of a rebuilding year” for the Titans. Of course, they did a whole lot more than that, winning their fifth straight State title in dominating fashion. This year they return all seven from that Championship squad and are the clear favorites once again.
Scouting Report on Lee's Summit West
#2) ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY – On paper there are two teams that could give LSW a serious run for their money at these ladies are one of those squads. Coming off a 4 x 800 title on the track, STA is led be Lane Maguire and Courtney Coppinger as well as returning All-Stater Ann Campbell. Putting three in the top 25 at State, which is certainly possible, would be a good start if they want to take home the big prize.
Scouting Report on St. Teresa's Academy
#3) FRANCIS HOWELL– This group returns five from last year’s third place squad including individual 11th-placer Kristen Adams and perhaps the most versatile athlete in the whole State, Whitney Adams. The second Adams, no relation, was fifth in the 100, fourth in the 200, first in the 400 and anchored Francis Howell to victory in the 4 x 4 at the State Track Meet. Last fall she was 20th in cross country showing almost unheard of range. Throw in Valeska Halamicek, the State 800 Champ, and this team has some serious talent.
#4) EUREKA– Eureka is one of the premier girls’ programs in the State and has been for a long time. After just missing out last year they may return to the podium in 2012, led by the State’s top returner in Hannah Long and with the resurgence of senior Angie Sumner who had a great track season highlighted by a 5:10 1600 PR.
#5) KEARNEY– The defending Class 3 champs were nothing short of awesome at last year’s State Meet where they scored just 53 points and were the second best team, regardless of class, on the day. They lose individual runner-up Jasmine Edwards but return State Champ Olivia Franklin. Having a low stick up front always helps and the rest of their group has a pretty tight spread.
#6) ROCK BRIDGE– At first glance, on paper, last year’s Class 4 runners-up lost a lot, returning just three of their top seven. That’s on paper though. The reality is that sophomore Kayla Funkenbusch is one of the best runners in the State, Megan Schulte isn’t far behind and they’ve added first-time cross country runner Sam Farmer who ran well on the track last spring as a freshman.
Scouting Report on Rock Bridge Girls
#7) LEE'S SUMMIT NORTH – This pick may surprise some people but these ladies are really good. First of all they return five of their top seven which is always a positive. Remember, too, that at times last year they looked as good as anyone in the State and even beat mighty LSW early on. Their State performance was not really indicative of what they were capable of and now, a year older and wiser, we expect them to be competing for wins every time out.
#8) LAFAYETTE– The Lady Lancers were sixth in Class 4 in 2011 and return six of their top seven. Their claim to fame a year ago was their low spread which was just 26 seconds at State. With those kinds of numbers you will always be good and if all of those girls can just improve even a little bit, which we expect they will, they could be looking at a trophy in November.
#9) BRANSON– Having a good number one runner is one of the factors we take into consideration when doing the rankings and Branson has a great one in last year’s third-placer Brigette Caruthers. They also return five of their top seven from a squad that was ninth at State but showed flashes of brilliance throughout the season including a fourth-place finish at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival.
#10) NERINX HALL– The Markers were a staple in the rankings a year ago and they look like they could be again. They lost two runners to graduation and one more that will not be running cross country this year. They return individual fifth-placer Sophia Racette, though, and that will help a lot. Rumor has it they have some good freshman coming in as well.
TOP 10 BOYS TEAMS
#1) BLUE SPRINGS- The boys pre-season team rankings are always really tough as teams are often senior-laden at the varsity level. This year was especially tough but when all the calculations were done Blue Springs came out on top for two big reasons. One is that they have arguably the best 1-2 punch in the State with Simon Belete and Stephen Mugeche, both of whom are ranked in the top ten overall individuals. They also return five from last year’s State Meet which is not something many top teams can claim.
#2) ROCK BRIDGE- The sign of a truly great program is the ability to reload, not rebuild. The defending Class 4 State Champs lose individual winner Caleb Wilfong and State 800 Champ Jordan Cook but they’ll be replaced by Nathan Keown, who often ran step-for-step with the aforementioned stars a year ago, as well as All-Stater Evan Schulte. Junior Zach Cook should also contribute in a big way and a slew of last year’s top Junior Varsity runners are chomping at the bit to join them.
Scouting Report on Rock Bridge
#3) SLUH- The Junior Billikens were fifth in Class 4 in 2011, the first time they did not take home a trophy since finishing eighth in 2004. Look for them to be back on the podium this time around as they return four runners who were all at 17:30 or better at the State Meet as well as 4:21 1600 man John Esswein.
#4) MARQUETTE- When you are trying to be a great team it is always nice to start off with just one point. The Mustangs will likely be able to enjoy that nicety most times out this fall with Noah Kauppila leading their charge. If senior Adam Roderique, who ran 4:19 on the track, can continue his rise they will pack a really good 1-2 punch. They also return one of the top freshmen from a year ago, Grant Dolan, who could turn into one of the best number threes in the State.
#5) GLENDALE- If anyone can challenge Blue Springs for lowest score through two it will be Glendale who returns State eighth-placer Chris Mooneyham and State 1600 Champ Spencer Haik. They also return three athletes with State Meet experience which is always important come November.
#6) WARRENSBURG – The defending Class 3 Champs put on a clinic in pack-running last fall when they put their top four across the line within five seconds of one another at State. All four are back for more in 2012 as is their fifth man. That’s right…the Tigers return all five scorers.
Scouting Report on Warrensburg
#7) ROCKHURST- 2011 was a special year for the Hawklets as they earned runner-up honors in Class 4 led by senior star Zach Herriott. The bad news is they return only one from that squad but the good news is they have built a huge and very successful junior varsity program the last several years so the bodies are there to step in and succeed right away.
#8) PARKWAY WEST- These guys are always good and they always seem to run well in November. They have a lot to be excited about in 2012 with two seniors coming back, Kevin Koboldt and Chris Carter, who finished 57th and 58th a year ago.
#9) WEST PLAINS- The Zizzers were third in 2011 but return only one from that group. Still, you never count out West Plains. They train hard and hard work pays off. It is a pretty simple formula really.
#10 TIE) EUREKA- The Wildcats were a really solid team last year and they return four from their top seven. If those four improve upon their places from a year ago, as we expect they will, the big E will once again be a top ten squad in November.
#10 TIE) MICDS- The Rams have one of the best overall runners in the State in 4:11 miler Amos Bartelsmeyer which helps a ton. On top of that they return five from their third place squad in 2011. Watch out for these guys as they may give Warrensburg a run for their money in Class 3.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
All season long we will try to keep an eye out for the top 15 runners in the State. Again, these are the top 15 regardless of Class. Occasionally we miss a runner or two so we apologize if we shorted you or your teammate. Feel free to email Ben at ben@bigriverrunning.com if you know someone who should be on the Big River Top 15. Enjoy!!
TOP 15 GIRLS
#1) Hannah Long, SO, Eureka- You can’t ask for a much better freshman year than Long had in 2011-2012. Still, a runner-up finish at State Cross Country, an 11th place finish at Foot Locker Midwest and three silver medals at the State Track Meet will surely leave the Eureka star hungry for more.
#2) Nicole Mello, SR, Hickman- Mello was Missouri’s only representative at the Foot Locker National Championships in 2011. Qualifying for the Finals was a huge piece of redemption after a fall at State cost her any chance of running with the leaders and she eventually finished ninth. We could see a legendary battle this November between Mello and Long.
#3) Kaitlyn Fischer, SR, Herculaneum- Fisher has won six individual State titles on the track and has two seconds and a third to her credit in cross country. She enters this season having run the fastest 3200 in 2012 of any returner and is coming off an eye-popping 17:34 at the Saint Louis Track Club Cross Country Kickoff. That time just cannot be ignored.
#4) Saga Barzowski, SR, Arcadia Valley- The two-time Class 2 State Cross Country Champ is back again for her senior campaign. She is also the two-time defending Class 3 Champ in the 1600 and 800 on the track and owns PRs of 2:15 for 800 meters, 11:14 for 3200 and 5:02 for a full mile. Her fourth straight battle with Fischer in November should be nothing short of epic.
#5) Brigette Caruthers, SR, Branson- Caruthers may not have the track credentials of some of the girls on this list but this is cross country and her results speak for themselves. In 2011 she was fifth at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival, first at the always tough Central Ozarks Conference Meet and third at the Class 4 State Meet in an impressive 18:49 on the difficult layout in Jefferson City.
#6) Taylor Werner, FR, Ste Genevieve- It is always tough to rank a freshman in the pre-season because you are making sort of an educated guess. However, after she ran 5:00 for a full mile as an eighth-grader at the Festival of Miles and beat many of the girls on this very list, save for #1 Long, it’s not really going out on a limb to say Werner is pretty darn good.
#7) Jill Whitman, JR, Cor Jesu- Only 21st at the Class 4 State Meet, Whitman comes in at #7 on the heels of a breakout track season that saw her run PRs of 5:01 and 11:11 and grab third in the 1600 and second in the 3200 at State Track.
#8) Sophia Racette, SO, Nerinx Hall- Racette was impressive every time out last fall, no easy feat for a freshman. She enters her sophomore campaign after a track season that saw her run 5:18 and 11:21. She also showed her strength last February when she finished 26th at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships over 6k.
#9) Olivia Franklin, SO, Kearney- Franklin won the Class 3 State Meet as a freshman and returns to defend her title against five other underclassmen who were in the top ten. Her 11:13 on the track was a good sign that she’ll be a force once again this fall.
#10) Nicole Lee, JR, Clinton- Lee enters the cross country season on a high after capturing the Class 3 State 3200 title on the track. She was fourth at State Cross Country in 2011 and will no doubt be looking to take home top honors this time around.
#11) Melissa Brown, JR, Oakville- Brown burst onto the scene last September when she finished second at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival. She continued to impress all year and ended up eighth at State in Class 4 despite battling a side-stitch for much of the race.
#12) Sammy Laurenzo, JR, Liberty North- Laurenzo was dominant for much of the year in 2011 and we expect more of the same in 2012. She was not at full strength when she finished fifth at State so we hope to see a 100% Laurenzo on the line this November.
#13) Kiersten West, JR, Lee’s Summit West- No Big River Rankings would be complete without some Lee’s Summit West representation. West, LSW’s number one from 2011, was tenth a year ago and looks to lead the Titans to a sixth-straight title this fall.
#14) Kristen Adams, JR, Francis Howell- Adams leads a Francis Howell squad that just might have something to say about that sixth title for LSW. She was Sectional Champ and 11th at State in 2011 and with training partners Whitney Adams, Valeska Halimicek and Rebecca Turney by her side this junior could be a major force this fall.
#15) Alyssa Jones, SR, Rockwood Summit- Jones has really good career credentials with track PRs of 5:12 and 10:53 and State Cross Country finishes of seventh and 12th. Her 10:53 is the best 3200 PR of anyone in the State and we could definitely see her besting that seventh place State finish from 2010 this November.
Honorable Mention: Savannah Beaver, Maddy Brown, Courtney Coppinger, Kayla Funkenbusch, Lane Maguire, Libby Nisbet, Samantha Phillips, Courtney Rogers, Kaley Ruff, Katie Tuck, Kennadee Williams
TOP 15 BOYS
#1) Noah Kauppila, JR, Marquette- Fulfilling all the expectations his stellar freshman year provided, Kauppila shined as a sophomore finishing 4th at the Missouri Class 4 State Meet and 14th at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional. His track season was just as impressive where he split 1:52 in the 4x8, ran 4:16 for 1600 and was the State Champ at 3200 in 9:11.
#2) Simon Belete, SR, Blue Springs– Belete had his best race of the season at the State Meet where he finished fifth in 16:17, just two ticks back of #1 Kauppila. Proving that he is indeed a big meet performer he ran superbly at the State Track Meet as well, finishing fourth in the 3200 in 9:17.
#3) Amos Bartelsmeyer, SR, MICDS– The top returner in Class 3, Bartelsmeyer was national class on the track running a solo 4:14 to win the State Meet on a brutally hot day and then following up with 4:11 full mile on a cold windy night at the Festival of Miles. Only 4th in Class 3 Cross Country, look for that to change this fall as 2011 was his first ever cross country season.
#4) Spencer Haik, JR, Glendale- The Glendale junior gets the nod at #4 mainly on the heels of his performance at the Class 4 State Track Meet where he took home top honors in the 1600 in 4:15. Combine that with the strength he showed in finishing 14th last year in Jefferson City and you have the makings of a very dangerous cross country runner this season.
#5) Colton Rockhold, JR, Truman- Rockhold burst onto the scene this past track season with a 9:22 at the Kansas Relays where he bested #2 Belete among others. His 10th place finish in the State 3200 was another solid performance and his 16:08 at the Saint Louis Track Club Cross Country Kickoff on August 4th was proof that he can be a force this fall.
#6) Chris Mooneyham, SR, Glendale– Mooneyham is the third best returner overall from last fall’s State Meet where he was eighth in Class 4 in 16:23. He also finished a very respectable 27th at the USA Junior Cross Country Chamionships in February. His track season produced a 9:29 PR for 3200 and with #4 Haik as a training partner, Mooneyham should be a top contender in any meet he goes to this season.
#7) Stephen Mugeche, SO, Blue Springs– We really like this kid. As a freshman he finished 45th at the State Cross Country Meet which is hard to do. Then he exploded on the track, running 9:26 for seventh in the 3200. Remind you of anyone? Kauppila was seventh in 9:25 his freshman year. If that’s any indication, and we think it is, you may see Mugeche move up a few notches through the course of this season.
#8) Billy Leighton, SR, Cape Girardeau Central– Leighton has been turning heads since he was in middle school and as he enters his senior year he does so with some really solid credentials. His 2011 campaign was highlighted by an 11th place finish at the Class 4 State Meet in 16:30. Known as a ferocious trainer we would bet he’s in amazing shape and has big goals for this fall.
#9) Nicholas Stewart, SR, McCluer North- Stewart is really, really good but we still feel like he flies a bit under the radar for some reason. Perhaps this will be the year that everyone takes notice. The McCluer North senior was 18th at the State Meet in 2011 and his track season included a 1:53 800, a 4:19 1600 and a 9:20 3200. That kind of speed and strength is lethal and will certainly make him a threat every time he toes the line.
#10) Nathan Keown, SR, Rock Bridge- Keown now takes the reigns as the number one man on a powerful Rock Bridge squad after three years behind 2011 State Champ Caleb Wilfong and 2012 State 800 champ Jordan Cook. Keown ran in the 15:40s multiple times last fall though he ended up a disappointing, for him, 27th at the State Meet. Look for that to change in a big way this time around.
#11) Adam Roderique, SR, Marquette- Roderique seemed to really come into his own this past track season where he ran right on the heels of his teammate Kauppila in several 1600 races. He produced a 4:19 PR in the 4-lapper and was 9th in that event at State. Just 56th a year ago on the grass we expect he will be a sure bet for a high All-State finish in 2012.
#12) Derek Legenzoff, SR, Lafayette- The Lafayette senior grabbed 24th to earn All-State honors last fall and followed it up with a solid track season that included PRs of 4:31 and 9:38.
#13) Evan Schulte, JR, Rock Bridge- Schulte was the third best sophomore at last year’s State Meet behind only Kauppila and Haik. If the recent history of the Rock Bridge program is any indication, and we think it is, Schulte should be a force on the State scene this fall.
#14) Ian Frazier, SR, Kickapoo- Frazier was just one spot and two ticks behind Schulte at last year’s State Meet. He also dipped under 16 minutes twice, showing that his performance in Jeff City was no fluke. Look for a possible top ten finish from the Kickapoo senior in November.
#15) Kirk Smith, SR, John Burroughs- Smith was 5th in Class 3 in 2011 and we put a lot of stock in that. Just one spot behind #3 Bartelsmeyer at that Meet he is the second-best Class 3 returner an should be a contender anywhere he runs this fall.
Honorable Mention: Austin Del Rosso, Jason Fambrough, Brian Hernan, Ryan Jackson, Sheldon Keence, Matt Nicholson, Elvir Sarajlic, Tyler Rush, Dillon Williams
Big River Rankings: Pre-Season 2012
For those of you who have followed our rankings over the past few years you know that these are just for fun and hopefully serve to give athletes a little extra motivation as the season rolls along. We will come out with the rankings every few weeks. For those of you who are new and checking out the rankings for the first time we hope you enjoy them and if you have anyone or any team that we missed let us know by emailing Kyle Cameron at kyle@bigriverrunning.com
**Coaches remember to sign up for the 2012 Forest Park Cross Country Festival on Saturday September 8th. The meet will once again be one of biggest and best meets in the Midwest featuring more than 3,500 athletes and 13 races.
ALSO: We are already looking forward to the USA Cross Country Championships in Forest Park on February 2nd, 2013. This will be the second year in a row that Saint Louis hosts the event and we expect an amazing field of America’s best distance runners to compete for a spot on Team USA at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, including many 2012 Olympians! We encourage all of you to come out and compete in either the High School or the Junior Division and then stick around to watch your favorite runners later in the day. Like the meet on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and check out the Championship Website.