photo credit: Michael Frazier
Led by Simon Belete's record-setting time, Missouri's No. 1-ranked Blue Springs boys squad placed four runners in the top eight at Saturday's Class 4 District 7 meet.
But the Wildcats still barely won the meet on a beautiful fall day at the Lake Jacomo course. The No. 5 Wildcat placed 41st, pushing the total Blue Springs score to 57 points. Right behind were Rockhurst (60) and Raymore Peculiar (63). The other Sectional 4 qualifier was LS North (106)
Next Saturday's sectional on the quick Ray-Pec course promises to be a barn burner. Blue Springs, Rockhurst and Ray-Pec will battle St. Joseph Central and Liberty for the four automatic team spots to go to the 2012 State Meet.
In Saturday's district race, Belete came through the mile with a pack of five other runners around 4:45. By the two-mile mark, it was Belete at 9:54, with sophomore teammate Stephen Mugecheright behind him.
Belete, a senior, finished in 15:25.81. That was three seconds faster than Zach Herriott of Rockhurst ran in setting the course record at the 2011 district meet in 15:28.52.
(Belete's new course record time is for the "reverse Bronco" course at Lake Jacomo. The regular-course record there is held by Harrisonville's Maksim Korolev, 15:35.58 in 2009.)
On Saturday, Mugeche was second in 15:34.62.
Ray-Pec junior Jason Fambrough had a solid race, placing third in 15:39.94, with Truman junior Cole Rockhold in fourth at 15:53.08.
The other Blue Springs runners in the top 10 were senior James Barnett, fifth in 16:01.40, and junior Devon Sesler, eighth in 16:50.58.
Rockhurst's top runner was sophomore Will Thompson, sixth in 16:06.38. The Hawklets also had the the Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 runners in the race, with a time span of only 4 seconds.
Ray-Pec had two other runners in the top 10: sophomore Keaton Wasson in seventh at 16:48.15 and senior Brody Wild in ninth at 16:50.84.
But the Wildcats still barely won the meet on a beautiful fall day at the Lake Jacomo course. The No. 5 Wildcat placed 41st, pushing the total Blue Springs score to 57 points. Right behind were Rockhurst (60) and Raymore Peculiar (63). The other Sectional 4 qualifier was LS North (106)
Next Saturday's sectional on the quick Ray-Pec course promises to be a barn burner. Blue Springs, Rockhurst and Ray-Pec will battle St. Joseph Central and Liberty for the four automatic team spots to go to the 2012 State Meet.
In Saturday's district race, Belete came through the mile with a pack of five other runners around 4:45. By the two-mile mark, it was Belete at 9:54, with sophomore teammate Stephen Mugecheright behind him.
Belete, a senior, finished in 15:25.81. That was three seconds faster than Zach Herriott of Rockhurst ran in setting the course record at the 2011 district meet in 15:28.52.
(Belete's new course record time is for the "reverse Bronco" course at Lake Jacomo. The regular-course record there is held by Harrisonville's Maksim Korolev, 15:35.58 in 2009.)
On Saturday, Mugeche was second in 15:34.62.
Ray-Pec junior Jason Fambrough had a solid race, placing third in 15:39.94, with Truman junior Cole Rockhold in fourth at 15:53.08.
The other Blue Springs runners in the top 10 were senior James Barnett, fifth in 16:01.40, and junior Devon Sesler, eighth in 16:50.58.
Rockhurst's top runner was sophomore Will Thompson, sixth in 16:06.38. The Hawklets also had the the Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 runners in the race, with a time span of only 4 seconds.
Ray-Pec had two other runners in the top 10: sophomore Keaton Wasson in seventh at 16:48.15 and senior Brody Wild in ninth at 16:50.84.