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Class 1A
by Aaron Gundel
1A Boys Cross Country Preview
2000 Recap
Upset. Upset was the word of 2000, in both the 1A boys and girls
divisions.
(see girls preview if you're curious!)
The Linn Wildcats, widely favored to extend their already 2 year
long streak
to 3 years, was dethroned in a shattering show of force by the Southwest
Trojans, who took first with a showing of 62-122 in the scoring,
and racked
up their first state championship in school history. That wasn't
the only
shock of the day though, as West Platte, a virtual darkhorse from
out of
NOWHERE (not even in attendance in 99!), jumped into view and snagged
3rd,
and Osceola moved from 6th from 4th. Few in the state had expected
such a
great jumble of the teams, and many had expected Alton (2nd, 1999)
to remain
in contention for the crown. Their 5th place finish shocked many.
The winner of the 1A race was just on the money though, as Tommy
Neal
returned to take back to back state titles and set a new 1A course
record in
16:33.91. It can certainly be said that he went out with a bang.
Sophomore
Colten Green snipped a great deal off of his 99 finish (18:28.34
in 99,
compared with his 2000 finish of 17:17.16) to round out the #2 spot
very
nicely. Third place once again went to senior Richard Barnes of
Sparta, with
a time of 17:22.01. Junior Cody Sapp of Southwest roared in and
changed
things up from his previous year's finish in 19:16.90, moving down
to
17:32.79 and claiming 4th. Junior LeGrand Jones of Purdy coasted
in to a
final of 17:38 bringing his 7th place finish to 5th and rounding
out the fab
5.
When the dust settled, it became clear that with such extremes,
anything can
happen out there. Such may be the case in 2001.
2001: The Teams
On paper, things look as though they won't change much in 01. But
there is a
lot to factor in, and much to report on.
From currently available information, Alton looks to return 6/7
runners in
the 2001 season, losing their #6 runner to graduation. It can definitely
be
expected that they will make a significant run in 2001. Senior Josh
Roberts
(10th, 2000, 17:54.25) is confirmed return for his final season
to lead the
team to avenge their 2000 5th place finish, as they missed a trophy
by a
mere 8 points. It is my guess that Alton will rally to a top 3 finish
at
least based on that which is availble. Alton's top five runners
in 2000 were
Josh Roberts (10th, 17:54.25), Matt Blanton (18th, 18:18.40), Nathan
Huddleston (34th, 18:41.71), Kyle Willard (60th, 19:13.48), and
Greg
Campbell (90th, 19:39.58). Since Alton does not have a track season,
no
speculations can be made based upon it.
It has been revealed that Osceola's season outlook looks grim.
Much has been
lost after Cross Country season. Coach Neal Blackburn moved up to
coach at
Columbia Rockbridge, which may be a significant blow in itself.
Jerad
Jurgensmeyer (11th, 18:00.88) and Adam Bennett (45th, 18:57.38,
but is
reported to have improved and run in the 4:40's in track) are confirmed
to
return, but then comes one staggering blow after another. It is
reported
that Osceola's #2 and #4 runners have not and do not plan to come
out to
run, their #3 runner has moved, and they lose two seniors to graduation.
As
it can be seen, they do not look like a top 10 force at the current
time,
much less a trophy force.
West Platte. The name in itself is shocking. No one would have
believed that
this team, virtually unheard of until 2000, would rise up to snag
3rd. And
now they're coming back. Once again, info is sketchy. According
to last
year's figures, West Platte returns a full squad. 7/7. Senior Chris
Kauffman
(13th, 18:04.35) led the team at state in 2000. West Platte's top
5 from
2000 includes Kauffman (13th, 18:04.35), Michael Norman (35th, 18:44.17),
Joe Esther (38th, 18:48.04), Daniel Moore (47th, 19:00.78), Travis
Yocum
(48th, 19:01.88). A strong showing by West Platte's 2-5 runners
brought home
the bacon...can they do it again?
Few teams have been more consistent than the Linn Wildcats. Under
the strong
leadership of Coach Brett Phillips, the team has racked up 2 consecutive
back to back championships and numerous others in the years before
98-99,
when the team dominated the first years of the 1A-2A separation.
Linn will
be hurt, however, by a new fall soccer program which is being integrated.
Official figures are not yet in, but it is confirmed at the present
time
that not nearly all of Linn's 2000 team will be returning for the
2001
season. The only confirmed entries in the 2001 season are the Seiferts,
Matt
(19th, 18:19.14) and Danny (39th, 18:48.82). It is too early to
speculate on
how this team will progress throughout the 2001 season. We'll just
have to
wait until October.
In 1999, the Southwest Trojans stepped into the 1A scene by racking
a 3rd
place finish and making themselves known. They returned in 2000
to take the
gold, still viewed in darkness though. But now the heat is on and
the
Trojans have more pressure than ever to pull it off when it counts.
Southwest is confirmed to return its front runner, Senior Cody Sapp
(4th,
17:32.79) who may make a run at the state championship. Southwest
may have a
hole in its seemingly invincible armor though, as a new fall baseball
program is being instituted and it may claim all-stater Mashan Howarth
(12th, 18:02.17). Senior Colt Hall (15th, 18:11.89) is also confirmed
to
return as well as myself (16th, 18:12.95). Also confirmed to return
from the
top 5 is sophomore Daniel Stubblefield (42nd, 18:54.45). The Trojans
may get
some help if Howarth does leave from junior Caleb Askins, (74th,
1999,
20:03.01) who had to sit out the 2000 season after a bad race in
99' and is
looking for revenge.
The order looks to be greatly jumbled up in 2001. Things will be
different.
Some will rise...some will fall. Who will prevail?
November 3rd is the day all the questions will be laid to rest.
2001: The Individuals
As Tommy Neal's reign draws to an end, several rivals look to battle
it out
for a top spot in the 1A scene.
Junior Colten Green (2nd, 17:17.16) of Mack's Creek leads the battle
to
claim the crown. His impressive preformance in the 2000 state meet
could
very well foreshadow a victory in 2001, as he seems to be improving
at a
very significant rate. He brought himself from 15th place at 18:28.34
in
1999 to his second place finish in only one year. However, a great
indicator
of his soon to be rise to fame was his 2nd place finish at the 2000
state
track meet in the 3200 meter run in 10:11.29 behind Neal. If anything
can be
gathered from the info from the 2001 State Track Meet, it is that
his rate
of improvement has slowed somewhat. Green hammered out a 3rd place
finish in
10:07.89, only four seconds better than 2000 (it is reported though,
that he
ran approximately 10 minutes flat earlier in the year). However,
the
information may be irrelevant, because everything can change in
a summer.
Senior Cody Sapp (4th, 17:32.79) of Southwest Washburn is also
a leading
contender for the 2001 race. After a sub par state meet in 1999,
Sapp rose
up during the 2000 2A State Track Meet to claim all-state honors
in the 1600
meter run (6th, 4:35.84) and his preformance in the 3200 meter (9th,
10:10.51) run which foreshadowed his soon to be rise to the top
5. What does
his 2001 State Track Meet say? Well, the standard of improvement
cannot be
accurately measured because of the fact that Sapp elected to run
the 800
meter run instead of the 3200 at the State Track Meet. The only
standard
that one can go by is his impressive preformance in the 1600 meter
run (3rd,
4:32.01) (though Sapp did run a little faster during the regular
season)
which is only a 3 second improvement (though 1600 times cannot be
taken down
as significantly as 3200 times). Will Sapp shine in 2001? Time will
tell.
Senior LeGrand Jones (5th, 17:38.25) of Purdy also hopes to make
an
impressive showing in 2001. After a 7th place finish in 18:10.66
in 1999,
Jones went into silence until the 2000 season, where he emerged
in 5th in
17:38.25, a significant time improvement. Speculations cannot be
made though
for Jones going into the 2001 season because he did not succeed
in
qualifying for state track, and no info has yet been obtained on
him. Time
will tell what happens in his case.
One of the most drastic improvements in the 2000 Cross Country
season came
from Sophomore (at the time) Gary Black (6th, 17:40.62) of Bishop
Le Blond.
Black improved his freshman preformance (52nd, 19:32.32) by just
under two
minutes! This dramatic preformance takes the cake as the largest
improvement
into the top 10 that I can see. Nothing can be measured by an track
preformances, because Black either did not compete or did not make
it out of
Districts. He is another darkhorse to watch for in the results.
There is no
telling what he is capable of based upon his past improvements...simply
staggering.
Senior Joel Carroll (9th, 17:53.39) of Lakeland looks to better
his 2000
preformance. He bettered his 99 preformance of 14th place in 18:26.85
by a
little over 30 seconds, but placewise didn't make as much impact
as one
would have expected. Since it appears that Lakeland does not have
a track
program, no speculations can be obtained from it. Hence, one will
also have
to wait and see.
The same can be said of senior Josh Roberts (10th, 17:54.25) of
Alton, the
last returning member of 2000's top 10. Roberts improved his 1999
finish of
24th place in 18:49.69 by nearly a minute. Current information is
not
available yet though, as Alton ALSO does not have a track program,
which
makes predictions so so so much more difficult...and pure speculation.
Noteable changes in the top 10 from 1999-2000 that may affect the
2001
season...the disappearance of the two Cardinal Ritter boys, Kenny
Burke
(2nd, 17:39.67) and Bryan Baldwin (6th, 18:09.42), who blasted onto
the
scene at that time. It has neither been confirmed or denied whether
these
two will return for a second season (they were freshmen in 99).
But Burke is
known to have ran in the 2A 800 (3rd, 1:59.23) in 2001, so it is
a
possibility...and if he does...revenge may be in his line of thinking.
2001's top 10 is basically a great deal of speculation. It cannot
be said
for sure who is going to do what based upon anything yet. A great
deal can
change in just one summer, entire programs can fall, individuals
can have
incidents which prevent them from running, etc. Hence, we will have
to wait
for just a short time for the final countdown. State is coming.
One will
reveal himself as the state championship...only one.
Who will it be?
1A Girls Cross Country Preview
2000 Recap
Another upset rang out on the 1A team scene. It played like clockwork,
and
ended in heartbreak. By the time the 2000 1A girls state meet had
come to a
close, a disaster had happened for some, and absolute triumph for
others.
The Linn Wildcats dominance in 1999 came to a screeching halt in
2000, a
year many had expected them to return to center stage and claim
a second
straight crown. Once again the expectations were thrown straight
out the
window. Cabool, a team who was actually demoted from 2A, moved down
to claim
the crown in 1A, much to the surprise of a shocked stage. But wasn't
all.
The Wildcats were pushed down to 4th, with Elsberry claiming the
#2 spot,
and and Whitfield snagging the #3. (Both of these teams moved up
one place
from their 99 finish). Another surprise was Bishop LeBlond's relatively
young 99' girls team being pushed from second all the way down to
6th. The
result of this great jumble was a heartbreaking defeat for the Wildcats,
and
a spectacular victory for Cabool, who had placed 15th in 2A the
previous
year.
The team race wasn't the only thing that was thrown to the rocks.
The
individual girls race was also thrown completely out of sync. Junior
Lauren
Van Vickle, who had won 1A state her freshman and sophomore years,
was
thrown out in a shocking performance by Valley Park's sophomore
sensation
Kate Brittan, who had placed 4th in 1999. Her victory was even more
staggering in the fact that it was preformed in a margin of thirty
seconds
over second place Van Vickle. Annette Parker, who did not run in
the state
meet in 1999, rose up to claim the 3rd place spot, Amanda Geno,
48th place
in 99, made an impressive performance to snag the 4th spot, and
Angela Hank
of Wellsville-Middletown made a steady improvement from her previous
year's
7th place finish to claim 5th.
Could such a mix up of teams and individuals rattle the state meet
again?
2001: The Teams
Starting with #5 and movin on up...Vienna's team failed to qualify
for the
1999 state meet, although two of their individuals did go themselves.
One of
these was Crystal Wilson (6th, 21:19.58, 2000), who returns in 2001
for her
junior year. Shockingly enough, Vienna's entire team returns according
to
2000 figures. It is highly possible that they may move up on the
list,
however, with Wilson being the first of only two all-staters, and
having few
'big guns' so to speak, it is highly unlikely Vienna could crack
the top
spot. Their scoring five were spread from 6th to 106th!!!! Their
pack may
improve in 2001 though, so there is no telling where they will be
at if they
return all. Vienna's top five from 2000 include Wilson, Jody Weed
(21st,
21:56.07), Lyndsay Helton (36th, 23:03.53), Ellie Byrd (73rd, 24:32.98),
and
Amanda Stratman (106th, 25:45.00).
Then comes the Wildcats. After 2000's disaster, they are surely
looking for
a return to some form of glory. It will take all coach Brett Phillips
has to
get them there though. The Wildcats lose two seniors from their
top 5
(Jennifer Kirk (25th, 22:09.79), and Lisa Masso (85th, 25:02.80)),
and this
will surely hurt. The Wildcats also do not look to return Christa
Maasen
(3rd, 21:40.78, 1999) so no immediate help will come there. It is
highly
likely that junior Amanda Verdot (28th, 22:32.74) will lead the
team, being
their top returner. Junior Emily Reinkemeyer (41st, 23:07.27) and
sophomore
Kara Stumpe (62nd, 24:03.76) will also show up on the top scene
for the
Wildcats. One thing that has been well learned though, is never
count the
Wildcats out. If Brett Phillips has a team, he will almost always
have a
trophy.
Whitfield's 2000 season grew on their 99 season, as they moved
up a place in
the space between. A blow might be losing their top two runners
(Annette
Parker (3rd, 20:58.91), and Phabienne Parker (7th, 21:27.63) to
graduation,
but then again maybe not. I have noticed the most amazing thing...neither
of
these runners ran at state in 1999. (Still, Missouri Runner's Nation
lacks
district results from 1999 and Whitfield did not have a complete
team in
99...so I cannot say for sure if some unfortunate fate befell and
kept these
girls from running or not.) Whitfield also lost their top two runners
from
state in 1999! So it is obvious that things do change...and there
is no
telling what may happen at state. Senior Emily Luderer (29th, 22:44.60)
looks to come back for her final season in 2001, and is a good pick
to lead
the team. Also returning are Dani Lebens (56th, 23:55.93) and Sara
Sonderman
(108th, 26:09.28) which closes out the top 5 from 99.
Elsberry also moved up a place to snag the #2 seat in 2000. However,
their
2000 team was older than most, and they lose their #1, #2, #3, and
#6
runners to graduation, which will, undoubtedly be a severe blow.
They return
no all staters, their top returners are Shanna Lonssberry (43rd,
23:14.81)
and Tracy Matlock (51st, 23:45.39). It will take some outside sources
for
Elsberry to crack a trophy spot in 2001. I can't say much more,
because from
2000 figures, things are not looking good. One will definitely have
to check
the results later this year to see Elsberry's progression.
Cabool stands the best chance from what I can see of taking the
2001 crown.
They return an impressive 6/7 runners, losing only #3 Bobbie Sisk
(14th,
21:35.06) to graduation. They stand out ahead of the crowd by the
look of
the things I see. Sophomore Katie Vonallmen (9th, 21:30.82) will
most likely
lead the team, followed by junior Bridget Johnson (10th, 21:31.68),
senior
Katie Walker (40th, 23:06.53), Jami Sisk (57th, 23:56.81), which
closes out
the top 5. Since the surprise of Cabool's 2000 demotion from 2A,
it cannot
be said who will rise and who will fall in that respect. It is only
a symbol
that such things DO happen. Hence, one will have to wait until district
assignments come out on the 22nd of August to say for sure which
teams are
leaving and if any are coming down to "play".
Shakeups do happen as we have seen. Will there be another earthquake
in
2001?
2001: The Individuals
When Kate Brittan (20:14.64) took the 1A girls state title, for
most of us,
there was a great sense of shock. I myself remember looking at Brittan
coming up the notorious "firehouse hill" and thinking...that's
not Lauren!
Others surely reacted the same way, because of the great...huge
gap between
the two. The question in everyone's mind is...will Brittan do it
again? I
have no difinitive answer for you now. I can only look on the past
and
speculate, so let's do that. If Brittan had run the same time in
1999, she
would have still beaten Van Vickle by a second. So one answer is
this:
Lauren either had a bad race or did not improve during the 1999-2000
transition. There were no signs that Lauren was due to fall though,
she had
just come off a state championship in the 1600 (5:21.98) and third
place
finishes in the 3200 (12:00.97) and 800 (2:22.59) in the 2000 track
season.
Of course, one cannot say for sure how much Brittan was coming along,
because Valley Park does not have a track season. Decide for yourself
what
Lauren's 2001 track season says. She blasted out another victory
in the 1600
(5:17.74), she fell back a little in the 3200 to sixth place (12:03.74),
and
moved up to 2nd place in the 800 meter run (2:22.58). I can say
for sure
that I will be watching these two girls in 2001. It will definitely
be an
exciting battle.
Moving on down to 4th place is Amanda Geno (21:11.35), also of
Valley Park.
Geno dramatically improved her 48th place (24:18.76) 99 finish to
pull out a
4th place finish in 2000 21:11.35. Once again, no info can be obtained
on
her track season because Valley Park does not have one! It is difficult
and
dangerous to judge on a standard of a year to year basis, predictions
are
highly highly innaccurate. But I would expect Geno to return to
the top 5 at
least.
Then comes junior Angela Hank (5th, 21:17.81) of Wellsville-Middletown.
She's moving steadily up in the ranks, and I would say that she
will make
her presence known even more so in 2001. She an impressive track
record to
say the least. She has won four individual titles in track in her
career,
the 1600 (5:22.88, 2000) (5:26.13, 2001) and the 3200 (12:11.27,
2000)
(12:00.40, 2001), and she has placed second in the 800 (2:25.80,
2000)
(2:28.49, 2001) for two straight years. Her improvement seems progressive,
and she seems to be one of the most consistent individuals I have
noticed. I
expect her to do well in 2001, though I cannot say for sure where
she will
be.
On down the line comes Crystal Wilson (6th, 21:19.58) of Vienna.
We also
have limited knowledge of her progress due to lack of information
(no track
season). So one must attempt to reserve judgement until further
results can
be obtained. It can be said though that Wilson improved her time
from the
1999-2000 season by over a minute (compared with her 22:28.74 14th
place
finish), which is always impressive.
Then comes the Cabool girls, sophomore Katie Vonallmen (9th, 21:30.82)
and
junior Bridget Johnson (10th, 21:31.68). Nothing can be said of
any previous
seasons for Vonallmen, as she is only a sophomore, and I can find
nothing
from track season on her. I find nothing from track season on Johnson
either, but her 2A 1999 results show that she improved by nearly
a minute in
time (22:46.11). One cannot say for sure much else though, we'll
have to
watch the results.
Now I take on those who fell out of the 1999 top 10 and are possibly
coming
back. Southwest's Ashley Hendrix (16th, 21:40.95) (2nd, 1999, 21:33.91)
would have certainly been expected to do much better than she did.
Her 2nd
place finish in 99 was a forerunner to...nothing. One would have
expected
her to at least return to the top 5, but she did not. Nothing can
be
obtained from her track season, either because she did not even
participate
in the district track meet. Linn's Christa Maasen (3rd, 1999, 21:40.78)
was
unable to run during 2000, and it is unknown if she will run in
2001,
either. One would have to wait and see.
Now all this goes to say...nothing. Anything can happen in cross
country, as
we have well seen. The figures you see above this sentence? Well,
it is
possible that none of them may return to the top 10 (though I find
that
highly unlikely.) And once again I say...On November 3rd, all will
be
revealed...
Class 2A
by Cody Branch
2A Boys Cross Country Preview
This year in the 2A boys cross country championships, you want to
be looking
for Artie Randall, Eddie Higgins, Adam Daughhetee, Darell Rogers,
and Matt
McCleary to be in the front. I think that it’ll be a three
way battle for
the win. Artie Randall, Eddie Higgins, and Matt McCleary will be
up in the
front. Artie Randall was the second place finisher last year. Eddie
Higgins
was fourth last year but had a great spring winning the 2A 3200
in track and
field. Matt McCleary has improved over the summer and is looking
to improve
his third place finish last year. Another person to look for in
the front
will be Darell Rogers, last year as a freshman Rogers finished eighth
in
17:17.95 and is hoping to improve. Adam Daughhetee didn’t have
a good cross
country season last year but came back for the spring season and
defended
his 1600 meter title. This year Daughhetee is looking to go all
the way to
make up for his disappointing finish last year.
In the team running, last years winner St. Francis Borgia lost
2 of it’s top
five runners from last year. I think this years force will be East
Newton.
Last year East Newton came in third, but they only lost one runner.
This
year I am looking for them to have two runners in the top 10 with
Matt
McCleary and Tal Hudson.
2A Girls Cross Country Preview
In the girls race only five of the top ten are returning. Last years
winner,
Allison Smith of Pembroke Hill, should dominate this field. Smith
had a
great spring season when she won the 3200 and was second in the
1600 at the
state championships. I think this years race will be faster than
last years
race which only had three girls go under 20 minutes. Another person
to look
for will be Tiffany Ludwig of Southern Boone. Ludwig just came on
last year
when she was fourth in the 3200 and ninth in the 1600 at state.
If you are
thinking that you have never heard of her, it is because Southern
Boone just
got cross country this year. Someone else that should be up there
is last
years third place finisher Casey Dewitt of Logan-Rogersville. She
ran
19:52.52 last year and should be looking for improvement this year.
In the team finishing, I think that Logan-Rogersville will defend
their
title. They should have at least three people in the top 10 and
two more in
the top twenty. Visitation Academy, last years second place finishers
should
be able to stay in the top three. Only losing two runners, they
will have
two Sophomores leading the team to some success.
Class 3A
By Kim Simon
3A Boys Cross Country Preview
2000 Recap
Kearney seemingly came out of nowhere to win the 2000 team title.
In 1999
they only had one runner at state and he finished 59th! Hannibal
returned 4
of 7 runners to repeat their second place finish. Eureka improved
their
position by one by coming in third. Ladue Horton Watkins edged out
Warrensburg by one point for a fourth place finish after having
had only one
runner at state in '99. Theirs was an emotional race run for their
coach,
Ron Jorgenson, who suffered an aneurysm during the season and passed
away in
December, 2000.
Aaron Grimes improved his tenth place finish in '99 to win the
2000 race in
16:18.51. Kevin McDougal led Kearney by shaving off more than two
minutes
from his '99 time and finished second in 16:26.86. Andy Person repeated
his
third place finish even though he was almost 20 seconds faster in
2000.
2001
Since I do not have the historical perspective that Aaron has,
I'm making
predictions based solely on published information from last year's
state
meets: cross country and track. Thanks also to Coach Y for sharing
some
insights on his team.
1 Warrensburg - returning 6 of 7 runners
2 Hannibal - returning 4 runners the last of whom finished in 17:37
3 Raytown South - returning 6 but not as strong as Warrensburg
4 Carthage - returning 5 and has a promising newcomer
Statistically, it looks like Aaron Grimes should take first again
but
Kenneth Bowling(14th) and Charlie Bromley(7th) sure had good track
seasons
and could pose a threat. Others to watch for are the 2000 state
track
contenders in the 3200: Ryan Whipple(10th), Kevin Stone(15th), Anthony
Yount(31), & Mike Breshears(80). One more name to look for is
Kyle Davis, a
sophomore from Potosi, who has been improving steadily and will
be a top 10
soon.
3A Girls Cross Country Preview
2000 Recap
Three teams moved up from 2A to take first (Notre Dame de Sion),
ninth
(Lutheran South) & tenth (Odessa). Raytown South dropped from
first in '99
to third in 2000. Moberly jumped from seventh in '99 to second in
2000.
Eureka maintained their fourth place finish.
Kari Haus ran about 1:20 faster than in '99 to capture the women's
title.
Kasey Kimball & Jennifer Woods entered the arena of high school
running just
three months before their second and third place finishes respectively.
This
could prove to be a fierce rivalry for the next three years.
2001
Freshmen seem to play such a huge role in women's cross country
that it is
impossible to predict anything with much accuracy. Four of the top
ten and
eleven of the top twenty were freshmen in 2000. Who can know where
the fast
freshmen will appear?
I will go out on a limb and predict the top four teams.
1 Notre Dame de Sion - returning four but I'm guessing they had
depth
2 Eureka - returning six including Kasey Kimball
3 Helias - returning six
4 St Charles West - returning all seven
It's a toss-up between Kasey Kimball (2), Jennifer Woods (3), and
Savannah
Brown (4). All three competed well at state in the 1600. Other state
track
performers include Gina Kennison(7), Nicole Porter(15), Sarah
Vinslauski(16), Katie Beaverson(26), and Shawna Richardson(43).
Good luck to all!
Class 4A
By Brandon Daniels
By dominating with blistering times in 3,200 and 5,000 meter races,
many saw
Jason Sandfort as the precursor for Missouri running into new millennium.
With that, a close core of runners attempt add their names to Missouri's
running tradition. As of August, only one returning runner has defeated
Sandfort in any distance. In all distances between 400 and 5,000
meters,
junior Adam Perkins heads this year's crop of runners. By early
December [of
2000], the Liberty fore runner clocked a 15:26.30 5,000 meter race.
In
Debrecen, Hungary, Perkins competed in 1,500 meter run at the Junior
World
Championships. The 1600 meter state champion, ran an equivalent
of a 4:09
1600 meter race by running 3:52.19. As the state's second highest
Foot
Locker Regional finisher, he trailed Sandfort by nearly thirty seconds.
But,
will Perkins's attention be focused on the 2001 Foot Locker Cross
Country
Championships? If so, he might get a look at the class of 2003's
top
contenders: Bobby Curtis, Brennan Fennell, and Steve Magness.
Two more runners comprise the focus for the state title. By peaking
at
crunch- time, Parkway West's Tim Koboldt has made a name for himself.
Last
season, Koboldt finished in third place, with a time of 16:07.94.
The
Ballwin runner finished fifth among Missouri runners at the Foot
Locker
Midwest Regional meet. Koboldt did not run a pleasing 3200 meter
race at
last year's state track meet; however, he previously achieved a
season best
of 9:44.95. This season, the highest returning senior runner will,
most
likely, have to fight-off another junior. While battling the infectious
mononucleosis disease, Marc Tegenkamp achieved a personal best 3200
meter
time of 9:43.15. The disease is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus
and attacks
the lymphatic system. The Lee's Summit henchman finished seventh
at last
year's state meet and later improved his time to 15:41.00. For this
summer,
Tegenkamp has already ran 15:57 and hopes to gain ground toward
the 15:00
milestone. Another top contender includes Desmet senior Jeremy Doherty.
Last
November, Doherty finished three places behind Tegenkamp and maintained
personal best time of 16:12. After an impressive track season, many
followers could expect even more success from Doherty. Doherty competed
in
AAU track over the summer, with previous times of 4:20.19 and 9:38.80.
Succeding a 9:24.54 3200 meter run, John Basler's name was thrown
back into
the mix. By finishing tenth as a sophomore, the Hazelwood West athlete
proved that he could run away with things. At 16:06, Senior Ben
Edgley
returns with one of the state's top times. In Kenosha, Wisconsin,
Edgley
rounded out Missouri's top seven runners [at the Foot Locker Regional
meet].
As St. Joseph's captain, Edgley returns with 9:46 3200 meter ability.
Another core of runners return with much success from the track.
St. Louis
University High's Tom O'Brien should not be overlooked as a dominant
force.
At the 2001 state track championships, the senior finished just
behind
Sandfort in a tough mile field. 4:18 leg speed might result in an
advantage
near the end of a race. Oddly enough, the next three runners nearly
show a
similar range of ability. Just behind Doherty, Aaron Martens left
the state
meet with a 9:43.38 3200 meter time [worthy of a seventh place finish].
As
Liberty's third ranked miler, he ran 4:28.96 for 1600 meters and
has a
personal best 5,000 meter time of 16:32.38. Joplin's Andrew Beard
rounded
out the remaining All-State 3200 meter finishers with a time of
9:45.26. The
senior faired with a 4:26.01 1600 meter effort. From Lee's Summit
North,
Brandon Daniels achieved personal bests of 9:43.00, 4:25.20 and
1:57.
Daniels hopes to rebound from a 150th place junior finish and already
has a
16:20 under his legs [from July].
A key representative without his face in the track scene is Desmet's
Sean
Hartling. With a 16:36 personal best, the Desmet runner finished
in the top
twenty in 2000. Other notables are Peter Browne (Jr. Lee's Summit),
Blane
Kauk (Sr. North Kansas City), Gabe Lutes (Sr. Northwest), Josh Martsolf
(Sr.
St. Joseph Central), Brennan Metzler (Jr. Rockhurst), Lucas Plocher
(Sr.
West Plains), Mike Serniak (Sr. Parkway South), and Nate Smith (Jr.
Hickman).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just as identical as the individual battle, the team battle appears
extremely close. Desmet Jesuit returns two top twenty finishers
and only
lost two seniors [including miler Joe Porter ]. The defending Metro
Catholic
Conference champions return Doherty, Hartling, Adam Braun (Sr.),
Scott
Helgeson (So.), and Pat Eichholz (Sr.). After losing their top two
runners,
West Plains might appear to look tougher than ever. The team answers
with
five of the top forty runners from last year. The Zizzer pack includes:
Plocher, Josh Harper (Jr.), Brain Roe (Jr.), Matt Whittingham (Jr.),
and
Josh Thayer (Jr.). Not only will the team have to compete without
the likes
of Jason Sandfort and Dustin Collins, but the team will also lose
legendary
coaching from Joe Bill Dixon [to retirement]. Just behind Desmet
in 2000,
was fifth place St. Joseph Central. With Edgley, Martsolf, Matt
Morton
(Jr.), Danny White (Sr.) and Curtis Calloway (Jr.), the team does
not expect
to remain in the shadow of backyard powerhouses Liberty and Lee's
Summit.
However, the team does lose their best miler Johnny Rivera [4:27.11]
and 800
meter runner Danny McLaughlin [1:56.78]. Well known for their re-occurring
one-two-punch, Liberty returns Perkins, Martens and a maturing pack
of
runners. Brett McKnight (So.), David Hatfield (Jr.), Marc Harman
(Sr.),
Jason Simpson (Jr.) and Chavis Claussen (Fr.) will help contend
in the
loaded Big Eight Conference. Also in the unpredictable Big Eight
Conference
is Lee's Summit. The Tigers lost quite a bit of senior depth; however,
they
will re-load with Tegenkamp, Browne, Aaron Fitzgerald (Sr.), Matt
Merrigan
(Sr.), Adam Rutherford (Sr.), and Kyle Doherty (Fs.). This year,
St. Louis
University brings four returning runners to the table. Other teams
to watch
include Parkway South and Parkway West.
Girls 4A Preview
By Brandon Daniels
The class of 2001, which included Jill Petersen, Amanda Marcak,
Jackie
Pirtle and Laura Kennedy finished first through second at last year's
state
championships. Ironically enough, the quartet finished in the exact
same
order at the state 3200 meter final. This year's top returning competitors
finished within fifteen seconds of each other. Francis Howell Central
stand
out Kelli Schulte sticks out more than anyone with a personal bests
of
5:10.44 and 2:21.91. As a senior, Schulte steps out of the shadows
of area
competition such as Jill Petersen and Jackie Pirtle. Schulte finished
as the
runner-up [for Missouri athletes] at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional.
In
fact, she only tailed her counterpart, Marcak, by nine seconds with
a finish
of 18:55. Surprisingly, Blue Springs's Nicole Graham appears to
be keeping
close competition on their toes. Earlier this summer, the senior
broke the
19:00 plateau with an 18:59 road race. She was only a second away
from a new
personal record. Over the past year-and-a-half, the 1999 state champion
has
contended with various sorts of injuries. Is the Graham of old returning
at
full strength? If so, the final mile of this year's state championships
might be a show to watch. Speaking of milers, Marquette's 5:06 stand
out,
Kristen Hoogheem, returns after finishing eight individually. In
a see-saw
battle with Francis Howell North, the 2:22 half-miler contributed
to a
second place 3200 meter relay team [9:30.41]. The only question
with
Hoogheem lies in her strength to reach the 19:00 mark. The final
member of
the class of 2002 quartet comes from Wentzville's squad. Heather
Brokaw
finished in seventh place last year and fourth at the GAC South
Championships behind Pirtle, Petersen and Schulte. Brokaw set a
personal
record in the mile, last spring, in a time of 5:18.50.
Believe it or not, Courtney Cockerell of Raytown is a likely candidate
to
run away with the state title. After strong finishes throughout
the season
and achieving a personal best of 18:40, Cockerell fell off pace
at state.
This past spring, the senior achieved a personal best in the 3200
meter run
with a time of 11:15.74. She also holds a personal best of 5:11
in the 1600
meter run. Sophomore sensation Laura Piper first bursted onto the
scene at
the First Capitol Invitational, last year. The Marquette runner
placed
seventh behind a stacked field which included: Petersen, Hoogheem,
Laura
Kennedy, Sarah Smith, Schulte, and Natalia Smith. After an impressive
tenth
place state finish, Piper showed no signs of relenting. At the 2001
state
track championships, she complemented a 5:10.54 1600 meter run with
a
2:16.03 800 meter run. Sarah Smith can only look ahead when tight
competition is in affect. Much of her success has came in large
meets;
including, her ninth place effort last season. Stephanie Lavin's
onset to
the running community surprised many people. After a 19:15 finish
at the
Sectional 4 meet, the front runners knew that she would be a potent
force.
Lavin finished behind Cockerell at the state 3200 meter final and
achieve a
personal record in the mile of 5:19.54. Lavin could not hold off
the kick of
Parkway West's Melinda Sprague. Sprague returns without any state
track
action, but should not be overlooked.
After a year of controversy, Kelli Denny can finally return to
the scene
with a clear mind. At the Missouri Cross Country Challenge, the
Lee's Summit
sophomore finished sixth over a state championship quality race.
Denny
eventually lowered her personal best to 19:39. Lee's Summit North
junior
Sarah Whiting will be in the hunt to crack the top ten. Whiting
posted best
times of 19:22 for 5,000 meters and 5:14.52. Many other athletes
to look for
include: Veronica Bible (Sr. McCluer North), Robyn Dirnberger (Jr.
Kirkwood), Emily Grindeland (Sr. Francis Howell), Lauren Hoffman
(So.
Oakville), Jaci Kolenda (So. Lee's Summit North), Laura Menne (Jr.
Lee's
Summit North), Jennifer Reekie (So. Zumwalt).
In the team race, Lafayette loses bellwether Laura Kennedy to seniority;
however, the returners include: Bible, Jessica Violand (Jr.), Molly
Polette
(So.), Jennifer Herard (Jr.), Julia Bangiyeva (Jr. Lafayette), and
Jenny
Ballou (Jr.). Expect the defending champions, the Lady Tigers of
Lee's
Summit, to put up a fight with the Suburban West Conference champions.
Lee's
Summit returns Denni, Amy Stetzler (Jr.), Toni Picerno (So.), Katheryn
Evans
(Sr.), Jessica Deatrick (Sr.) and Lauren White (Jr.). In the Tigers's
own
backyards, are the Lee's Summit North Broncos. The program reloads
without
loosing a single runner. Leading the way is Whiting, along with
Laura Menne
(So.), Jaci Kolenda (So.), Michelle Sievers (So.), Ashley Stark
(Jr.),
Ashley Broockerd (Jr.), and Kim Homan (Jr.). Marquette should also
provide a
strong showing this season. With Hoogheem and Piper, the team has
the top
1-2 punch out of any team in the state. Katy Bundy (Jr.), Lauren
Hendrix
(Sr.), Olivia Conlon (Jr.), Nicole Johnson (Sr.), and Katy Midyett
(Sr.).
Any of these four teams have a shot at the state title; however,
depth will
play a big part in the end. Other key teams include: Blue Springs
[a team
which only lost two runner and return two top fifteen runners],
Liberty,
Fort Zumwalt South, Parkway West, and West Plains.
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