Chalk it up to a learning experience.
In cold, extremely windy conditions junior Nicole French of the Waynesville High School girls’ cross country team finished down in the pack Saturday morning at the Missouri Class 4 Championships, held at Oak Hills Golf Course in Hough Park.
French, running in her first state cross country meet, placed 116th overall with a time of 21:29.
“We have to remember at the beginning of the season Nicole’s goal was to just qualify at state,” said WHS cross country coach Travis Bohrer. “We are proud of her accomplishing that.
“Although she didn’t place as high as she’d hoped to, I think she’s on the upswing. I think next year at the state meet Nicole will be much more prepared both mentally and physically.”
There were a slew of area runners who battled the hilly course and the cold, windy weather conditions of the Missouri High School Cross Country Championships Saturday.
Here are the top team finishers and runners from the Ozark, Frisco League, Four Rivers, South-Central Association, Gasconade Valley and other area conferences from Saturday’s state cross country championships:
Class 4 Boys
Team: 1. Lee’s Summit West 53; 2. St. Louis U. High 87; 3. Liberty 140; 4. Lebanon 145; 5. Lee’s Summit North 5.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Kevin Colon, Lee’s Summit West, 15:51; 6. Danny Thater, Springfield Kickapoo, 16:19; 11. Michael Weis, Lebanon, 16:22; 15. Ben Chapman, Springfield Glendale, 16:26; 17. Matt Duncan, Rolla, 16:30; 20. Jacob Whillock, Lebanon, 16:32; 42. Sam Pogue, Kickapoo, 17:09; 56. Derek Showler, Lebanon, 17:18; 57. Chris Franklin, Lebanon, 17:18; 63. Andrew Neill, Kickapoo, 17:22; 68. Tony Crowder, Lebanon, 17:25; 76. Justin Baker, Kickapoo, 17:28; 77. Austin Gott, Kickapoo, 17:29; 119. Clayton Sippy, Kickapoo, 17:58; 137. Blake Easter, Kickapoo, 18:13; 139. Louis Tribble, Lebanon, 18:14; 156. Brandon Brown, Lebanon, 18:47.
Class 4 Girls
Team: 1. Lee’s Summit West 69; 2. Jefferson City 133; 3. Cape Girardeau Central 142; 4. Springfield Kickapoo 154; 5. Raymore-Peculiar 195.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Emily Sisson, Parkway Central, 17:57; 16. Kendra McClure, Lebanon, 19:34; 29. Erica Freiert, Kickapoo, 19:53; 34. Lauren Collette, Kickapoo, 20:02; 45. Hilary Carr, Kickapoo, 20:17; 54. Hannah Montgomery, Glendale, 20:22; 61. Jessica Shockley, Lebanon, 20:31; 68. Lindsay Dukewitz, Kickapoo, 20:46; 69. Melody Elswick, Kickapoo, 20:46; 77. Michelle Hicks, Lebanon, 20:55; 84. Rebecca Senn, Kickapoo, 21:02; 116. Nicole French, Waynesville, 21:29; 123. Kyla Jolley, Kickapoo, 21:37.
Class 3 Boys
Team: 1. West Plains 42; 2. Cape Girardeau Notre Dame 71; 3. Potosi 87; 4. Jefferson City Helias 135; 5. University City 169.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Jacob Swearingen, Potosi, 15:38; 5. Philip Palomino, West Plains, 16:23; 8. Brad Kintner, West Plains, 16:33; 15. Colter Robson, West Plains, 16:53; 20. Justin Kutter, West Plains, 16:57; 22. Josh Inman, West Plains, 16:59; 30. Jacob Shulz, West Plains, 17:12; 39. Phillip Beam, West Plains, 17:24; 49. Cody Moore, St. Clair, 17:37; 136. David Koppelmann, Owensville, 19:12.
Class 3 Girls
Team: 1. West Plains 75; 2. Kearney 78; 3. Festus 98; 4. Ste. Genevieve 122; 5. Notre Dame de Sion 141.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Alyssa Allison, Festus, 18:59; 2. Ashley Scott, St. Clair, 19:16; 4. Sabrina Peterman, West Plains, 19:37; 8. Decey Mitchell, West Plains, 19:50; 9. Olivia McCormick, West Plains, 19:52; 33. Cheyenne Romans, West Plains, 20:59; 49. Lauren Robson, West Plains, 21:24; 70. Ashley Perisho, West Plains, 21:47; 78. Lauren Baehr, Owensville, 21:53; 139. Emily Shultz, West Plains, 24:06.
Class 2 Boys
Team: 1. Herculaneum 41; 2. St. Pius X (KC) 84; 3. Bowling Green 118; 4. John Burroughs 177; 5. Principia 188.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Tyler Compton, Buffalo, 16:44; 2. Brett Simshauser, Cuba, 17:22; 16. William Platt, Ava, 17:44; 36. Eli Breese, Cuba, 18:18; 44. Tony Makar, Mtn. Grove, 18:22; 45. Kyle Williams, Dixon, 18:22; 54. Charlie Baumstark, Hermann, 18:31; 85. Joe Dering, Ava, 18:58; 94. Cody Luckinbill, Mtn. View Liberty, 19:08; 98. Caleb Reed, Mtn. Grove, 19:11; 107. Zach Dixon, Ava, 19:17; 117. Curtis Campbell, Mtn. Grove, 19:29; 126. Ethan Smith, Licking, 19:45; 134. Jacob Schneider, Ava, 20:11; 139. Daniel Cramer, Hermann, 20:27; 158. Kody Kutz, Ava, 22:05.
Class 2 Girls
Team: 1. Herculaneum 102, 2. East Newton 154; 3. Lutheran St. Peters 163; 4. Blair Oaks 164; 5. Mountain Grove 184.
State champion and other area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Eileen Schwiess, Herculaneum, 19:55; 6. Kelsie Hutsell, Willow Springs, 20:39; 11. Quencie Colley, Willow Springs, 21:25; 23. Kristina Short, Mtn. Grove, 21:54; 24. Whitney Coats, Mtn. Grove, 21:54; 36. Emily Perona, St. James, 22:24; 40. Susan Burd, Mtn. Grove, 22:31; 42. Kate Steiger, Cuba, 22:32; 47. Jessica Cook, Cuba, 22:40; 61. Sam Copling, Cuba, 22:59; 63. Montague, Macaulay, Hermann, 23:02; 72. Camerin Heithold, Licking, 23:11; 92. Kristen Short, Mtn. Grove, 23:37; 93. Kamryn Hutsell, Willow Springs, 23:40; 105. Tyann Hayes, Mtn. Grove, 23:50; 111. Rachel Lowther, Willow Springs, 24:05; 114. Jessica Roberts, Mtn. Grove, 24:15; 124. Christy Smith, Willow Springs, 24:38; 144. Rachel Ramsey, Mtn. Grove, 26:15; 150. Lindsey James, Willow Springs, 26:55; 155. Kuralay Shukubayeua, Cuba, 35:17.
Class 1 Boys
Team: 1. College Heights Christian 18; 2. West Platte 118; 3. Hermitage 121; 4. Saxony Lutheran 125; 5. Independence St. Mary’s 150.
State champion and other area runners’ finishes: 1. Trenton Morris, College Heights Christian, 16:39; 17. Trek Blackwell, Vienna, 18:19; 24. Corey Schoene, Vienna, 18:26; 28. Chris Viele, Chamois, 18:40; 29. Tyler Malone, Chamois, 18:40; 38. Jordan Bossaller, Belle, 18:57; 42. Tyler Poe, New Haven, 19:03; 50. Teddy Menke, New Haven, 19:11; 54. Kyle Donze, Belle, 19:19; 68. Zac Schoene, Vienna, 19:41; 74. Jackson Conaway, Viburnum, 19:46; 75. Buck Bratcher, New Haven, 19:49; 80. Zac Malone, Chamois, 19:55; 85. Chace Caldwell, Laquey, 19:59; 89. Evan Hensley, Cabool, 20:04; 90. Jacob Tranchsel, Chamois, 20:05; 96. Will Moore, Belle, 20:16; 107. Josh Kuhn, Chamois, 20:27; 108. Cole Meier, Vienna, 20:27; 110. Devin Miller, Laquey, 20:30; 123. Justin Maxwell, Chamois, 20:45; 125. Paul Brune, Vienna, 20:47; 126. Eric Englebrecht, New Haven, 20:52; 131. Eric Wood, Plato, 21:01; 132. Jesse Messersmith, Vienna, 21:02; 137. Lukas Wander, New Haven, 21:14; 144. Brandon Panhorst, New Haven, 21:24; 158. Ryan Menke, New Haven, 22:43; 160. Alex Miller, Vienna, 22:56.
Class 1 Girls
Team: 1. Penney 58; 2. Midway 100; 3. Marion County 119; 4. Rock Port 156; 5. College Heights Christian 164.
State champion and area runners’ individual finishes: 1. Emily Beaver, College Heights Christian, 19:41; 17. Deseray Helton, Vienna, 22:16; 40. Kendra Crewse, Plato, 23:23; 55. Stefanie Schmidiger, Plato, 24:01; 69. Addie Mengwasser, Chamois, 24:27; 72. Julie Baker, Plato, 24:33; 76. Jillian Klemp, Laquey, 24:37; 84. Tanaii Hunter, Laquey, 24:54; 101. Summer McKague, Chamois, 25:24; 118. Jacky Paulsmeyer, Chamois, 26:10; 124. Aubrey Schollmeyer, Chamois, 26:30; 127. Ashley Bogle, Crocker, 26:39; 138. Andrea Schollmeyer, Chamois, 27:42.
JEFFERSON CITY – —
