Lexington’s Addison Smith repeat as state champion Saturday, Nov. 8 at the MSHSAA Class Two Cross Country meet in Columbia, leading her Minutemen to a dominant team finish.
The junior Smith completed the five-kilometer course at Gans Creek in a time of 18:33, nearly three seconds better than teammate, freshman Ellie Lichte. Phoebe Engelbrecht finished in fifth, while Tessa Lovell crossed the finish line in ninth. Natalie Adkins completed the race in 20:25.8, good for 22nd overall and allowing the Minutemen to total just 25 points in the team standings, far outpacing second-place West Platte (116) and third-place Lafayette County (147). The Huskers were led to their trophy finish by Tenley Pessetto with a time of 20:30.7. Lone Jack finished 16th in the team standings, led by Rose Chase with a time of 22:50.4.
In the Class Two boys race, Chael Lichte’s bid to repeat as an individual state champion came up short, as the Lexington senior and the field was left behind by Wyatt Klaiber of El Dorado Springs. Klaiber completed the course in a race record of 14:51. Lichte crossed the line second with a time of 15:43.5, while teammate Connor Soendker finished 17th with a time of 16:38.5. Woodland of Marble Hill won the state title, finishing three points ahead of Thomas Jefferson Independent of Joplin. Stover was the only area program to field a full team, finishing 14th. The Bulldogs were led by Lason Thompson, who finished in a time of 18:20.
The Kingsville Tigers finished third in the Class One boys race, compiling 126 points to finish 31 behind state champions School of the Ozarks. Kingsville were led by Avery Barnes, who completed the race in seventh with a time of 16:58.8. He was a second behind New Franklin’s Quincy Dorson. Four other area runners were in the top 25: Conway Hoerr of Hale was 11th, while Danny Janssen of Higbee finished 20th, ahead of Lucas Crews of Polo and Shaun Luecke of Northeast (Cairo). Luecke’s time of 17:31.3 led the Cairo Bearcats to a tenth place finish.
In the Class One girls race, Glasgow finished 11th in the team standings, two points ahead of Green Ridge. Glasgow were led by Maylen Parks, who crossed the line 32nd with a time of 21:57.7. Amaya Shafer of St Paul Lutheran finished second in the race with a time of 19:19.2, behind individual champion Jayden Chambers of Norwood. Mya Edington of Green Ridge finished 16th with a time of 21:19.5, while Ruth Hodges of Prairie Home, Halle Morrison of Otterville, and Ayala Deraps of Jamestown also finished in the top 30. The Class One title went to School of the Ozarks.
Area Top-30 and Team Finishers At The 2024 MSHSAA State Cross Country Championships
Gans Creek Cross Country Course, Columbia
Team points in parenthesis
Class One Girls
1. Jayden Chambers, Norwood, 19:09.4
2. Amaya Shafer, St. Paul Lutheran, 19:19.2
16. Mya Edington, Green Ridge, 21:19.5 (7)
17. Ruth Hodges, Prairie Home, 21:20.2
19. Halle Morrison, Otterville, 21:24.4
26. Ayala Deraps, Jamestown, 21:35.3
32. Maylen Parks, Glasgow, 21:57.7 (13)
55. Rylee Donaldson, Green Ridge, 23:05.4 (23)
85. Kamryn Kottman, Glasgow, 23:54.0 (41)
111. Jaclyn Johnson, Glasgow, 24:42.3 (52)
113. Callie Knoernschild, Green Ridge, 24:44.0 (54)
117. Magdalene Kramm-Neighbor, Glasgow, 24:55.6 (55)
129. Angelica Georgiyev, Green Ridge, 25:31.5 (65)
131. Lydia Friedrich, Glasgow, 25:42.0 (66)
133. Paysen Thies, Glasgow, 26:07.0 (68)
134. Aly Prentzler, Glasgow, 26:13.6 (69)
149. Natalie Demshick, Green Ridge, 29:12.2 (80)
1. School of the Ozarks, 60 (3, 9, 15, 16, 17)
2. Dora, 106 (5, 12, 20, 29, 40)
3. South Nodaway, 139 (2, 6, 19, 49, 63)
4. St Vincent (Perryville), 157 (1, 4, 33, 58, 61)
11. Glasgow, 227 (13, 41, 52, 55, 66)
12. Green Ridge, 229 (7, 23, 54, 65, 80)
Class One Boys
1. Kellen Robertson, School of the Ozarks, 16:16.0 (1)
6. Quincy Dorson, New Franklin, 16:57.8
7. Avery Barnes, Kingsville, 16:58.8 (5)
11. Conway Hoerr, Hale, 17:13.0
20. Danny Janssen, Higbee, 17:28.3
21. Lucas Crews, Polo, 17:28.8
22. Shaun Luecke, Northeast (Cairo), 17:31.3 (11)
45. Cole Smith, Kingsville, 18:00.2 (21)
48. Jack Ewing, Kingsville, 18:03.0 (22)
50. Gideon Melling, Kingsville, 18:06.0 (24)
74. Clayton Messer, Northeast (Cairo), 18:39.6 (38)
89. Kadin Walker, Northeast (Cairo), 18:51.5 (47)
105. Emanuele Levegue, Kingsville, 19:06.7 (54)
116. Lance Wortmann, Northeast (Cairo), 19:27.2 (61)
134. Tristin Messer, Northeast (Cairo), 19:59.3 (72)
141. Levi Dennis, Kingsville, 20:12.3 (77)
163. Dillon Luecke, Northeast (Cairo), 21:18.3 (98)
169. Nicholas Neal, Northeast (Cairo), 21:48.8 (104)
170. Julian Molina, Kingsville, 21:53.5 (105)
1. School of the Ozarks (Point Lookout), 95 (1, 17, 23, 26, 28)
2. Van Buren, 114 (4, 9, 16, 42, 43)
3. Kingsville, 126 (5, 21, 22, 24, 54)
4. Hermitage, 153 (8, 19, 30, 39, 57)
10. Northeast (Cairo), 229 (11, 38, 47, 61, 72)
Class Two Girls
1. Addison Smith, Lexington, 18:33.0 (1)
2. Ellie Lichte, Lexington, 18:35.8 (2)
5. Phoebe Engelbrecht, Lexington, 19:25.3 (4)
9. Tessa Lovell, Lexington, 19:42.9 (5)
22. Natalie Adkins, Lexington, 20:25.8 (13)
27. Tenley Pessetto, Lafayette County, 20:30.7 (17)
35. Violet Joyner, Lafayette County, 21:15.5 (22)
51. Harper Hayes, Lafayette County, 21:38.5 (30)
70. Ella Amos, Lafayette County, 21:58.1 (38)
72. Alexandria Erdman, Lafayette County, 21:59.9 (40)
100. Bridget Tyler, Lafayette County, 22:37.1 (54)
107. Kyamila Huseynov, Lafayette County, 22:49.1 (57)
109. Rose Chase, Lone Jack, 22:50.4 (58)
110. Aubrey Redd, Lone Jack, 22:50.7 (59)
121. Kathryn Jack, Lone Jack, 23:14.8 (64)
131. Haven Goodson, Lone Jack, 23:29.5 (72)
142. Elizabeth Rodekohr, Lexington, 23:57.1 (81)
148. Larissa Adkins, Lexington, 24:19.1 (86)
151. Brenna Burns, Lone Jack, 24:34.9 (88)
156. Bonnie Oliphant, Lone Jack, 25:22.8 (91)
167. Laney Bruner, Lone Jack, 27:14.5 (102)
1. Lexington, 25 (1, 2, 4, 5, 13)
2. West Platte, 116 (14, 19, 23, 29, 31)
3. Lafayette County, 147 (17, 22, 30, 38, 40)
4. El Dorado Springs, 181 (6, 37, 39, 49, 50)
16. Lone Jack, 341 (58, 59, 64, 72, 88)
Class Two Boys
1. Wyatt Klaiber, El Dorado Springs, 14:51.0 (1)
2. Chael Lichte, Lexington, 15:43.5
17. Conner Soendker, Lexington, 16:38.5
26. Reece Sickler, Westran, 16:54.8
93. Lason Thompson, Stover, 18:20.1 (55)
110. Dylan Brodersen, Stover, 18:31.6 (63)
116. Kashawn Martin, Stover, 18:38.5 (65)
118. Gabriel Baker, Stover, 18:41.9 (67)
131. Gavin Welpman, Stover, 18:54.7 (74)
139. Wyatt Knight, Stover, 19:17.3 (80)
169. Danny Mayfield, Stover, 21:31.7 (110)
1. Woodland, 102 (8, 9, 26, 27, 32)
2. Thomas Jefferson Ind. (Joplin), 105 (4, 14, 16, 23, 48)
3. McAuley Catholic (Joplin), 142 (5, 22, 24, 38, 53)
4. Fatima, 153 (13, 18, 34, 43, 45)
14. Stover, 324 (55, 63, 65, 67, 74)
Class Three Girls
1. Brianna Krueger, St. Charles West, 18:15.1 (1)
8. Sophia Rivers, Oak Grove, 19:48.9
11. Maddie Rademan, California, 20:03.9
16. Natalie Doney, Odessa, 20:07.6
17. Lyla Stiles, Knob Noster, 20:11.1 (11)
23. Hannah Smith, Oak Grove, 20:23.0
27. Cora Howen, Moberly, 20:32.8 (14)
33. Summer Stiles, Knob Noster, 20:51.0 (20)
35. Adeline Applegate, Knob Noster, 20:59.1 (21)
44. Lillian Bridges, Knob Noster, 21:14.4 (27)
66. Kirsten Defreitas, Moberly, 21:48.8 (43)
77. Charlie Miller, Knob Noster, 21:59.0 (49)
81. Kaylee Barker, Moberly, 22:03.9 (52)
87. Corrie Berislavich, Knob Noster, 22:13.9 (54)
103. Brooke Meline, Moberly, 22:30.1 (62)
126. Trinity Howard, Knob Noster, 23:29.8 (74)
138. Amelia McClain, Moberly, 24:18.0 (84)
142. Ava Roth, Moberly, 24:31.5 (88)
144. Jaiten Barker, Moberly, 24:43.7 (90)
1. Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau), 93, (2, 3, 24, 25, 39)
2. St Charles West, 106 (1, 9, 17, 19, 60)
3. Herculaneum, 110 (12, 13, 15, 34, 36)
4. Knob Noster, 128 (11, 20, 21, 27, 49)
10. Moberly, 255 (14, 43, 52, 62, 84)
Class Three Boys
1. Sinry Mendoza, Hollister, 15:25.1
2. Nolan Spickert, Centralia, 15:37.5 (1)
8. Wesley Robertson, Centralia, 16:12.9 (7)
10. Luke Thompson, Chillicothe, 16:15.4 (9)
20. Jensen Decker, Centralia, 16:48.7 (14)
23. Wesley Jackson, Warsaw, 16:50.9
29. Jaxon Weber, Oak Grove, 16:54.1
40. Lane Chancellor, Centralia, 17:19.7 (26)
70. Zane Deckerd, Centralia, 17:44.9 (46)
119. Spencer Johansen, Chillicothe, 18:28.9 (72)
132. Brody Norris, Chillicothe, 18:46.4 (84)
134. Anthony Eckert, Chillicothe, 18:47.6 (86)
148. Benjamin Cady, Chillicothe, 19:21.2 (95)
155. Alexander England, Chillicothe, 19:46.0 (102)
158. Trace Akers, Chillicothe, 19:57.8 (105)
160. Brett Cook, Centralia, 20:04.0 (107)
165. Jared Hawkins, Centralia, 22:37.6 (112)
1. Centralia, 94 (1, 7, 14, 26, 46)
2. Westminster Christian, 95 (5, 17, 20, 21, 32)
3. Herculaneum, 99 (11, 13, 23, 24, 28)
4. Collegiate School of Medicine (St Louis), 144 (6, 15, 31, 42, 50)
16. Chillicothe, 346 (9, 72, 84, 86, 95)
Class Four Girls
1. Gabrielle Moresi, Parkway Central, 18:26.8 (1)
11. Skyler Knight, Warrensburg, 19:17.8 (10)
78. Alex Kientzy, Warrensburg, 21:27.2 (54)
94. Molly Christensen, Warrensburg, 21:43.4 (64)
128. Talita Wiederhoeft, Warrensburg, 22:51.5 (83)
129. Falon Hudson, Warrensburg, 22:51.7 (84)
135. Danielle Smith, Warrensburg, 23:03.7 (90)
1. Festus, 84 (8, 13, 16, 19, 28)
2. West Plains, 104 (2, 11, 22, 34, 35)
3. Parkway Central, 107 (1, 9, 21, 25, 51)
4. Webster Groves, 110 (5, 18, 20, 23, 44)
13. Warrensburg, 295 (10, 54, 64, 83, 84)
Class Four Boys
1. Carson Driemeier, Festus, 14:49.2 (1)
25. Luke Youngblood, Warrensburg, 16:33.1 (18)
48. Elias Morgan, Warrensburg, 17:09.5 (34)
91. Travis King, Warrensburg, 17:46.3 (62)
93. Carson Hennrich, Warrensburg, 17:47.0 (64)
102. Ross Broeker, Warrensburg, 17:58.8 (70)
111. Evan Wittmaier, Warrensburg, 18:05.2 (76)
113. Hayden Hunter, Warrensburg, 18:05.6 (77)
1. West Plains, 81 (5, 8, 21, 22, 25)
2. Festus, 86 (1, 7, 13, 30, 35)
3. Webster Groves, 120 (10, 19, 23, 32, 36)
4. Bolivar, 139 (11, 17, 28, 37, 46)
11. Warrensburg, 248 (18, 34, 62, 64, 70)