Mexico runners have pack mentality

Mexico cross country is returning a pack of state runners.

The Bulldogs want to be strong as a pack this year as they go for the ultimate goal of qualifying the team for state.

Five runners made it to state a year ago: senior Thomas Peuster and junior Guy Fairchild for the boys and senior Sidney Turlington, junior Kalea Henneberry and sophomore Jordyn Wyman. All of them were all-North Central Missouri Conference runners along with senior Kali Turlington. The team has 15 boys and seven girls this season.

“I look for them to build off their season last year and for others to rise up and join them qualifying out of districts,” head coach Lucas Breneman said.

Henneberry had the best finish for the girls in the 2021 Class 4 state meet, taking 115th, while Turlington and Wyman were not far behind in respective 118th and 123rd finishes. Peuster and Fairchild finished next to each other, respectively, in the boys race in 143rd and 144th.

Breneman said Mexico tries to be a top conference and district team every year. The girls were the best in the North Central Missouri Conference after winning the conference title. Being strong as a pack can lead to the boys and girls enjoying at least similar success and at most state qualification.

Packing in cross country refers to members of a team running together as a strategy to finish with the lowest, or winning, amount of points. The higher the place, the lower and better the score for the team.

“If you are packed up and running well in the race then odds are you will have a very competitive low score,” Breneman said. “No teams can be in between you pushing you score higher and higher.”

Breneman said the team was younger last year but returns almost everyone so this year seems like a good one to make some noise.

“We brought almost everyone back which is always exciting as a coach,” Breneman said. “If we can pack up and move together, I think we will be a tough team on both sides.”

Mexico hosts the Mexico Cross Country Invitational on Friday at Green Estate Park, competing against Community, Van-Far, North Callaway and Missouri Military Academy.

Powell going for title, MMA running for state

The Missouri Military Academy runners have big aspirations this season and see no reason they can’t meet them.

The high school team has 22 boys that will try to qualify for the state meet as a unit while senior Bryson Powell has the task of following up on an all-state finish last year.

Powell, who is from Alaska, finished 21st in Class 2 with a time of 17:09.9 – two-tenths of a second behind from the top 20.

Head coach Ryan Nowlin said Powell’s goal is to win an individual state title this season and has a mark in mind. The Class 2 state champion, New Covenant Academy’s Tanner Talley, had a time of 15:32.5 to be the only one to finish with a sub-16:00 time.

“Bryson Powell is trying to run a sub-15:45 5k this year,” Nowlin said. “It is possible for him to hit that mark given his improvement throughout the offseason.”

Freshman Gerardo Quiroga, of Mexico, sophomore Malachi Imrie, of Wildwood, Mo., and senior Lucas Sydlewski, of Wisconsin, are among the returning runners that are trying to make it to the end of the season. Newcomers are senior Albert Ogutu, of Nevada, sophomore Michael Pfeifer, of Mexico, Mo., sophomore Brayden Hines, of Illinois, and junior Jude Mesa, of Oregon.

Nowlin said the Colonels are “definitely capable” of qualifying for state as a team, which they fell short of doing last season with a sixth-place districts finish. He said other schools don’t know what to expect out of MMA every year, and MMA doesn’t always know what to expect out of itself, given the uncertainty of kids returning.

Now MMA knows as it heads into action soon in the Salisbury 3500 on Tuesday and the Mexico Cross Country Invitational at Green Estate Park on Friday, Nowlin thinks a special year is possible.

“We have been training hard since returning to campus and all of the boys have trained diligently on their own back home over the summer,” Nowlin said. “We are hoping to not only qualify for state as a team but earn a team plaque.”

Community R-6 cross country returns all-state runner

Dylan Hoyt had a record-breaking year for Community R-6 cross country.

The junior is back for an encore after earning all-state honors in Class 1 with a 17th-place finish. He is one of three who will run for head coach Josie Hess this season.

Hoyt broke the school record 5K time of 17:36.5 with his state performance and has a goal to make it under 17 minutes this year. Hess said its her third season coaching him and has witnessed him qualifying for the state meet each of his first two years. A return to state and a higher placing while there seem possible for him, she said.

Sophomore Callie Jennings is Hess’ other returning runner who had a more disappointing end to last season. Jennings was in position for state but tripped and finished the district meet last year with a minor injury. Hess believes she can beat her personal record and get over that hump this season.

"I'm excited to see her facing challenges again,” Hess said. “It is nice to get to coach another girl and a runner I can see my high school self in.”

Freshman Matthew Utterback joins the team this year after Hess saw him in Community’s elementary running club and had him as a student in fifth grade.
Hess hopes the success of last year and hopefully this year can grow the program.

“Last season was really exciting with Dylan medaling at state and breaking a school record,” Hess said. “I'm excited to add another young runner to the team. I'm hoping that we can build some interest for the younger students and have more incoming runners after this.”

Community runs Tuesday in the Salisbury 3500 along with Missouri Military Academy.

Van-Far girls shooting for state

Van-Far cross country has three girls in the program this year, each with high aspirations.

Head coach Kris Cross said a school record could fall this year amongst the Lady Indians, but she wants each of them to improve from last year.

Senior Madelynn Caldwell qualified for state last year, finishing 111th in Class 1. Sophomore Erin Childs ran the best time for the girls team last year but missed districts to a national FFA event. Sophomore Abbie Shelton has some distance experience by running the 800 meters in track.

“The girls only lost one senior, of the three girls out two are veterans in cross country,” Cross said. “My goals are always to help the athletes to improve and run their best races by the end of the season. I know at least one of my girls has a goal of breaking the school record for girls so we will see how close she can get.”

Cross said the boys are in a rebuild after graduating two seniors and having a runner move out of state. Junior Richard Hayden will be one of two Indians running this year.

“Richard Hayden is in his second year of cross country and improved greatly last season, so it will be interesting to see how he improves this year also,” Cross said.

Van-Far runs in the Mexico Cross Country Invitational on Friday at Green Estate Park, competing against Community, Mexico, North Callaway and Missouri Military Academy.

North Callaway ‘running family’ making push

For North Callaway cross country, it is a positive atmosphere.

Head coach Kathleen Jeffries said North Callaway will have six boys and six girls run this year and hopes the team dynamic will lead to success for all of them.

“While we have small teams this year, we have teams with experience,” Jeffries said. “The dynamic on both teams is positive and competitive. We have different individual goals that will bring about a united success. We have been so fortunate to have positive athletes that really define the ‘running family’ aspect of cross country.”

The upperclassmen bring a “calm” energy that will help younger runners feel comfortable, Jeffries said. Senior Brendan Reinhard is a returning all-Eastern Missouri Conference runner that just missed state qualification and senior Kyle Scott and junior Tristan Young will fill out the leadership on the boys side. Gavin Rasmussen is a senior but will be a newcomer to the team, Jeffries said.

Junior Pressley Schmauch is the key Ladybird returner after making it to the state meet in her first two seasons. She medaled her freshman year after finishing 22nd but fell to 46th as a sophomore. Freshmen Grace Rasmussen and Kaitlyn Murphy will begin their high school careers.

Mark Bollinger is being added as an assistant coach to the program this year, Jeffries said, after a career that includes being the head track and field coach at Blair Oaks in Jefferson City and head cross country and track and field coach at Westminster College in Fulton. Middle school coach Jeff Gifford is also trying to build up interest in running in younger grades.

“What excites me the most as a coach, is all the possibilities the new season brings,” Jeffries said. “We are switching up some of the training (workout paces) for our experienced runners which we hope brings them closer to their desired goals.”

North Callaway runs in the Mexico Cross Country Invitational on Friday at Green Estate Park, competing against Community, Mexico, Van-Far and Missouri Military Academy.