Southeast Missouri XC runners shine with MSHSAA All-State honors in Columbia

Local runners across Southeast Missouri raced on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 8-9, in Columbia for the MSHSAA cross country championships.

Woodland boys' won the MSHSAA Class 2 state championship for the second consecutive year. Notre Dame placed second in the Class 3 boys' meet, while Dexter placed fourth.

St. Vincent girls and Van Buren boys came close to the top four, with both teams finishing fifth in the Class 1 meet.

Jackson saw two girls earn All-State honors in the Class 5 meet. Annika Barks placed 12th with a time of 18:32, followed by a 30th place finish from Emma Niedbalski (18:56).

"Our girls got out well and closed well in the last kilometer," Jackson head coach Andrea Talley said. "Emma outkicked four girls in the last 1K to earn All-State. We knew it would be all 18:00's (finishing times) for All-State in Class 5 Girls and that certainly was how it ended up in the largest class. This was also our girls' best time of the season."

Perryville senior Bair Hopkins placed 19th in the Class 4 boys' meet for All-State honors. He finished with a time of 16:51.3, a little over the 16:15 mark he ran during the C4 District 1 meet that set a new school record.

Freshman Aiden Morris finished sixth to lead Notre Dame in the Class 3 boys' race with a time of 16:45.4. In the girls' race, the Bulldogs' dynamic duo finished in the top five. Freshman Martina Ressel finished fourth (19:28.8) and junior Lily Coy placed fifth with a time of 19:44.9.

Dexter was led by Cameron Bell (16:48), who placed eighth, followed by Ben Dowdy (17:20.4), who placed 17th.

St. Vincent's Carter Hennemann led the local runners in the Class 2 race, placing 11th with a time of 17:26. Woodland's Calvin Layton (17:28.8) and Hayden Vangennip (17:30.5) finished behind him at 12th and 13th place respectfully.

The Class 2 All-State local list was rounded off by Puxico's Jett Hancock (17:56.7, 27th), Kelly's Truman White (17:57.5, 28th), and Woodland's Drew Garner (18:05.2, 30th).

Faith Rouggly led the Woodland girls with a time of 21:06.3, and a 22nd-place finish to earn All-State honors.

Landon Street led Van Buren to a fifth-place finish in the Class 1 boys' meet by placing ninth with a time of 17:11.6. Bernie's Hunter Massey (17:52.9) placed 25th and Oak Ridge's Parker Schoen (17:54.8) finished 29th to round out the Class 1 All-Staters.

In the girls' race, Bernie's Ella Harris made the top 10 by placing ninth with a time of 20:46.3. Reagan Meyer led St. Vincent by placing 23rd (21:40.4) for an All-State finish.

Top 10 boys' times

Aidan Niedbalski, Jackson, Class 5, 16:16

Lane McBryde, Jackson, Class 5, 16:49

Aiden Morris, Notre Dame, Class 3, 16:45

Cameron Bell, Dexter, Class 3, 16:48

Chase Wendel, Jackson, Class 5, 16:50

Bair Hopkins, Perryville, Class 4, 16:51

Chase Goodson, Jackson, Class 5, 16:59

Landon Street, Van Buren, Class 1, 17:11

Ben Dowdy, Dexter, Class 3, 17:20

Carter Hennemann, St. Vincent, Class 2, 17:26

Top 10 girls' times

Annika Barks, Jackson, Class 5, 18:32

Emma Niedbalski, Jackson, Class 5, 18:56

Martina Ressel, Notre Dame, Class 3, 19:28.8

Lily Coy, Notre Dame, Class 3, 19:44.9

Ella Harris, Bernie, Class 1, 20:46

Faith Rouggly, Woodland, Class 2, 21:06

Reagan Meyer, St. Vincent, Class 1, 21:40

Alivia Miller, East Carter, Class 2, 21:42

Aliyah Miller, East Carter, Class 2, 21:46

Rylie Brown, Malden, Class 2, 21:58