Elam, Bolen grab top-10 finishes to pace Oak Ridge's girls cross country team

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- One year after the Oak Ridge boys team captured second place in Class 1, the Oak Ridge girls enjoyed a strong showing Saturday.

Freshman McKenzie Elam finished fourth with a time of 21 minutes, 12.86 seconds, and sophomore Carlie Bolen captured ninth place (21:48.38). The pair helped power Oak Ridge to a sixth-place team finish.

Chaffee freshman Molli McGowan placed 70th with a time of 23:59.68 in the Class 1 race.

The Oak Ridge boys did get all-state recognition when sophomore Ethan Seyer captured 16th place with a time of 17:33.21. Senior Caleb Elam grabbed all-state honors by crossing the line 24th. The team placed seventh with a score of 173 points.

Bulldogs streak ends

The Notre Dame boys squad saw senior Ethan Holcomb finish eighth overall with a time of 16:39.22. He shaved nearly 2 minutes from his time last year, when he earned 59th place.

Two other top-50 finishes helped Notre Dame finish seventh in the team standings with a score of 167.

Notre Dame's finish ended a streak of seven consecutive years where the Bulldogs boys earned a trophy at the state meet.

Dohogne delivers

While Jackson picked up two all-state medals in the girls race (Taylor Dickerson and Tori Parry), Central also made it into the top 25. Senior Mary Dohogne placed 24th with a time of 19:36.44, two spots better than her finish last year.

All-state honorees

Saxony Lutheran senior Kristin Dippold took ninth place in the Class 2 race with a time of 20:22.50. It was her second consecutive all-state recognition. She took sixth place with a time of 21:51 last season.

Scott City senior Melanie Lacey grabbed all-state honors by taking 16th in the Class 2 race. She covered the course in 20:42.82.

Delta's Zach Riegert captured all-state honors with his 25th-place finish.

Riegert, a senior, finished in 17:38.54, just more than a second ahead of the 26th-place finisher.

Scenic surroundings

After temperatures reached into the 70s at last year's state meet, the mercury peaked around 60 degrees on a cloudless day at Oak Hill Golf Center.

But it was cold enough to just faintly see your breath at the beginning of the morning.

The jury was out among the participants as to whether the colder temperatures were a good thing, but Jackson junior Taylor Dickerson said she preferred it.

"I feel like when it gets warmer, I get dehydrated," Dickerson said.

CLASS 4

BOYS

Central -- 27. Eric Schott, 16:30.39; 94. Collin Summers, 17:16.57

GIRLS

Jackson -- 13. Taylor Dickerson, 19:06.91; 16. Tori Parry, 19:22.89; 115. Lindsey Seabaugh, 20:55.39

Central -- 24. Mary Dohogne, 19:36.44; 59. Laura Chavez, 20:17.04; 78. Jordyn Richmond, 20:30.76

CLASS 3

BOYS

Notre Dame -- 8. Ethan Holcomb, 16:39.22; 40. Josh Johnson, 17:33.30; 50. Nate Lincoln, 17:43.76; 100. Cole Ross, 18:22.58; 110. Adam Raines, 18:28.40; 119. Lance Essner, 18:38.94; 145. Jacob Cieslewicz, 19:05.77

GIRLS

Notre Dame -- 17. Elizabeth Kiblinger, 20:01.24; 33. Elsie Anderson, 20:37.28; 36. Maddie Baumgart, 20:45.64; 40. Breanna Conklin, 20:50.94; 86. Ashley Schmittzehe, 21:49.38; 118. Tara Grojean, 22:35.47; 140. Alicia Landewee, 23:32.68

CLASS 2

BOYS

Scott City -- 2. Brandon Shemonia, 16:17.40; 60. Eric Essner, 18:34.05; 78. Jesse Sanders, 18:50.75; 110. Luke Keesee, 19:22.74; 128. Tyler Adams, 19:43.85; 143. Zach Cotner, 20:10.11; 162. Cody Ashcraft, 23:37.07

Saxony Lutheran -- 79. Sam Breite, 18:51.80; 87. Brandon Fritsche, 19:02.21; 113. Kris Cook, 19:25.19

GIRLS

Saxony Lutheran -- 9. Kristin Dippold, 20:22.50; 48. Rachael Gruenwald, 21:52.15; 98. Regan Obermann, 23:23.95; 118. Tori Winter, 24:00.80; 131. Breanne Etzold, 24:25.41; 138. Sarah Winningham, 25:03.51; 150. Maci Daniel, 26:24.22

Scott City -- 16. Melanie Lacey, 20:42.82

Woodland -- 102. Haley Morris, 23:28.69

CLASS 1

BOYS

Advance -- 44. Braden Bien, 18:38.01

Oak Ridge -- 16. Ethan Seyer, 17:33.21; 24. Caleb Elam, 17:37.29; 49. Corvin Schoen, 18:41.12; 91. Jake LeGrand, 19:18.36; 101. Hunter Metje, 19:27.13; 113. Jacob Light, 19:49.45; 114. Ryan Below, 19:50.19

Delta -- 25. Zach Riegert, 17:38.54; 41. Austin Seabaugh, 18:32.38; 109. Dwight Nance, 19:47.43

Meadow Heights -- 31. Daylan Davis, 18:13.62; 92. Steven Bright, 19:19.11

GIRLS

Oak Ridge -- 4. McKenzie Elam, 21:12.86; 9. Carlie Bolen, 21:48.38; 78. Amanda Lappe, 24:10.48; 89. Kendra Kohler, 24:26.58; 137. Taylor Bock, 27:23.00

Delta -- 84. Renae Bartels, 24:17.81; 100. Lisa Henderson, 24:53.73; 140. Kimberly Horman, 27:38.37; 142. Shannon Ledbetter, 27:42.94; 143. Rachael Bartels, 27:48.11; 154. Katelyn Williams, 31:23.25

Meadow Heights -- 130. Makayla McGruder, 26:33.52

Chaffee -- 70. Molli McGowan, 23:59.68