For the second time in two days, Jefferson County produced a boys state cross country champion.
Festus broke a tie with Herculaneum by winning its eighth straight state championship when it won Class 4 with 38 points, 110 fewer than second-place Willard at Gans Creek in Columbia on Friday. It was the Tigers’ 10th state title since 2009.
On Saturday in Columbia, the Blackcats, who won consecutive state titles from 1977 to 1983, made history of their own by winning the Class 3 crown with 95 points, tying West Plains with the most (13) state championships. Clark Willie (7) and Ryun Kasten (5) were the head coaches for Herky’s first 12 state titles. Kyle Davis has been head coach for the Blackcats for the past 10 years and adds his name with Willie and Kasten. Davis also coaches the Herculaneum girls, who finished eighth with 203 points at state.
The Blackcats won state despite having one runner finish among the medal winners (top 25). Herculaneum junior Keith Vance finished 20th in 16:50.9. Blackcat sophomore Sam Vaughn finished just outside the medals in 26th in 16:58.3. Junior Raven Vance was the highest finisher for the Herculaneum girls in 42nd in 20:47.2.
In Class 1 on Saturday, the Crystal City girls finished ninth with 206 points and junior Lauren Hartman was the only Hornet to medal in sixth in 20:39.6.