The streak is over.
Long live the streak.
The Hillsboro boys cross country team met their preseason expectations and ended the 15-year reign of Festus in the Jefferson County Activities Association championships Saturday.
The Hawks had three of the top four runners and scored a Tiger-like 27 points to knock off second-place Festus (36) on its home course at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park. Last year’s Class 3 state champion, Herculaneum, was third with 74 points.
Festus has another streak on the line soon – a record eight straight state championships (mostly in Class 3). Hillsboro has a chance to knock down that one, too, in the upcoming district and state meets.
“We’ve been talking about (dethroning Festus) since the beginning of the season and hopefully we can carry that over to districts and state,” said Hillsboro senior Josh Allison, who finished second in 16:04.54.
The Hawks claimed the war, but Festus senior Ian Schram won the individual battle by capturing his second JCAA crown. Schram won as a sophomore in 2020 in 16:27.56. This time he was the only athlete to crack 16 minutes at 15:54.97.
From the start, Schram sprinted to the front of the pack. Allison was on his heels through the first two loops in the wooded section of the 3.1 mile (five kilometer) course. But Schram shook off the pressure and pulled away from Allison and Hawk senior teammates Jimmy Mann (third, 16:06.27) and twin brother Jonah Allison (fourth, 16:12.74) in the final mile.
With so many past state qualifiers and medalists running in this meet, breaking into the top 15 for a conference medal was a good test for the district and state meets to come.
Schram finished eighth and ninth at state the last two seasons, helping the Tigers maintain their remarkable streak.
“I didn’t win (JCAA) last year because the phenom Jacob Meyers (2022 Festus graduate) decided to come into his own,” Schram said. “When I won it my sophomore year, I didn’t really grasp how much of a big deal it was.”
Festus came up short Saturday despite placing six runners in the top 15, normally a championship-winning score. But losing their stranglehold on the league crown doesn’t change what the Tigers want to accomplish next month.
“It’s a big deal, but the streak we care about is the one that happens in November,” Schram said. “You might not be the same team in November that you were in October.
“I was trying my best. I’m focused on the state meet, but the conference meet is something we put a lot of emphasis on, so I was happy to win it in front of the home crowd. That means a lot. We didn’t fend (Hillsboro) off this week, but I have faith that we can put something together at state. It means a lot to run against them because I’ve grown up around them. We’re close friends, but when it comes down to it, we’re all business.”
Schram said he’s run competitively at Crites at least nine times. While the course sometimes varies a little, the changes aren’t enough for veteran runners like him to lose time.
“I know all the dips and turns,” he said. “It never feels quite the same every time you race it. It’s not a spike-friendly course, but it’s not friendly to anyone.”
Festus head coach Bryant Wright said he and Schram discussed his pre-race plan.
“He ran a really good race,” Wright said. “I want to make sure he runs that way at state. If he does that, he has a chance to (accomplish) something very special.”
Wright has guided the Tiger boys to 10 state titles and the girls to two (2014, 2017). He knew the Hawks would mount a serious challenge to his team’s league mastery.
“It’s one of those things where you look back at guys who were part of that 15 years and I feel it. It’s tough,” Wright said. “Hillsboro is a fantastic team and it took a team like that to beat us. I told the boys we had a pretty good day. Hillsboro’s been trying to get us for 15 years and they finally (did), and that’s a big deal.”
An even bigger deal is the Class 4 District 1 meet at Arnold City Park on Oct. 29. That’s where the Tigers, Hawks, De Soto, Windsor and 14 other schools will meet to decide who runs at state on the Gans Creek course in Columbia on Nov. 4.
Allison has finished sixth and eighth at state the last two years. He wasn’t able to work out for part of last week because he hurt his knee.
“I’m getting over (the knee) and all of us are healthy and we’re going to work hard the rest of the season,” he said. “Physically, we’re where we need to be.”
Fourth in the JCAA meet in 2020 and 2021, Allison said he was impressed with Schram’s sub-16 performance.
“He had that strength in him today, and I tried to stay with him, but he was just stronger,” Allison said. “He pulled away and he deserved it.
“The best part about it is we’re 15 minutes away from each other and we’re all friends. When it comes down to it, we’re all competitive because you’re not just racing some random kid, you’re racing someone you’ve known for a long time. Racing Ian makes me push harder.”
Festus senior Cullen Krieg has raced three times since returning from an injury that kept him from competing for almost a year. Krieg, a three-time state medalist, was eighth in 16:42.22 Saturday, a second ahead of freshman teammate Carson Driemeier. If Krieg meets past standards, he gives the Tigers a much better chance of extending their streak next month.
“Cullen hit that spot at the beginning and ran 16:02 at (the Chili Pepper Festival in Arkansas) and started workouts, and it takes a toll,” Wright said. “As a coach, I have to make sure he gets enough work in and easy days to make him good, but not too much where he goes over the edge.”
Herculaneum tied West Plains with a state-record 13th state title last year and begins its defense at the Class 3 District 1 meet at Arcadia Valley on Oct. 29.
Blackcat junior Sam Vaughn was sixth at the JCAA meet in 16:32.88. Herculaneum sophomore Nathaniel Wright (10th, 16:53.96) and senior Keith Vance (13th, 17:03.80) also finished in the medals, all 15 of which went to county runners.
Jefferson freshman finishes second in girls race
Emerson Selsor woke up on race day and had a light breakfast of eggs.
The Jefferson freshman didn’t want to be weighed down competing in the Jefferson County Activities Association girls cross country championships on Oct. 15 at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park in Festus. She had her eye on finishing in the medals (top 15).
Her dietary move paid off. With the finish chute of the 3.1-mile (five kilometer) course in sight, and only Perryville senior Tegan Bishop in front of her, Selsor felt a surge in her stomach as she tried to hold off De Soto junior Jailey Pigg for second place. Bishop, a past state medalist, won the JCAA title in 19:53.36 and Selsor held off Pigg, a two-time state qualifier, to take second in 20:12.81. Pigg was third in 20:21.41.
Placing four runners in the top 10, Festus breezed to the team title with 31 points, 52 ahead of second-place Hillsboro and 62 better than Herculaneum in third. Ava Leftwich led the Tigers, finishing fourth in 20:34.09.
“I woke up and wanted to race really well today and push,” said Selsor, who along with freshman Addison Meyer were the only Blue Jays in the field. “I had a lot of people come watch me race, so I wanted to do my best for them.
“I was hoping the girl in third place wouldn’t get me. I was about to puke when I was sprinting down the stretch.”
Pigg has emerged as the latest leader of a strong De Soto program with two recent Class 3 state trophies (fourth in 2018, second in 2019) on the books. She’s picking up where graduated standouts Kayla Vogelsang and Lillie Kaempfe left off.
At the upcoming Class 4 District 1 meet, Pigg has the chance to join them as three-time state qualifiers. But before then she can relish her gutsy conference performance.
“The pace was 6:15 (per mile) and this is my favorite race,” Pigg said.
Pigg also placed third in the conference last season, helping the Dragons win their second straight JCAA title. They came in fourth Saturday as Pigg cut almost a minute off her time from last year. The winding, partly wooded course was dry and clear and the temperatures perfect for racing.
“The woods are the hardest part for me,” Pigg said.
Festus juniors Abigail Schnable (sixth, 20:55.43) and Jeannie Thornborrow (seventh, 21:00.22) and seniors Kaylea Holmes (eighth, 21:08.48) and Dari White (11th, 21:25.30) packed it in tightly for the Tigers. Junior Riley Vogel was not far back in 19th, clocking 22:36.70.
“We were trying to get seven in the top 10,” Festus head coach Bryant Wright said. “We needed to focus on things we need to get better at so we’re better at districts and state. Our girls teams throughout the program are very deep and strong. We don’t focus so much on times (at the JCAAs) as much as we do where they finish.
“(Bishop) is a tough competitor. Ava ran a very good race for her, especially on that course. She raced hard from the beginning, and I was proud of her.”
The Tigers are one of 20 teams that will run in Class 4 District 1 at Arnold City Park on Oct. 29. Teams are limited to seven runners and Wright said there is competition for the Tigers’ seventh spot. De Soto, Hillsboro and Windsor are also in District 1. The top four teams and 30 individuals advance to the state meet Nov. 5 in Columbia.
Herculaneum is the lone JCAA team competing in Class 3. The Blackcats will run in the District 1 meet at Arcadia Valley on Oct. 29.
Blackcat senior Raven Vance is aiming for her third straight appearance at the state meet as Herky seeks its first state team trophy since 2017. Vance was the first Herculaneum finisher at the conference meet, placing 10th in 21:19.51. She set a PR of 20:29 at Gans Creek (the state meet course) this year.
“I see a lot of similarities in the two courses,” Vance said of Gans Creek and Crites Park. “When you go around a tree here, it’s like the cone (at Gans) by the start. It made me think of state. I was like, ‘Oh, got to go.’
“After my sophomore year, I decided I would think about (running at Gans Creek) all year. I’ve done that this year and ran well there.”
Vance said she doesn’t think she’ll have to run sub-20:00 to make it out of districts.
“I think I probably have to run in the 21s,” she said.
Like Festus, Vance said Herky still has spots open to compete at districts.
“Usually, I can tell how well we’ll do, but right now we have two girls running on the JV to decide who’ll run at districts,” Vance said. “I feel like we have a chance of getting out of (there). If we try, we can do it.”
Returning state qualifiers Ana Crosby and Emily Wright and freshman Katelyn Wiethop won JCAA medals for Hillsboro. Wright, a sophomore, placed fifth in 20:52.09. Crosby, a senior, came in ninth in 21:17.12 and Wiethop finished 13th in 21:39.02.