If that trend continues, perhaps the Lions will send their first runner to the Class 4 state meet since 2007, when Tyler Amick finished 135th.
If a Northwest runner does make it to state, they won’t compete at the Oak Hills Golf Course in Jefferson City. The Missouri State High School Activities Association reached a five-year agreement to hold the Class 1-4 state championships at the Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia.
Senior Cody Poskin set a personal-best time of 16:06.9 and finished 10th at the Fort Zumwalt North Twilight Meet on Sept. 7. It was the fifth-fastest 5K time in school history. Poskin then came in fourth in 16:28.27 at the Stan Nelson Invitational on Sept. 14. He was first at that meet in 2018. On Saturday at the Cape Girardeau Cross Country Invitational, Poskin climbed to second in 17:20.50.
“Cody is having an outstanding season,” said Ken Campbell, who’s been head coach of the Lions for 22 years. “Thus far, he has set the course record for Northwest at every course we have run on.”
Seniors Jordan Walters and Augie Eimer and junior David Nicholls are slated to be top five runners for Northwest. Walters set a PR at Fort Zumwalt North in 17:17.7, and Nicholls was 80th at the Nelson meet in 18:58.44.
“David and Augie both ran under 18 minutes last year, but have been out with minor injuries early on,” Campbell said.
Other Lions setting personal-best times early in the season, all at the Fort Zumwalt North meet, are senior Jonathan Black (19:14.3), juniors Firaol Ahmed (16:58.9) and Dallas Pearson (18:44.6), sophomore Anthony Glassner (19:27.4) and freshman Gage Poskin (19:25.8). Pearson is a sprinter during track season, but has been in the Lions’ top five this season. Senior Cyrus Phillip has shown improvement and is racing well.
The Lions have been in District 1 for as long as Campbell can remember. They finished fifth in the 13-team field a year ago. But Northwest is in District 4 this year at Brookdale Farms in Eureka with many of the Suburban Conference teams they know so well.
“I want this group of young men to work hard and set their goals high,” Campbell said. “With any luck, they can take the lessons they have learned in cross country and apply them to the rest of their lives. I don’t have any real expectations for them. We just want to keep getting better all season long.”
For the Lion girls, senior Claire Meisch is aiming for her fourth straight appearance at the Class 4 state championships. After running at Oak Hills the past three years, Meisch will try to get to Gans Creek this fall. If she does, she’ll be the first four-time state qualifier in school history.
Meisch had her best state finish as a freshman, when she came in 64th in 20:04.88 in 2016. Since then, she’s finished 76th in 20:40.26 as a sophomore and 107th in 21:19.16 last year. She’s the only member of her team to get to state the last three seasons.
“Claire is our leader,” girls head coach C.J. Guilford said.
Senior Audrey May has qualified for sectionals twice and is looking to make the leap to state. Sophomore Samantha Brown had the fastest 5K time on the Lions last year and she made it to sectionals. Senior Kinsey Morris and sophomore Karley Wheeler are the Lions’ other top runners.
Wheeler was the fastest Lion at the Stan Nelson meet, finishing 15th in 20:52.29, well ahead of Meisch, who was 26th in 21:16.48.
“Samantha and Karley are looking strong and should be tough this season,” Guilford said. (May) has been fighting injuries pretty much her whole career, but when she’s healthy, she is as fast as anyone on the team.”
Northwest captured the Warrenton Invitational last year.
Guilford said he wants this year’s team to build on the gains they made in 2018, and the coach figures they have a chance because their top four runners are back this fall.
“As always, we are looking to qualify as a team out of districts and qualify as many as possible to state,” he said. “I believe we have four who have the potential to do that. We have added some freshmen whom we are bringing along slowly. They should be contributors to the varsity by the end of the season.”
McMillin leads Fox boys
A dedicated runner, senior Jakob McMillin is the most accomplished and experienced member of the Warriors this fall.
“He’s a leader by example in practice,” Fox head coach Norm Mitchell said.
McMillin might be the No. 1 runner on the Warriors, but Mitchell said the boys team isn’t interested in rankings. McMillin’s highest finish this year was third place in 18:28. He was the first Fox runner across the finish line and came in 18th in 18:18.35 at the Festus Bowles Invitational at West City Park on Saturday.
“This group is starting to understand what it takes to compete at a higher level,” Mitchell said. “The conversation is more about what do I need to do to make the team more competitive at the district, sectional and state levels. What does winning at that level feel or look like? Those are the conversations we have.”
Also in the mix are seniors Alejandro Luque and Jay Palazolla, juniors Alex Martin, Eli Crawford, Zach Ennis, Caleb Fletcher, Jake Green, Austin Masters, Jacob Ryburn and Adrian Reyes, sophomores Grant McMillin and Justin Piwowarczyk and freshmen Jason Shaw and Sam Shipp. Some of these runners will compete on the JV as well.
Martin was 31st at Bowles in 18:48.67.
“Alex continues to make an impact,” Mitchell said. “He’s getting better every day and has silently become a leader in the program.”
Replacing two-time state qualifier Amie Martin is a tall task for Mitchell and the girls team. So far, freshman Isabella Marcum has had the most success, coming in sixth at Sullivan in 22:15 and third in the freshman race at Northwest in 22:05.
Seniors Madi Keisker, Olivia Feibel and Madelyn Litzsinger join junior Emma Kratky and eight underclassmen to round out the Warriors. The underclassmen will run mostly JV races.
Neither the boys nor girls teams at Fox won a meet last year, but Mitchell said he doesn’t pay attention to that because he doesn’t have enough depth. He does feel that might change in 2019.
“Growing the program and developing runners was and is our priority and we’re moving in that direction,” Mitchell said.
Anthonies ‘looking better than ever’ this season
Seckman senior Stephanie Anthonies charged across the finish line at the Bowles Invitational on Saturday in second place in 20:23.28.
Senior Ashley McMahon wasn’t far behind, coming in 7th in 21:17.55. Three other Jaguars – freshman Danielle Maxwell (17th, 21:56.42), sophomore Kathryn Deuster (18th, 22:10.64) and sophomore Brooke Bell (20th, 22:19.09) – helped Seckman finish third with 64 points.
Anthonies is a three-time Class 4 state qualifier. Her best finish in Jefferson City was 17th place in 19:28.48 in 2017. She was first at the Fleetfeet Classic on Sept. 4 and missed running at the Stan Nelson Invitational on Sept. 14 to take the ACT.
“Stephanie is looking better than ever,” Seckman head coach Jacqueline Roach said.
McMahon was the lead Jaguar at the Nelson meet with a sixth-place finish of 20:17.68. Anthonies, McMahon, Bell and Maxwell look to be Seckman’s top four runners, with Deuster and sophomores Alexandria Smith or Courtney Anthonies slipping into the No. 5 spot.
“Ashley had a great first 5K and hopefully that will push her to state this year, which is what she’s wanted for three years,” Roach said.
The boys are looking to replace state-qualifying stalwarts Zach Reed and Nathan Key, who graduated this spring, and Roach said senior Justin Glastetter just might fill the bill.
“Justin will break through this year and show everyone what he has,” Roach said.
Glastetter may be pushed by his younger brother, sophomore Dylan Glastetter, and Key’s younger brother, sophomore Jonny Key. Jonny Key was the first Jaguar to finish at Bowles in 16th in 18:09.53. Justin Glastetter was 24th in 18:27.92 and Dylan was 30th in 18:45.45. Seckman finished seventh with 163 points.
Senior Tim Maxwell was injured for three weeks and it will take time for him to build up his endurance, but he came in 47th in 19:33.90 at Festus.
“I have no doubt he will be back where he was,” Roach said.
Senior Ethan Lawrence rounds out the top five varsity boys. He ran 59th in 20:11.58 at the Bowles meet on Saturday.