At some point while leading the Jefferson County Activities Association girls cross country championships, Festus High School junior Lucy Boyer turned her head to see who was behind her and all she saw were Tigers.
That’s because the next six runners on the 3.1-mile (5K) course at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park on Oct. 18 were all of Boyer’s teammates. A wall so sturdy that Festus finished with the top seven runners and posted a perfect score of 15 points. Normally a score that could contend for the JCAA title, Herculaneum High was second with 53.
Third in the state for the defending Class 4 champions, Boyer repeated as conference champion, this year with a time of 20:15.32.
“At one point, I turned around and saw all Festus runners behind me and I was so excited,” Boyer said.
Boyer ran a personal-best time this year of 18:53 at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia. That’s the course where the state championships are held.
“She’s incredible. It’s her work ethic, high character. She deserves everything she gets,” Festus head coach Wes Armbruster said.
Armbruster guided the Festus girls to state titles in cross country last November, and track and field in Jefferson City in May, so he’s trying to win his third consecutive one as a head coach.
As much success as the Tigers have enjoyed inside of a year, even Armbruster was surprised how cooly efficient his team was.
“You don’t draw it up. You don’t think it’s going to happen, but the girls raced really well today,” he said. “We’ve been getting better every week. But the conference is so strong. St. Vincent’s got a really talented girl (Reagan Meyer), the Herculaneum girls could be the Class 3 state champs, so you don’t ever think you’re going to go 1-7.”
The top five times on each team count toward the team score. The gap between Boyer and senior Olivia Cole in seventh place was 48 seconds.
Junior Kendall Counts climbed from 48th to 26th at state last year. Counts was second in the conference in 20:42.31. The other scoring Tigers were freshman Kyndall Gildea (third, 20:45.71), senior Katelyn Thurman (fourth, 20:46.84) and junior Bailee Tolbert (fifth, 20:55.01). Thurman jumped from 61st in the state in 2023 to 10th last season.
“Kyndall’s had a rough two years dealing with some health stuff. She’s in Lucy’s shadow a lot, but she raced well today,” Armbruster said.
The boys and girls varsity races finished just before a heavy rain hit. There’s been very little rain during the cross country season and the course at Crites was hard and cracked in some places, making footing a little trickier. Runners kicked up dust on the back of the course through the woods.
“It’s like a track right now,” Armbruster said. “Then you’ve got all the twists and turns and then you get into the woods where it’s dusty as can be. It’s the same for everybody, though.”
After all of the Festus runners were across the finish line, the next three were Blackcats: sophomores Amaya Ferguson (eighth, 21:37.53) and Brylee Wishard (ninth, 21:44.28), and junior Emerson Reeves (10th, 22:15.80). Sophomores Khloe Black (12th, 22:26.72) and Rylie Pruett (14th, 22:34.44) rounded out their top five.
Herculaneum finished second in the state in Class 3 last year. The Blackcats are decorated with 11 state titles, the last one in 2012. They had a streak of 14 consecutive seasons (2004-2017) of final four state finishes. Ferguson, Hamtil and Reeves were all-state (top 30) last year.
Festus, De Soto High, Hillsboro High and Windsor High will compete in District 1 at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau. Herculaneum is in the Class 3 District 1 at the Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. Jefferson High, Grandview High and unaffiliated St. Pius X will run in the Class 2 District 1 meet in Arcadia Valley. Crystal City is at Oak Ridge High for the Class 1 District 1 meet. All district meets are Nov. 1.
Classes 3-5 will compete at the state meet on Nov. 7, while Classes 1-2 are Nov. 8.
“When you get to state you don’t worry about times,” Armbruster said. “It’s all about places and we want to stack them together to hopefully put a performance out there that’s hard to beat.”
Festus boys continue streak of conference titles
Festus High School senior Carson Driemeier has grown in a lot of ways since his freshman year.
Driemeier said he stood 5-10 as a freshman, but he’s now 6-4. That’s a physical measurement of growth.
After he crossed the finish line first in a time of 16:02.67 on the 3.1-mile (5K)course at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park on Oct. 18 to win the Jefferson County Activities Association championship a third straight year, the much taller Driemeier stayed there and waved his long arms over his head encouraging the other runners, even the ones on other teams, to finish strong. That’s a sign of growth that isn’t measured in minutes and seconds.
Driemeier has been an integral part of a dynasty that’s won 11 state championships since 2009 under head coach Bryant Wright. Since Driemeier joined the team as a freshman, the Tigers won state in 2023 and finished second twice. Last year at Gans Creek in Columbia, Driemeier won the Class 4 individual state title in 15:59.5. In its illustrious history, Festus has never had a two-time individual champion.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Driemeier’s pace was slowed when he was suffering from a foot injury at the beginning of the season. After missing a couple of weeks, he came back hot and at the Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. on Oct. 3-4, Driemeier ran one of the top times in school history in 15:04.6. As an example of the type of competition at Chili Pepper every year, Mountain Home senior Jackson Free won in 14:44.
“Carson loves the sport of racing,” Wright said. “I truly think even more, he wants to see his teammates be successful. It’s been fun to watch. He got injured and he realized being able to be out there is a great thing.
“I thought if he got to 16-flat today that would be significant and once he separated he kept it up. He developed into that runner I thought he could be.”
Three of the top five finishers at the JCAAs were Tigers, who won their 17th consecutive title on their home course.
De Soto ran a strong second with 47 points.
“We train it the whole week and I know it by heart,” Driemeier said about Crites. “I could probably run it with my eyes closed. I love this course.”
Driemeier has thought about what it would mean to win state again.
“I’m really focused on the big picture. Come districts (at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau on Nov. 1), I’m putting my foot down and letting everyone know I’m here to stay.”
Sophomores Grant Fink (third, 16:37.32) and Hudson Bates (fifth, 17:05.19) will need to provide Driemeier with the type of support they did at the JCAAs if the Tigers are to capture another state title.
“They knew they had to step in and run well if we were going to be successful and they ran well today,” Wright said. “They could be something special not in the future but this year.”
De Soto senior Carson Koerber moved up from fourth in the JCAA in 2024 to second in 16:32.33. A two-time state medalist, Koerber has been chasing Driemeier around Crites for four years. He’s never beaten him in 3.1 miles, however, he has during track and field season in the spring.
“This course is probably the hardest we run on all year. It’s really hilly,” Koerber said. “Right now, it’s really dry. At the beginning of the course, the dirt is cracked and uneven.”
Koerber understands he’s up against one of the top runners in the state in his own conference.
“Carson’s an amazing runner and his work ethic is awesome, but he’s also a good friend,” Koerber said.
Koerber ran his PR of 15:38 earlier this season at the Missouri Southern Stampede.
De Soto and Festus will be at the Class 4 District 1 meet at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau on Oct. 30. Hillsboro and Windsor are also part of the 18-team district. The top two teams and top 30 runners qualify for the state championships at Gans Creek on Nov. 7. West Plains is the defending state champion and has won a state record 14 titles. Herculaneum is second with 13.
Koerber, who’s twin brother, Gavin, was 20th in 18:33.79, is eager for his final postseason lap.
“I’m happy but definitely not satisfied,” Carson said. “I’ve been working too hard the last four years to be satisfied with what I’ve gotten. State will hopefully reflect on all of my work.”
Starting with their Class 3 state title in 2021, Herculaneum finished in the top four of the team standings until last year when they slipped to eighth. Their top runner this season has been freshman Noah Fitzgerald, who in his first conference race was sixth in 17:10.66.
JCAA boys championships
Oct. 18 at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park
Team scores: 1. Festus 29; 2. De Soto 47; 3. Herculaneum 75; 4. Jefferson 101; 5. Perryville 143; 6. St. Vincent 145; 7. Windsor 163
Festus: 1. Carson Driemeier, 16:02.67; 3. Grant Fink, 16:37.32; 5. Hudson Bates, 17:05.19; 8. Christopher Courtois, 17:41.50; 12. Lucas DeClue, 17:55.21
De Soto: 2. Carson Koerber, 16:32.33; 4. Cruz Anders, 17:02.27; 10. Clayton Rozycki, 17:52.42; 11. Jacob Schuenemeyer, 17:54.81; 20. Gavin Koerber, 18:33.79
Herculaneum: 6. Noah Fitzgerald, 17:10.66; 13. Allen Wallman, 17:56.82; 17. Nathan Clampet, 18:07.45; 18. Owen Davis, 18:11.55; 21. Brandon Marshall, 18:37.88
Jefferson: 9. Bryant Horn, 17:46.51; 15. Braeden Caldwell, 18:04.49; 16. Karter Bradshaw, 18:07.32; 25. Ethan McVey, 18:48.70; 38. Matthew Waltman, 21:13.61
Windsor: 22. James Schlarman, 18:37.89; 28. Brandon Rapp, 20:00.59; 30. Nathan Akers, 20:02.62; 46. Jon McCain, 22:22.26; 49. Matthew Muessig, 22:44.18
Grandview: 33.Gavin Howerton, 20:28.95; 43. Ethan Stepan, 21:59.95
JCAA girls cross country championships
At Larry G. Crites Memorial Park
Team scores: 1. Festus 15; 2. Herculaneum 53; 3. Hillsboro 116; 4. De Soto 120; 5. St. Vincent 126; 6. Jefferson 134
Festus: 1. Lucy Boyer, 20:15.32; 2. Kendall Counts, 20:42.31; 3. Kyndall Gildea, 20:45.71; 4. Katelyn Thurman, 20:46.84; 5. Bailee Tolbert, 20:55.01
Herculaneum: 8. Amaya Ferguson, 21:37.53; 9. Brylee Wishard, 21:44.28; 10. Emerson Reeves, 22:15.80; 12. Khloe Black, 22:26.72; 14. Rylie Pruett, 22:34.44
Hillsboro: 20. Lyla Wright, 23:35.37; 21. Hayleigh Churchill, 23:39.20; 25. Mackenzie Stahl, 24:46.14; 28. Rebecca Roettger, 25:22.03; 31. Sophia Pritchett, 25:38.47
De Soto: 18. Gracie Maijala, 23:24.86; 23. Elizabeth Bourisaw, 23:54.21; 26. Reese Bell, 25:07.54; 29. Katelyn Strawhun, 25:27.20; 32. Dessie Weidner, 25:53.99
Jefferson: 15. Emerson Selsor, 22:51.30; 22. Avery Humphrey, 23:47.96; 27. Addison Meyer, 25:10.98; 40. Lane Schnitzler, 27:59.43; 47. Amelia Clippard, 32:31.07
Windsor: 19. McKenzie Robbins, 23:25.21; 24. Jordan Lessard, 24:33.71; 36. Chloe Lammert, 26:43.77
Grandview: 30. Morgan McClelland, 25:27.78