The Festus boys cross country team was shorthanded by three runners going into last Saturday’s Bowles Invitational, which they hosted at Larry G. Crites Memorial Park.
Shorthanded by design, that is.
The Tigers will compete in the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia on Saturday, a preview of the Class 4 state championships there next month. So junior Ian Schram and seniors Jacob Meyers and Anthony Pittman chose to rest at the Bowles meet, yielding their spots in the top seven to freshman Tate Uding, sophomore Bryson Rhine and senior Peyton Willis.
“We have two big meets coming up and these guys are so invested in what they do, I let them fill out their own bodies to see if they need harder training,” Festus head coach Bryant Wright said. “So I work with them and give them the option to run for this week.”
The team most likely to challenge the Tigers in the Bowles varsity boys race, two-time state champion Lafayette (2014 and 2015), lived up to expectations, taking first place with 46 points. Senior Nikolas Malek led the Lancers, conquering the rolling 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) course in 16:01.41, with teammate Lukas Groenewald, a junior, finishing second in 16:05.63. Webster Groves edged Festus for second place with 56 points, two ahead of the host school.
The next three individuals, in order, were top local harriers William Kaempfe, a De Soto senior (16:12.35); Festus junior Cullen Krieg (16:16.46) and Hillsboro junior Josh Allison (16:21.37). Allison’s twin brother, Jonah, was seventh in 16:59.48.
“We probably would have won easily, but you go with what you’ve got and that’s what we had today,” Wright said. “We’ve got seven guys that race and about 12 guys who could be there. I’m giving everybody their shots, so we’ll see what happens.”
Josh Allison, no stranger to the Crites Park course, said he was surprised how fast the two top Lafayette runners attacked it.
“I tried running a slower pace and then tried to negative-split from there, but the front pack went out faster, so I tried sticking with them and that lasted through two miles,” Allison said. “But that third mile got really tough and they started to pull away and I ran on my own for the last mile. I’ve raced against Will and Cullen a lot and that’s who I wanted to stay with today. The Lafayette kids, I didn’t think they’d go out that fast.
“There are some sharp turns, especially after some downhills, and you’re switching going back and forth and that slows down your momentum. You have to take the downhills as fast as you can. You can’t let up on them because everyone else goes.”
Hillsboro finished fourth with 85 points and Fox was fifth with 133. Junior Jason Shaw was the first Warrior to complete the race, taking 17th in 17:32.77.
“I’ve run this course a few times,” Shaw said. “It’s a rough one because of the hills. But the downhills get your time down. I did just as good as (on) a flat course because those downhills really cancel out the others. Switchbacks are always rough. You have to slow down to get around that turn and if you don’t, it’s hard to get back up to speed and that becomes your pace the rest of the way.
“My main enemy right now is myself. I’m more than capable of doing this.”
Shaw set his personal-best of 17:28 at districts last year and qualified for state. Fox is in Class 5 District 1 and the top 30 runners there (aside from team qualifiers) will advance. Shaw said he has work to do to get back to Columbia.
“As of now, I’m probably 35th, right on the edge of (state qualification) like last year,” he said. “With the district changes, there’s tougher schools in there.”
Fox junior Bella Marcum wanted to compete in cross country last year but didn’t as a precaution with COVID-19 circulating. She still ran, however, following the Warriors’ daily training schedule as outlined by head coach Norm Mitchell.
Marcum has dominated since her return, twice setting the school’s 5K record. Saturday at Bowles, she found herself in a fast field that included Lafayette junior Grace Tyson, who finished second in the state in Class 5 last season. Marcum hung with her Lancer rival for two miles until Tyson took over to win in 18:49.60. Marcum was second in 19:05.61, 47 seconds ahead of the next runner.
“It was really great to race with (Tyson),” Marcum said. “I looked at her times (Friday) night and I was like, I have to be with her, she’s good. I managed to stay with her but I could tell she saw my weakness and took advantage of it. I got in my head. I told myself I couldn’t, when I know I can.”
Marcum said she wants to run consistently around 17:50 by the end of the season and believes it’s possible to dip below 17 minutes next year.
“I need to drive my knees more and stay on my toes up hill. I have to get up those hills faster,” she said.
A week after finishing seventh at the Stan Nelson Invitational, Seckman sophomore Elizabeth Kundert was again the Jaguars’ top runner at Bowles, placing fifth in 20:08.70, 26 seconds slower than she ran on the flat course in House Springs.
Lafayette had four of the top nine runners and won the girls competition Saturday with 30 points. Seckman was second with 85 and Festus third with 96.
After four years of running for Festus, senior Allison Faerber knows every turn, dip and tree at Crites Park. Not counting middle school races, Faerber said she’s run at Crites at least 10 times. Her PR is 20:04. She was the first Tiger to finish Saturday, placing 14th in 21:46.68.
Faerber finished 21st in the state in Class 3 as a freshman, when the Tigers were second, and has qualified for state the last two seasons.
“When I was younger, I’d go out really fast and blow it. Now I’m taking a slower approach,” Faerber said.
She said she’s gained another family since joining the cross country team at Festus.
“They’re always there for me and take the underclassmen under their wings,” Faerber said.
She said it’s hard to look at what the Tiger boys have accomplished – seven straight state titles and counting – and not take pride in the program.
“There used to be competition because the girls wanted to be as good as the guys,” she said. “It’s hard not to look up to them. But we’re learning that by working with them we’re getting a lot more benefit out of it. Coach Wright’s philosophy is that there’s no girls team or boys team. We’re all just runners.”
De Soto seniors Kayla Vogelsang (10th, 21:18.86) and Taylor Ficke (11th, 21:26.54) were the top two runners for the Dragons, who placed fifth with 104 points.
Festus Bowles cross country invitational
At Larry G. Crites Memorial Park, Sept. 18
Boys team scores: 1. Lafayette 46; 2. Webster Groves 56; 3. Festus 58; 4. Hillsboro 85; 5. Fox 133; 6. De Soto 134; 7. Vianney 201; 8. Pacific 202
Individual boys county finishes
3. William Kaempfe, De Soto, 16:12.35; 4. Cullen Krieg, Festus, 16:16.46; 5. Josh Allison, Hillsboro, 16:21.37; 7. Jonah Allison, Hillsboro, 16:50.48; 9. Tate Riney, Festus, 17:02.54; 11. Nathan Wolk, Festus, 17:08.49; 14. Dylan Glastetter, Seckman, 17:29.11; 17. Jason Shaw, Fox, 17:32.77; 19. Bryson Rhine, Festus, 17:42.16; 20. Peyton Kirby, Festus, 17:51.89; 22. Sam Shipp, Fox, 18:01.55; 23. Gavin Vaughn, Hillsboro, 18:04.10; 24. Tate Uding, Festus, 18:17.71; 26. Joshua Kaempfe, De Soto, 18:25.94; 27. Jesse Gore, Hillsboro, 18:27.96; 29. Peyton Willis, Festus, 18:28.61; 31. Tyler Winslett, Hillsboro, 18:31.47; 32. Landon Pogue, Hillsboro, 18:31.94; 33. Carter Evans, Fox, 18:37.86; 35. Jude Short, Hillsboro, 18:45.24; 36. T.J. Evans, Seckman, 18:57.72; 38. Owen Cullen, Seckman, 19:03.74; 39. Duncan Emery, Seckman, 19:06.38; 42. James Wells, Fox, 19:28.07; 44. Clayton Huck, De Soto, 19:39.37; 46. Kalyb Mitchell, De Soto, 19:48.12; 47. Logan Rosenberg, Fox, 19:52.85; 51. Justin Piwowarczyk, Fox, 20:08.62; 52. Nolan Sisson, De Soto, 20:11.45; 57. Robert Roland, De Soto, 20:53.79; 58. Carter Queen, De Soto, 20:56.53
Girls team scores: 1. Lafayette 30; 2. Seckman 85; 3. Festus 96; 4. Washington 97; 5. De Soto 104; 6. Hermann 136; 7. Hillsboro 152; 8. Webster Groves 159; 9. Pacific 204
Individual girls county finishes
2. Bella Marcum, Fox, 19:05.61; 5. Elizabeth Kundert, Seckman, 20:08.70; 10. Kayla Vogelsang, De Soto, 21:18.86; 11. Taylor Ficke, De Soto, 21:26.54; 12. Michelle Jones, Hillsboro, 21:43.51; 14. Allison Faerber, Festus, 21:46.68; 16. Courtney Anthonies, Seckman, 21:51.45; 19. Dari White, Festus, 21:56.22; 20. Ariel Laird, Seckman, 21:58.90; 21. Ava Leftwich, Festus, 21:59.57; 23. Jailey Pigg, De Soto, 22:08.74; 24. Alexandria Smith, Seckman, 22:10.70; 25. Jeannie Thornborrow, Festus, 22:10.89; 27. Abigail Schnable, Festus, 22:19.20; 29. Angela Ward, Seckman, 22:31.07; 30. Riley Petsch, De Soto, 22:41.47; 31. Emily Wright, Hillsboro, 22:42.89; 32. Riley Kruse, Hillsboro, 22:46.69; 34. Lauryn Mason, Fox, 22:51.72; 35. Anna Crosby, Hillsboro, 23:00.70; 41. Abigail Dean, De Soto, 23:32.78; 43. Courtney Fadler, Festus, 23:54.07; 46. Mya Bell, De Soto, 23:59.97; 56. Jillian Mayer, Hillsboro, 24:47.91; 59. Kaitlyn Spiker, De Soto, 25:14.81; 61. Christianne Davidson, Hillsboro, 25:55.02; 62. Lexi Wallis, Hillsboro, 27:53.11