Trojans back in Class 3 state meet winner’s circle

JEFFERSON CITY – The Potosi Trojans cross country team are state champions again. It makes the third time in four years that the Trojans have finished first at state, and their fourth title overall. Last year, Potosi took second behind West Plains.

The Trojans had their first five runners place in the Top 25 of the Class 3 race which also qualified each of them for All-State honors. Only the places of a team’s first five runners that cross the finish line are used for the team score.

&#8220We had to count on a couple of freshmen to come through for us to get five runners in the top 25,” said Potosi coach Steve Davis, &#8220but our juniors just ran a great race today.”

Josh Mathis, a junior, was the 2005 individual state champion in Class 3. Mathis’ time of 15:41.58 set a new state record in Class 3, besting the old record of 15:57.5 set by Joe Falcon of Belton in 1983, and it was also the second fastest time in the state in boys cross country out of all four classes.

Josh Thebeau, also a junior, ran his race in 16:04.10, good enough for second place, 25 seconds faster than third place. Thebeau’s time of 16:04.10 was the 19th fastest among all of the classes since 1980 when the format went to a 5000 meter run.

Senior Ricky Armstrong placed 12th with a time of 16:52.93, and freshmen Nick Niggemann and Jacob Swearingen took 19th and 20th respectively with times of 17:02.20 and 17:04.28.

John Haguewood placed 40th with a time of 17:43.21 but was not needed for the team score, even though if it would have been used the team would still have taken first, since the next team, West Plains finished 86 points behind Potosi (see page 7).

Potosi’s other junior, Daniel Forbes gave it all he had, and then some. Forbes was heading for a possible medal when his body said no more and he collapsed 50 yards from the finish line. Determined to finish and help his team, Forbes tried to get up and continue, only to fall again.

Realizing that he could not stay on his feet, Forbes slowly crawled on hands and feet to the finish line despite the several runners that passed him on the way, and finished in 132nd place out of 161 runners. Forbes was taken to the hospital as was several other runners during the day that suffered the same dilemma of exhaustion.

Potosi also had two runners in the girls Class 3 race. Freshman Megan Bourbon placed 39th with a time of 21:26.77, and senior Katherine Fitzwater came in 55th at 21:46.60.

NORTH COUNTY

The North County Raiders had only one runner qualify for the state meet in Class 3. Junior Nick Fulton placed 66th with a time of 18:02.25. The race was Fulton’s second year of qualifying for state.

FARMINGTON

Angie Turner was the Farmington Knightettes only runner in the Class 3 girls race. Only a freshman, Turner got her introduction to the state meet by turning in a time of 21:44.17 passing three other girls within 30 yards of the finish line for 52nd place out of 164 runners.