Cross Country Cats run in district meet

The Blackcats competed in the Class 3 District 1 Cross Country meet, Saturday at Cape Notre Dame High School.

The top two teams and first 15 individuals qualified for the Missouri Cross Country State Championships in Jefferson City, Nov. 3.

“We competed very well in our last meet of the season,” Coach Colton Wooldridge said. “Our varsity boys finished sixth out of 12 teams in one of the strongest districts in the state. The top two teams, Festus and Herculaneum, finished first and third in the state championships last year. The Blackcats rose to the occasion (while) competing against such strong runners. Junior Brayden Mullins ran a gutsy race. He put everything he had out there and just missed qualifying for the state championship. It might not have been the result we were looking for, but I believe he has definitely made his mark as a tough competitor in just his first year as a cross country runner.”

Varsity Boy Results:

17th – Brayden Mullins (17:47)

23rd – Colton Helms (18:23)

27th – Lyndan Gruenke (18:39)

54th – Ralph Patterson (19:58)

60th – Johnnie Hurst (20:27)

63rd – Elijah Rogers (20:39)

67th – Noah Jenkerson (20:55)

Varsity Girls Results:

40th – Ava Laut (23:53)

50th – Belle Hanshew (25:44)

“The first Fredericktown Cross Country season has been a very rewarding experience,” Coach Wooldridge said. “I am very proud of how far my runners have come from the start of the season. They have taken ownership in this program and have made it a place where many more runners can grow as athletes and individuals.”

Fredericktown High School Cross Country team members pictured at the district meet are (left to right) Assistant Coach Joe Garrity, Belle Hanshew, Matthew Starkey, Clayton Martin, Ava Laut, Ralph Patterson, Brayden Mullins, Noah Jenkerson, Lyndan Gruenke, Elijah Rogers, Johnnie Hurst, Colton Helms, and Coach Colton Wooldridge.