Cross country teams qualify to compete Saturday at state meet

Both of the Webb City cross country teams are headed to Columbia to compete in the Class 5 meet on Saturday.

They qualified last Saturday at the District 2 meet at Nixa.

The girls, led by Brooke Hedger’s 11th-place finish, placed second with 97 points. Raymore-Peculiar was first with 56 points. (The top five runners’ places are added for the team totals.)

Hedger ran the 5k course in 19:20.14, less than 2 seconds after the winner.

Her teammates and their places are: Emma McKinzie 19, Olivia Klotz 20, Amelia Antillon 22, Emily Countryman 25, Brooke Collard 52, and Rachel Miller 76.

Evan Stevens led the boys squad with his sixth-place finish, running the course in 15:39.85.

The team placed fourth with 108 points. Nixa was first with 65 points.

Crossing the finish line after Stevens were: Mason Hedger 16, Andrew Dawson 25, Spencer Kendall 26, Noah Lankard 35, Fenton Rice 46, and Dakota Grove 60.

Coach Dustin Miller is confident both teams can finish in the top 10 at state. It’s the first year Webb City has competed in the highest class.

In the Central Ozark Conference, the boys placed second and the girls placed third.