By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
NIXA, Mo. — Two weeks after winning the individual conference titles, Ben Stasney and Mia Harris took home some additional hardware. The two West Plains runners swept the top spots in the Class 4, District 5 championships at Nixa’s Inman Elementary course.
The Zizzer boys took home the team district plaque, avenging an earlier loss to Kickapoo, while Branson edged out the Lady Zizzers for the girls title.
Girls Race
West Plains staked another dominant performance from its upper lineup, sweeping the top three spots in the girls race.
Mia Harris (19:06.40), Kaylee Hatley (19:16.50) and McKenzie Bergman (19:17.20) ran a tactical, team race, finishing in an 11-second span of one another.
The Lady Zizzer trio worked together to maintain contact at the front of the pack early on, and then surged to the lead halfway through the race.
“We were really trying to help each other place better as a team,” Harris said. “We stayed together longer and broke off around the mile-and-a-half mark.”
Branson’s Adeline Holder (19:40.60) and Madeline Caruthers (19:48.70) rounded out the top five. The two Lady Pirates tried to stick with Harris on the move through the woods, but were eventually overtaken by Hatley and Bergman.
“We wanted to get around and stay as close as we could to Mia,” Hatley said. “There’s no I in our team. We are completely together.”
While West Plains log-jammed the top three spots, Branson’s overall depth through the lineup helped the Lady Pirates claim the overall team title.
Branson head coach Doug Furtkamp praised his team’s performance.
“We knew West Plains and Nixa would be pretty tough,” Furtcamp said. “We just needed to have all seven of our girls run a good race, and they did. Our two seniors have been solid leaders for us, Adeline Holder and Amanda Kearney, but our back half ran the kind of race they’re capable of.”
Branson, West Plains, Nixa and Lebanon all qualified for next weekend’s sectional meet at Camdenton.
Boys Race
The boys race featured a thrilling photo finish between West Plains’ Ben Stasney (15:52:00) and Glendale’s Luke Miller (15:52.30).
The pair last raced two weeks ago at Lake Springfield, with Stasney pulling away for an 8-second victory over the second-place Miller.
The Glendale senior knew he had to change things up this time around, opting to force the pace and try to burn out some of Stasney’s legs prior to the final sprint.
“We were pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder just like we were at the finish,” Miller said. “I just knew I had to stay with him.”
On the final 100-meter turn to the finish line, the pair emerged from the woods stride-for-stride and sprinted together down the final stretch, each trying to break the other’s will.
As the two powered through the finish together, neither one was immediately aware of the final result.
Stasney wouldn’t have to wait long for the news.
“I was really just trying to sit on [Miller] back in the woods and try to outkick him,” Stasney said. “They gave me a card and it said first on it, so I thought, ‘I guess I got him.’”
Despite the runner-up finish, Miller notched a personal best and celebrated his first trip below the 16:00 mark with a wide grin and nod of respect.
“I have to give him props for that kick,” Miller said. “Definitely the wildest cross country race I’ve ever had.”
Nixa’s Blake Procell (10:08.60), Ozark’s Logan Bohannon (16:08.70) and Kickapoo’s Jared Ozee (16:12.40) rounded out the top five. Procell and Bohannon gave the top five a second photo-finish sprint.
Stasney’s first-place finish also helped lead the Zizzers to the team title, avenging an earlier loss to rival Kickapoo. West Plains put three runners in the top ten with Stasney, Ethan Hutchinson and Jacob McCrackin, who was able to return to competition following a nagging foot injury.
West Plains head coach Joe Bill Dixon talked about reclaiming the top spot from a fierce, but friendly rival in Kickapoo and coach Jeremy Goddard.
“Today’s just another stair step along the way to the state meet,” Dixon said. “Any time you compete against a Jeremy Goddard team, you better be ready, and you better count your lucky stars if you’re fortunate enough to come out on the winning side. He’ll be back next week, and it sounds like we’ll be back next week, too.”
Next week’s sectional meet at Camdenton will include qualifiers West Plains, Kickapoo, Nixa and Branson.
C4D5 XC Girls – 5K Individual Top 30 Sectional Qualifiers
1 Harris, Mia West Plains 19:06.40
2 Hatley, Kaylee West Plains 19:16.50
3 Bergman, McKenzie West Plains 19:17.20
4 Holder, Adeline Branson 19:40.60
5 Caruthers, Madeline Branson 19:48.70
6 Jones, Kaitlyn Nixa 19:52.70
7 Kearney, Amanda Branson 20:05.20
8 Winfrey, Kelsey Lebanon 20:10.70
9 Drown, Whitneigh West Plains 20:17.50
10 Barber, Alexis Ozark 20:20.00
11 Weiner, Anna Kickapoo 20:21.30
12 Collins, Hannah Branson 20:25.90
13 Puetz, Emma Rolla 20:28.40
14 Alvard, Adrianna Branson 20:45.80
15 Baylon, Destiny Branson 20:49.10
16 Barber, Brocklyn Ozark 20:51.90
17 Glenn, Ryleigh Nixa 20:54.60
18 Page, Nevaeh Lebanon 20:57.70
19 Ihasz, Mackenzie Nixa 21:02.50
20 Glenn, Annslee Nixa 21:07.30
21 Brow, Adelaide Rolla 21:08.20
22 Alberhasky, Maya Parkview 21:10.30
23 Bybee, Kiersten Nixa 21:12.40
24 Gephart, Emile Branson 21:12.50
25 Kerr, Jessica Nixa 21:12.90
26 Bartley, Alaixces Waynesville 21:13.30
27 O’Connor, Maddie Lebanon 21:18.80
28 Coffman, Carrie Lebanon 21:19.50
29 Hilmas, Krista Rolla 21:24.60
30 Hubbert, Jada Parkview 21:32.00
C4D5 XC Girls – 5K Team Top 4 Sectional Qualifiers
1 Branson 42 20:09.2 avg
2 West Plains 50 19:57.7 avg
3 Nixa 85 20:49.9 avg
4 Lebanon 112 21:04.5 avg
C4D5 XC Boys – 5K Individual Top 30 Sectional Qualifiers
1 Stasney, Ben West Plains 15:52.00
2 Miller, Luke Glendale 15:52.30
3 Procell, Blake Nixa 16:08.60
4 Bohannon, Logan Ozark 16:08.70
5 Ozee, Jarod Kickapoo 16:12.40
6 Burgess, Preston Parkview 16:14.80
7 Hutchinson, Ethan West Plains 16:17.20
8 Crews, Brenden Kickapoo 16:25.20
9 Dooley, Keifer Branson 16:32.60
10 McCrackin, Jacob West Plains 16:37.60
11 Hull, Jace Parkview 16:42.70
12 Thornton, Brett Branson 16:46.00
13 Young, Kobe Nixa 16:46.00
14 Bossing, Tyler Kickapoo 16:49.40
15 Daniels, Benjamin Nixa 17:04.30
16 Ondr, Nicholas Glendale 17:06.10
17 Boys, Caleb West Plains 17:12.00
18 Pepper, Collin Branson 17:14.80
19 Gonzales, Damian Kickapoo 17:17.50
20 Knopf, Sam Parkview 17:18.60
21 Meadows, Ryan Nixa 17:24.70
22 Morrison, Luke Waynesville 17:28.00
23 Jamieson, Zach Lebanon 17:31.30
24 Sustaita, Eros Nixa 17:34.30
25 Mansker, Cameron Ozark 17:34.60
26 Mason, Garrett Camdenton 17:36.50
27 Smith, Ethan Parkview 17:37.00
28 Alexander, Brent Nixa 17:38.70
29 Hayes, Dylan West Plains 17:40.30
30 Cobb, Timothy Kickapoo 17:49.70
C4D5 XC Boys – 5K Team Top 4 Sectional Qualifiers
1 West Plains 63 16:43.8 avg
2 Kickapoo 75 16:54.8 avg
3 Nixa 76 16:59.6 avg
4 Branson 120 17:29.6 avg
