El Dorado Springs hosted the Class 2 District 2 cross country meet on Saturday. See which athletes and teams are heading to state below.
BOYS RACE
El Dorado Springs moved down from Class 3 to Class 2 this season, and Bulldog junior Wyatt Klaiber has his eye on his first state cross country title after finishing runner-up in 2024 and fourth in 2023 in Class 3.
He got that pursuit off to a good start on Saturday with a 16:12.92 on his home course to beat New Covenant Academy’s Kian Edwards who finished runner-up with a 16:27.31. Third place went to reigning Class 1 3200-meter state champion Will Twiss from Thomas Jefferson who ran 16:30.74. Franklin Veer from McAuley Catholic ran 16:45.74 followed by Spokane’s Luke Faulkner with a 16:58.07 in fourth and fifth.
While Klaiber moved down from Class 3, the top of the team leaderboard was led by a pair of teams moving up. Thomas Jefferson scored 51 points to win the team title followed by McAuley Catholic in second place with 65 points. McAuley Catholic was the Class 1 team state champion followed by Thomas Jefferson in second in Class 1. New Covenant placed third with 85 points. El Dorado Springs was fourth with 93 points.
The top 30 individuals inclusive of the team qualifiers also qualify for state.
Below are the area’s team and individual qualifiers.
AREA BOYS TEAM STATE QUALIFIERS
1. Thomas Jefferson Independent – 51
(William Twiss, Spencer Long, Jack Twiss, Liam Cook, Gavin Sharp, Hyrum Sheppard, James Sheppard)
2. McAuley Catholic – 65
(Franklin Veer, Gavin Anderson, Thomas Perrin, Will Mollnow, Luke Mollnow, Ryker Veer, Rowen Veer)
3. New Covenant – 85
(Kian Edwards, Alec McClaflin, Sawyer Owens, Jackson Benbow, Jackson Weimer, Cooper Evans, Daniel Matlock)
4. El Dorado Springs – 93
(Wyatt Klaiber, Sylas Fletcher, Rylan Coleman, Carter Smith, Wilson Burchett, Gavin Boch)
AREA BOYS INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
5. Luke Faulkner – Spokane
6. Colton McMillan – New Heights Christian
11. Eric Wilson – Fordland
14. Archer Luna – Gainesville
16. Finnegan Swopes – Stockton
18. Carter Thornton – Stockton
20. Hugh Housh – Diamond
21. Isaac Izdepski – Fordland
22. Tobias Smith – Southwest
26. Brayden Cunningham – Fordland
27. Eli Adams – Pierce City
28. Elijah Lockett – Fordland
30. Joby Dixon – Thayer
GIRLS RACE
Three-time all-state finisher Emma Hunt from Pierce City rolled to a 30-second victory for the individual title with a 19:44.76. El Dorado Springs senior Braylie Steward ran 20:14.67 to place second.
Hunt placed 13th at state as a freshman, 12th as a sophomore and vaulted to fourth as a junior.
Southwest’s Sidney Roe (20:51.06), Gainesville’s Jessica Suit (21:07.54) and Stockton’s Zoe Rains (21:25.53) rounded out the top five.
Stockton used a pack of Rains, Lydia Bahr and Camryn Lubeski in fifth, sixth and seventh to secure a team title with 49 points. Cedar County rival, and host, El Dorado Springs was second with 58 points. Gainesville (66) and Spokane (84) placed third and fourth to qualify as teams.
The top 30 individuals inclusive of the team qualifiers also qualify for state.
Below are the area’s team and individual qualifiers.
AREA GIRLS TEAM STATE QUALIFIERS
1. Stockton – 49
(Zoe Rains, Lydia Bahr, Camryn Lubeski, Lillie Burchett, Kayleigh Antonini, Jozie Warner, Kelly Stockton)
2. El Dorado Springs – 58
(Braylie Steward, Sara Seitz, Hannah Seitz, Aleta Lyness, Riley Lee, Karcyn Rader)
3. Gainesville – 66
(Jessica Suit, Kaitlyn Kahl, Isabelle Workman, Annabell Snelson, Nina Sponaugle, Rachyl McGinnis, Sarah Klessig)
4. Spokane – 84
(Azela Duarte, Hannah Branum, Kate-Lynne Hensley, Alberte Hansen, Molly Scott, Katherine Sundell, Haylie Jones)
AREA GIRLS INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
1. Emma Hunt – Pierce City
3. Sidney Roe – Southwest
8. Skyline – Roma Phillips
9. Shaylee Wohlers – Osceola
12. Adia Brown – Fordland
13. Lily Garrison – Sarcoxie
14. Ashley Espera – Osceola
15. Courtney Patterson – Purdy
17. Piper James – Skyline
19. Makayla Knox – Pleasant Hope
20. Lucia Villacieros – Southwest
22. Savannah Lang – Seymour
24. Kahlen Humble – Sparta
26. Ellie Norris – Sparta
27. Lilly Hoyer – Diamond
29. Rebecca Leonard – Seymour
