CENTRALIA - Reyna Schmauch continues to make a significant impact in her first year running cross country.
The North Callaway sophomore notched her biggest victory of the season so far by capturing the varsity girls' individual title with a time of 21 minutes, 11.82 seconds at the Centralia Invitational on Tuesday.
Schmauch easily beat Marrisa Jochem from Northeast (Cairo), who took second in 21:32.59, but also turned away the challenge of Father Tolton's Rachel Selva, who was third in 21:43.54. Selva is the defending Class 2 state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
"I am so proud with how Reyna went out and raced," North Callaway head coach Chad Craghead said. "Our plan was to go out hard and see who could hang the longest (Schmauch or Selva)."
Selva is ranked first and Schmauch second for the District 3 championships, scheduled for Oct. 31 at Bowling Green. Tuesday's race was the first head-to-head meeting between the two runners.
"(Reyna's) execution against the defending state champ was flawless," Craghead said. "Reyna ceases to amaze me with how little she lets the more experienced and highly successful runners intimidate her.
"She has an extreme amount of respect for the girls who have been there before and have proved they know how to win, but she does not let that get in her head. She goes out and races them like she has been doing this her whole life."
Also placing for the Ladybirds were sophomore Alyssa Rinehart (29th, 25:23.07), sophomore Brooke Fischer (34th, 26:04.50), and freshman Christa Gilman (39th, 26:45.99).
Finishers for North Callaway in the varsity boys' division included freshman Khobi Kellerman (63rd, 22:53), freshman Ean Rohrbach (72nd, 23:41.08), freshman Ivan Roesner (74th, 23:58.04), freshman Josh McCowan (76th, 24:13.34), and sophomore Skyler Barker (82nd, 25:40.19).
Placing for the Thunderbirds in the mixed junior varsity division were freshman Justin Coffman (21st, 27:24.97) and sophomore Jared Bailey (22nd, 27:48.98).
North Callaway runs in the Eastern Missouri Conference championships at Elsberry at 4 p.m. Monday.