Cross Country: New Bloomfield boys finish fourth at SMC championships

MOKANE, Mo. - Sophomore Robert Morningstar came in ninth individually in 18 minutes, 8.86 seconds to direct the New Bloomfield Wildcats to a fourth-place finish at the Show-Me Conference championships Tuesday.

Junior Austin Meyer followed in 10th place in 18:10.35 as host South Callaway came in fifth as a team.

Junior Kyle Emerson was also 16th in 18:35.50 for New Bloomfield, which compiled 85 points. Junior Payton Culwell finished 17th in 18:41.94 and sophomore Bailey Crane took 18th in 18:44.86, while senior Zain Culwell came in 25th in 19:36.75.

Sophomore Daniel McDonald also placed 19th in 18:46.01 for South Callaway, which totalled 116 points. Other finishers for the Bulldogs included junior Austin Clubb (27th, 19:57.50), freshman Nathanael Shuler (31st, 21:25.20), and junior Nickolas Rodriguez (32nd, 23:14.70).

Neither South Callaway or New Bloomfield placed as a team in the varsity girls' division.

Junior Elizabeth Luebbert topped the Lady Bulldogs by finishing 14th in 23:04.75 and junior Ellie Dunnavant was 28th in 30:51.33. Freshmen Abbie Schattgen (24:53.72) and Kylie Quinn (25:10.82) were 18th and 19th, respectively, for the Lady Wildcats.

Fatima swept the boys' and girls' SMC team championships.

In the junior varsity boys' division, freshman Wil Steele came in fourth in 20:54.84 to steer New Bloomfield to a second-place team finish with 38 points. Also placing for the Wildcats were junior Jendrich (11th, 23:07.17), freshman Sebastian Fowler (13th, 23:47.45), junior Austin Carrier (15th, 25:29.55), and freshman Easton Ambler (16th, 27:42.00).

In the junior high girls' division, seventh-grader Mikaela Lemelin took first place in 9:44.07 to guide New Bloomfield to the team championship with 35 points. Other finishers for the Lady Wildcats included seventh-graders Jenna Nichols (sixth, 10:40.09), Ellie Emerson (seventh, 10:48.39), Abby Baxter (eighth, 10:56.32), and Kamryn Herron (15th, 11:44.55).

Seventh-grader Kendall Dillon was third in 9:58 to pace South Callaway to a fourth-place finish with 68 points. Also placing for the Lady Bulldogs were eighth-grader Kendall Dillon (ninth, 10:59.84), eighth-grader Paige Clubb (20th, 12:07.84), eighth-grader Karley Patrick (22nd, 12:31.34), and seventh-grader Alivia Andrews (23rd, 12:50.3).

In the junior high boys' division, eighth-grader Caleb Distler came in fourth in 8:52.48 as New Bloomfield placed fourth as a team with 78 points. Other finishers for the Wildcats included seventh-grader Nathan Heinrichs (14th, 9:52.21), eighth-grader Dylan Brenneke (20th, 10:08.8), and eighth-grader Keaton Herron (27th, 10:55.61).

Placing for South Callaway were eighth-grader Dustin Russell (10th, 9:34.72), seventh-grader Seth Elley (13th, 9:48.72), eighth-grader August Cross (33rd, 13:44.38), and eighth-grader Jaden Jennings (34th, 15:33.05).

South Callaway's varsity teams run in the Capital City Invitational in Jefferson City at 9 a.m. Saturday. New Bloomfield's varsity squads compete in the Hermann Invitational at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4.