State cross country championships moving to Columbia

Calvary Lutheran teammates Emma Homfeldt (left) and Sarah Johnson (right) try to
keep pace with the pack early in the Class 1 race Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 at the state cross country
championships at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City.
Calvary Lutheran teammates Emma Homfeldt (left) and Sarah Johnson (right) try to keep pace with the pack early in the Class 1 race Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017 at the state cross country championships at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City.

Traffic jams on Ellis Boulevard on the first Saturday in November will be a thing of the past starting in 2019.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association's cross country championships will have a new home after one last visit to the Oak Hills Golf Center in 2018.

The MSHSAA Board of Directors announced Wednesday the championships will move from Oak Hills to the Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia for at least five years. It was a unanimous vote.

The Gans Creek Recreation Area is located about 1.5 miles off Highway 63 just south of Columbia.

The championships have been held at Hough Park/Oak Hills since 1976. Other host sites have been Forest Park in St. Louis and A.L. Gustin Golf Course in Columbia.

Jefferson City and Joplin also made proposals to host the cross country championships.

The board also agreed to keep the state track and field championships at Adkins Stadium and the wrestling championships to remain at Mizzou Arena. Joplin also put in a proposal to host the track and field championships.

The board will discuss upcoming venues for football and volleyball at a meeting in January.