By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Since 1976, the state cross country championships have been held in in Jefferson City. The Oak Hill course, home to legendary firehouse hill, has become a source of heroics, nostalgia and — depending on your perspective — nightmares.
While the meet is set to move north to Columbia in 2019, 1,346 high school runners in four classes took one final stab at history on Saturday.
In the Class 2 boys race, Lamar’s Kolin Overstreet entered the weekend with a pretty simple plan.
“My strategy was to stay with the front pack for as long as possible until the last 800 (meters) and then pass them, because I know I have the fastest kick here,” Overstreet said.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET
Turns out the plan was pretty sound, as the Tiger senior opened up a 15-second gap on Maplewood-Richmond Heights senior Malik Stewart in the last quarter-mile to win the individual title in 16:34.70.
Overstreet credited his victory to a ramped-up training schedule geared specifically for the state course. After a fifth-place finish last season, the Tiger junior’s team increased its hill training.
“Lamar is pretty flat, so I knew I needed to get some hills in,” Overstreet said. “We did a lot of hills this year — a lot more than usual. I was so relieved. This whole season has paid off.”
Other area all-state finishers include El Dorado Springs freshman Daelen Ackley (4th – 17:08.66), Stockton senior Bryson Coulter (6th – 17:26:57), Stockton senior Tyler Adams (11th – 17:47.10), Licking senior Keegan Black (15th – 17:51.39), Spokane sophomore Sam Shuman (22nd – 17:59.25) and Lamar sophomore Joe Kremp (25th – 18:01.99).
CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE BOYS RACE
Fatima won the overall team title with 66 points, with Stockton finishing in second with 102.
In the girls race, Fatima junior Kendall Haller won with a time of 20:21.98, posting a comfortable, 19-second margin over Bowling Green senior Kate Klott.
The area’s all-state finishers include Warsaw freshman Alyssa Alcantara (10th – 21:15.40), El Dorado Springs freshman Kenli Rader (14th – 21:24.98), The Summit Prep junior Olivia Lynch (17th – 21:36.60) and College Heights sophomore Grace Bishop (21:39.33).
Fatima won the girls overall title, as well, with a total of 53 points. Lamar posted the area’s top finish with an 8th-place mark and 231 points.
