By Cody Thorn (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Kickapoo had a slow, but steady rise to a state cross country championship on Friday.
The Chiefs went from fourth to third to second and closed the final 1,000 meters strong to win the Class 5 Cross Country Championships at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
Kickapoo finished with 77 points, four points better than Columbia Rock Bridge to claim the first title for the team since 1995 and the third overall.
“We were down 22 points at the 4K so I gave up on Rock Bridge and I think we were four or five on Liberty North, but I knew those guys were strong,” Kickapoo coach Jeremy Goddard said. “I was yelling to Jack (Creehan) about Rock Bridge and he passed a few and I got to the big board. I had it on my phone and I kept waiting for it to update and it finally it sank in that this thing isn’t changing again. It is unbelievable.
“Now they can come back and to games and see their name in the gymnasium. Not a lot of teams have state championship and adding their selves to the list.”
Junior Tyler Harris took eight place and classmate Brooklyn Creehan was ninth, four seconds behind him.
“Being here with these guys and running with me and even when I don’t have my day there is always some there to pick up and to work,” Harris said. “I think that is what got us the state championship.”
The rest of the runners moved up multiple spots over the final, which aided the surge to the title. Junior Kyle Keltner moved up two spots over the final 1,000 kilometers and took 13th. Junior Grant Musick finished 15th, moving up from 19th.
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The biggest move up the board was junior Jack Creehan in 53rd. He went from 99th after the 1K and steadily worked his way up.
“The title defense starts next week,” Goddard said. “Class 5 has so many great teams everywhere, SLUH, Rock Bridge, Liberty North now. Even winning our conference is a handful with the (West Plains) Zizzers.”
Goddard recalls talking to most of these runners when they were in eight grade after winning every single meet that year in cross country.
“I remember saying if we stay together and go to work and if we do things, we can do special things,” Goddard said. “I didn’t expect it this year, but if we ran a perfect race. I thought we could win it and credit to them, they came out and ran an absolutely perfect race.”
The only other runner from the area to earn all state is senior Kaden Cole, who earned his second straight medal by taking sixth after taking 14th last year.
Parkview’s Lilah Genel and Joplin’s Jennalee Dunn closed out their careers by earning a spot on the podium.
Genel, who verbally committed to Missouri Southern, was 13th in 18:32.5.
“I’m really happy I had this opportunity and have the best competition in the state,” Genel said. “I was hoping they would bring their best so I could bring my best. It pushed me to a new pr (personal record). I was excited. I was hoping for top five but I’m happy I got all-state at least.”
After the race Genel and Dunn took photos together. Dunn was 14th overall with an 18:36, a new school record.
