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Wright County runners set for cross country season

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All four Wright County cross country programs are set for the fall 2020 season.

Hartville cross country

The Hartville boys and girls cross country program has several returning runners looking to make the 2020 fall season a memorable one.

On the boys side, the Eagles are anchored by five returning seniors, including all-state runner Josh Bettendorf.

Other seniors include Bryce Coday, Keegan Kirkpatrick, Josiah Bettendorf and Weston Williams. Other runners for the Eagles are Caleb Long, Jacob Ballard, Eric Wilson and Ty Smith.

“Our boys team is gearing up for what we hope to be a strong, rounded out year with five senior boys,” said Hartville head coach Kristi Ballard.

The girls program will have no seniors, but they are returning all six of their runners. They include juniors Clemmie Taylor, Abby Mosely and Kaylee Ferguson as well as sophomores Autumn Johnson, Courtney Miller and Emma Cook.

Mansfield cross

country

Both the boys and girls Mansfield cross country teams have a pair of returning runners with state meet experience who look to make another run into the postseason this fall.

The girls program is led by senior Skylar Adams and junior Caige Henry.

“I expect Skylar Adams and Caige Henry to achieve All-Conference and All-District honors and for both of them to compete at the state meet,” said Mansfield head coach Eric Grubbs.

Senior Christin Gayer rounds out the Lady Lions’ cross country program as she hopes to join her teammates at state this season.

The boys program is led by junior Brady Corder, who advanced to the state meet a year ago.

The Lions have a total of 12 runners, giving their squad a chance to compete for a district title with the hopes of advancing to state.

Runners include seniors Scott Mason and Kile Gray; juniors Jack Grubbs, Brayden Barnett and Corder; sophomore Trey Ussery, Chase Kelley, Bryce Bolfing and Jake McDermitt; and freshmen Clayton Price, Brock Gray and Landon Campbell.

“I look for the boys to compete for both the conference and district title and would like to see them qualify as a team for state,” said Coach Grubbs. “When fall baseball concludes, I expect to have some boys that will contribute immediately.”

Mountain Grove

cross country

Several returning runners look to make the 2020 season a special one for the Mountain Grove cross country program.

The Lady Panthers are led by junior Macey Penner, who placed fifth at last year’s districts to advance to the state meet.

Abby Fry was a freshman last season and placed 30th in districts. The returning sophomore looks to improve on her time this year with the hopes of advancing to state.

Other key runners for the program include lone senior Trinity Elliott, juniors Raleigh Holman and Belle Bohenkamp, sophomore Hayley Proctor and freshman Kimmie Busalaki.

On the boys side, the Panthers will be led by two runners who will be looking for Top-15 finishes at districts this season.

Junior Andrew Norris was 17th in districts and junior Braden Hensley was 21st. Both runners look to make serious push for the state meet.

As a team, the Panthers were fourth in districts last season.

If the entire team were to qualify for state, it will be due to its depth.

The rest of the squad includes senior Dale Schaeffer, juniors Ethan Norman and Levi Alluisi, along with freshmen Owen Nelson and Trent Horner. Their coach is Lori Hyde.

Norwood cross

country

Returning state qualifiers for the Norwood cross country program look to make return trips to state with the goal of bringing teammates with them during the upcoming 2020 fall season.

Three-time state qualifier Cameron Jarrett is entering his senior season hoping to earn his best ever finish at the state meet at year’s end. He placed 38th at state as a sophomore. He has also been in the Top-10 at conference every season.

Other Pirates’ runners include senior Braden Brown, sophomores Gabriel (Gabe) Todd and Cameron Kelly along with freshman Ben Smith.

“I expect Cameron Jarrett to be a strong contender for a medal throughout the year and regain his form from his sophomore year,” said Norwood head coach David Drake. “I expect Braden Brown to continue his improvement from his first three years and be a strong anchor and leader for the team. I expect Gabe Todd and Cameron Kelly to continue their improvement from their freshman year… I expect the team to continue to improve.  They have been a joy to coach this year. They have worked hard in practice and have a desire to improve. I hope to, by the end of year, to compete for top spots as a team in conference meet and district meet.”

As for the girls program, both returning runners Lydia Smith and Hallie Lanzini qualified for the state meet last year as sophomores.

“I expect Lydia Smith and Hallie Lanzini to compete for a qualifying spot at districts,” Drake said. “Last year, these young ladies showed continued improvement throughout this year. They will need to use the experience they gained last year to help them continue to improve this year.”