History was being made everywhere Saturday in Mokane. The Classes 1, 2 and 3 District 3 cross country meets were hosted at South Callaway and will have representation in every race at state next weekend from area runners.
The Centralia boys achieved the school's best district team finish by winning the program's first state title with 78 points compared to Priory's 92. The Panthers were backed by four all-district medalists in Rohan Holiman (fifth), Carter Moss (eighth), Dryst Bostick (ninth) and Eli Hill (18th). The girls had two qualify for state after Kenedee Moss finished 14th and Shelby Lewis was 27th.
The Paris program in its second year didn't have enough runners for a boys or girls team last season but had more than enough this year for the girls to win a district title and the boys to finish second. The Lady Coyotes took home the school's first ever cross country district title after scoring 28 points, compared to Calvary Lutheran's 44 points, and the Coyotes had 90 points to be the runner-up to Vienna's 39 points. Every Paris girls medaled, including Mairyn Kinnaman (third), Alexandria Tullius (fourth), Ava Crain (fifth), Kaylee Johnson (eighth) and Midori Williams (23rd). Landen Chapman won the first individual district title in school history, and Owen Buie medaled by finishing 29th.
Van-Far is sending a boy and a girl to state in the same year for the first time in program history. Freshman Garrett Hopke qualified first in the boys race with a 17th-place finish and senior Brooke-lyn Forman, who debuted for Indians cross country after transferring last year, finished seventh in the girls race to make her a three-time state qualifier.
North Callaway's Pressley Schmauch finished seventh in the Class 3 girls race to make her a four-time state qualifier.
Look for full district cross country stories in the Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, edition of the Mexico Ledger.
