Cross country runners
qualify for district
by Tad
Brewer
Landmark reporter
Platte County hosted the Midland Empire Conference cross
country championships, at Riverview Park in Platte City,
Oct. 16, to determine who would go on to race at districts.
Four out of seven of the varsity boys’ members finished
in the top five at the championships. Out of the boys,
five qualified for districts.
Senior Eli Klimek led the entire race and finished first
in 16:32. Klimek finished more than a minute before senior
Shane Praiswater of Platte County, who came in second
in 17:49. Sophomore Brandon McCammon of the Pirates’
team finished fourth overall in 17:53. The next person
to finish was sophomore Zach Ryun of Platte County, who
finished fifth in 17:57. The final Pirate to qualify for
districts was senior Ryan Schroeder, who came in 13th
in 18:37.
Junior Mark Dudley, who finished 17th in 19:22, and senior
Ryan Locascio, who came in 19th in 19:28, failed to qualify
for districts.
The Platte County varsity boys’ team finished first
overall in the championships. Benton, Lafayette, Chillicothe,
Savannah, Maryville, and Smithville followed the Pirates
in the championships.
The varsity girls’ team did not fair as well as
did the boys’ team. The girls’ only qualified
senior Katie Sherman and freshman Jenny Murphy for Districts.
Sherman came in eighth in 22:35 and Murphy finished 14th
in 23:24.
Seniors Amy Musil, and Bonnie Glick, junior Tara Gutshall,
sophomore Stevie Grabau, and freshman Anne Mullins all
failed to qualify for districts.
Gutshall finished 19th in 23:54, Musil came in 20th in
24:03, Grabau finished 23rd in 24:12, Glick followed behind
Grabau in 24th place in 24:20, and Mullins rounded out
the Pirates by finishing 42nd in 31:17.
The girls’ team finished behind Smithville, but
ahead of Lafayette, Benton, Maryville, Chillicothe, and
Savannah.
“The seniors should make their dreams a reality
in the next two weeks,” said head coach Chris Stubbs.
“The underclassmen shouldn’t wait for tomorrow,
their window is closing as well.”
After the conference championships, Platte County took
part in the Richmond Invitational on Oct. 18.
The boys’ team did well enough overall, that it
allowed everyone to receive a medal as a team.
Klimek finished first, for yet another straight race,
in 15:58 and received an individual medal. Praiswater
came in 10th in 18:28 and medalled. McCammon finished
close behind in 11th in 18:29 and also medalled. Ryun
finished 16th in 18:41 and medalled. Schroeder was the
last to individually medal, as he finished 22nd in 18:58.
Dudley came in 26th in 19:04 and junior Josh Brunkhorst
finished 62nd in 20:41.
The varsity boys took second as a team, as they finished
behind West Platte, but ahead of Lawson, St. Pius, Ray-Pec,
Richmond, Oak Grove, Raytown South’s junior varsity,
Hamilton, Odessa, Pleasant Hill, Barstow, and Marshall.
Senior Bill Flynt, of Platte County, finished first in
the junior varsity race, in 19:46. Locascio came in second
in 19:56. Freshman Cody Luckenbach finished fifth in 20:16.
Freshman Matt Luckenbach came in 12th in 21:18. Freshman
Matt Cline finished 15th in 21:25 and sophomore Joel Holland
came in 19th in 21:53.
Musil was the only girl for Platte County to medal as
she finished 15th in 22:46. Murphy finished 34th in 24:01,
Grabau came in 41st in 24:21, Gutshall finished 43rd in
24:24, Glick came in 44th in 24:29, and Sherman finished
48th in 24:44.
The varsity girls’ team finished behind St. Teresa’s,
Smithville, Odessa, Lawson, St. Pius, and Oak Grove, but
before Raytown South’s junior varsity, and Barstow.
In the junior varsity race, sophomore Angela Sheetz,
who had been hurt in recent weeks, returned to action
and finished ninth in 25:41, and medalled. Mullins finished
41st in 30:13.
Platte County’s next action will come at districts
on Oct. 27.
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