Tyree, Terry get first taste of state cross country

Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 11/7/18

JEFFERSON CITY — For Dutchmen cross country sophomores Austin Terry and Paul Tyree, Saturday marked their first and final chance of competing in the Missouri State High School Activities …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Tyree, Terry get first taste of state cross country

Posted

JEFFERSON CITY — For Dutchmen cross country sophomores Austin Terry and Paul Tyree, Saturday marked their first and final chance of competing in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Cross Country Championships at Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City.

This is because the championships next year will be moved to the Gans Creek Recreation Area along the southern edge of Columbia.

Nonetheless, both orange and black runners overcame a soft course due to wet weather to finish in the top half of the field of 164 runners.

“Seeing both of our sophomores finish in the top half of the state field shows what they’re capable of in the future,” OHS head cross country coach Matt Candrl said.

Making the biggest move at the state meet, sophomore Paul Tyree started in 76th after the first mile only to gain 24 spots and post a 52nd-place time of 18:02.15.

“Paul ran his second-best performance of the year at state,” Coach Candrl said. “He did a really good job of moving late in the race.”

Gradually moving his way through the pack, Tyree picked up 11 spots from the first to second mile along with another 11 places from the second to third mile.

“I do better after the first mile and being able to pass runners,” Tyree said. “It was a super cool experience to be able to compete at state as a sophomore.”

Tyree’s best time of the season came the previous week during the MSHSAA Class 3, District 5 meet at the Pike County Fairgrounds near Bowling Green with a 14th-place time of 17:47.09.

Out of the gate, Terry found himself sitting in 66th place at the one-mile mark.

From that point, he slipped to 70th at the two-mile mark and 72nd at the three-mile mark before settling for an 82nd-place time of 18:26.47 to finish right in the middle of the Class 3 boy’s race.

“When the race started, I took out a little strong on the first mile,” Terry said. “From there, I slowly lost touch with the main pack.”

While the Dutchmen duo may not have left Jefferson City with medals, they helped their teammates surprise everyone during the annual Four Rivers Conference (FRC) meet back in mid-October at Loutre Shore Country Club north of Hermann.

“Losing six of our top seven guys going into this year, I would’ve been surprised if someone had told me that we were going to win conference,” Candrl said. “All the credit goes to our guys who worked hard the entire season to help keep our (Four Rivers) conference title streak going at five in a row.”

Edging New Haven by two points at Hermann, Owensville saw the Shamrocks have success over the weekend in Jefferson City in spite of them being bumped up to Class 2 from Class 1 last year.

Placing third as a team with 146 points just ahead of fourth-place St. Vincent (148), the Shamrocks represented the FRC running against numerous Class 2 team bigger than them.

Tyree and Terry were not the only harriers representing Gasconade County at the 2018 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships.

Hermann sophomore Dalton Gleeson competed for the Bearcats in the Class 2 Boy’s race and posted an 18th-place time of 17:54.00 to leave Jefferson City with a state medal around the same time Hermann’s Lady Bearcat volleyball team wrapped up yet another MSHSAA Class 2 state volleyball championship down in Cape Girardeau.