COLUMBIA — Fresh off leading the Owensville Dutchmen cross country team to their first district title since 1995, senior Zach Holtmeyer looked to not only clinch his fourth state medal but also lead the orange and black into the top four of the team standings Friday morning during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) State Cross Country Championships held at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

Eying their first team trophy since 1995 when they placed second, Matt Candrl’s Dutchmen hovered right around the top four throughout the entirety of the Class 3 Boys race.

Second at the one-kilometer split, Owensville then dropped to fifth from the two-kilometer split and beyond before winding up placing fifth with 148 points finishing behind Herculaneum (121), Maplewood Richmond Heights (121), Fair Grove (123) and Lutheran St. Charles (137).

“We were a little too aggressive early in the race and we had to fight a little too hard to get to where we finished,” Candrl said.

Individually, Holtmeyer managed to stay inside the top 10 the entire race before posting an eighth-place time of 16:07.2 making him the first Owensville Dutchmen cross country runner to earn All-State honors throughout all four years of high school.

“Zach earning All State over the last four years is quite an accomplishment and a testament to his character,” Candrl said.

Fellow senior Cris Reyes ended his Owensville High School (OHS) cross country career with a 33rd-place time of 16:52.5.

“Cris had a heck of a senior season and I couldn’t be more proud of the work he put in,” Candrl said.

Sophomore Grayson Lairmore placed 48th in a time of 17:06.1 while Drake Dietrich (60th, 17:20.1) and Dylan Dietrich (61st, 17:20.2).

Narrowly missing the top 100, sophomore Bo Buddemeyer posted a time of 17:15.4 good for 103rd place while freshman Max Altemeyer placed 117th in a time of 18:02.7).

“Our boys gave everything they had today,” Candrl said. “They did everything that we asked them to do and then some. It is just bittersweet that we ended up in fifth place.”

Class 3 boys earning All-State honors along with Holtmeyer were Centralia junior Nolan Spickert (1st, 15:20.2), MICDS senior Heru Bay (2nd, 15:47.2), Summit Christian Academy junior Leo Butler (3rd, 15:53.5), Lutheran (St. Charles) senior Nathan Lind (4th, 15:54.0), Lutheran (St. Charles) senior Jack Mahoney (5th, 16:03.4), St. James junior Ashton Moreland (6th, 16:04.1), Herculaneum sophomore Noah Fitzgerald (7th, 16:05.5), John Burroughs senior Joe Sperino (9th, 16:16.4), Centralia junior Jensen Decker (10th, 16:20.2), Maplewood Richmond Heights senior Alex Fuoss (11th, 16:22.1), Thomas Jefferson Independent senior Spencer Long (12th, 16:23.4), Helias Catholic senior Ryan Beul (13th, 16:24.5), Bowling Green junior Trae Jennewein (14th, 16:25.4), Fair Grove junior Cinch Dowling (15th, 16:26.9), Helias Catholic senior Daniel Morris (16th, 16:27.0), Bowling Green sophomore Eamon Finnegan (17th, 16:27.5), Lutheran (St. Charles) junior Charles Vargas (18th, 16:28.0), Thomas Jefferson Independent senior Jack Twiss (19th, 16:28.9), Mexico sophomore Seth Stevenson (20th, 16:29.2), Maryville junior Ryker Hackett (21st, 16:29.8), Maplewood Richmond Heights sophomore Evan Loos (22nd, 16:30.7), McAuley Catholic junior Gavin Anderson (23rd, 16:32.0), McAuley Catholic senior Will Mollnow (24th, 16:32.6), Maplewood Richmond Heights junior Quin Maxwell (25th, 16:34.8), Herculaneum senior Allen Wallman (26th, 16:39.4), Thomas Jefferson Independent junior William Twiss (27th, 16:47.0), McAuley Catholic junior Thomas Perrin (28th, 16:47.4), Clever junior Braeden Casey (29th, 16:48.1) and Fair Grove sophomore Wyatt Wommack (30th, 16:48.3).