Whether she was on the track or running hills on a cross country course, Kendra Hults figured to be a threat to win or at least medal in each race she competed in.

Over the next four years, she’ll get the chance to compete for even more medals in track and cross country for the Lions of Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) in Joplin.

“I’m excited to see her in green and yellow next year and can’t wait to see what she can achieve,” Owensville High School assistant cross country coach Dave Koppelmann said.

Before COVID-19 robbed Hults of her senior season of track and field, cross country proved yet to be another success story.

“We had big plans for this spring with track,” Koppelmann said. “Her college coach had given her times to shoot for in the 800, 1600 and 3200-meter runs.

Starting with a two-mile race in the Fleet Feet Classic at Arnold City Park, Hults rounded out the top 10 with a time of 13:17.8.

Following top-10 finishes in New Haven and Forest Park, Hults followed with a 49th-place finish at the Southern Stampede in Joplin and a 37th-place finish at the Gans Creek Classic in a preview of the new state course.

Finishing no worse than fourth the next four races, Hults went into the 2019 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships looking for her first state medal in her final state race.

Clocking in with an 18th-place time of 19:32.9, Hults capped a stellar OHS Cross Country career helping the Dutchgirls to four (Four Rivers) conference titles, three district titles and three top-10 team finishes at state.

“Kendra had a stellar cross country senior year,” OHS head cross country coach Matt Candrl said. “She has been rock solid for us every season throughout her high school career. Our girls team could not have been a top 10 team in Class 3 all four years without Kendra’s contributions.

Last spring, Hults helped three of her teammates earn All-State medals on the track after two years of making to state but coming up short of a medal.

Winning a district title at Versailles and a sectional title at Waynesville put Hults and the Dutchgirl 4x800-meter relay team in position to break through into the top eight and a state medal.

Finishing seventh alongside teammates Mekayla Gibson, Paige Heckelmann and Abby Koepke, Hults and her teammates finally got that illusive state medal.

“I was very happy for her to receive All-State honors in track her junior year,” Candrl said. “That was a really good springboard for her senior year. I have no doubt that she would have accomplished the feat again this spring had it not been for COVID-19 (coronavirus).”

Hults’ final race as it turned out came later that day at state in 2019 during the Class 3 girls 800-meter run with a 13th-place time of 2:32.43.