COLUMBIA — One week after cracking the top 30 at their district meet in Linn, the top 25 was the new goal for Dutchgirl freshman Ilene Limberg and Dutchmen sophomore Lucas Morgan during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 Cross Country Championships held Saturday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

After Classes 1 and 2 took their turns on the course, it was time for Morgan and the Class 3 boys to have their turn early Saturday afternoon.

Even with setting a new personal record (PR), Morgan ended his sophomore season with a 55th-place time of 17:48.2.

“Lucas ran the best race he could, there were just a lot of fast guys,” OHS head cross country coach Matt Candrl said.

St. Clair’s Case Busse was the area’s top finisher in the Class 3 Boys race with a 49th-place time of 17:43.0.

Taking the course in the last race of the day was Limberg and the Class 3 Girls.

Getting a good start, Limberg was able to stay near the top 10 before making a few moves late in the race to become the third freshman in the history of Owensville Dutchgirl cross country to earn All-State honors.

Limberg crossed the finish line in an eighth-place time of 19:14.8.

“My goal was to get into the top 10 here at state after I got eighth at districts,” Limberg said. “It feels amazing that I was able to reach my goal as a freshman.”

This broke the OHS school record for a time at the state meet previously held by Sophia Ashner who ran a 19:19.6 when she finished 11th in 2019 at Jefferson City’s Oak Hills Golf Center.

She also became the third freshman Dutchgirl to earn All-State honors in her first year of high school cross country joining Ashner (2016) and Hannah Baehr (2011).

“Earning All-State honors as a freshman in any sport is no easy task,” Candrl said. “This is a testament to how much work Ilene (Limberg) has put in all season.”

Duplicating her eighth-place finish from the district meet at state, Limberg was among 14 Class 3, District 3 runners that finished in the top 25 giving them All-State honors.

All-State harriers from District 3 along with Limberg included Father Tolton freshman Elyse Wilmes (1st), St. Charles West senior Lillian Jackson (2nd), Father Tolton freshman Madison Taylor (4th), Southern Boone sophomore Alexandra Volkart (5th), St. Charles West freshman Genevieve Wacker (6th), Southern Boone sophomore Evan Mauney (7th), Lutheran St. Charles freshman Grace Schaff (9th), Fatima sophomore Lauren Berhorst (12th), Montgomery County junior Lyric Ford (14th), Montgomery County sophomore Malia Rodgers (16th), Wright City senior Zoe Riggs (20th), Centralia junior Jozelynn Bostick (21st) and Bowling Green senior Megan McMillen (24th).

“Seeing over half of the top 25 from our district shows you how strong it was,” Candrl said. “It was great to see Ilene in there as a freshman and I expect her to keep getting better over the next three years.”

Three of the top four teams taking home hardware in Class 3 also came out of District 3.

Father Tolton won the Class 3 Girls state title in cross country with 91 points followed in second place by St. Charles West (113) and Southern Boone (138) in fourth.

Other area Class 3 girls runners competing at state included Cuba sophomore Kaylee Fulliam (35th), Fatima junior Emma Bower (48th), St. James sophomore Vanessa Perona (66th), St. Clair freshman Brooklyn Cannon (86th), Fatima junior Sarah Groene (97th), Cuba senior Melayna Brown (108th), Fatima junior Corinn Karst (124th), Fatima sophomore Addyson Wilbers (137th), Fatima freshman Reagan Bock (153rd) and Fatima junior Megan Borgmeyer (158th).

Hermann’s Lady Bearcats stole the show Saturday by winning a MSHSAA Class 2 Girls Cross Country State Championship with a low team score of 74 points edging Summit Christian Academy (81).

Lady Bearcat sophomore Amelia Uthlaut led Hermann’s contingency of runners with a third-place time of 19:45.3. She was joined on the medal stand by senior Morgan Miller (8th, 20:16.7) and Katy Menke (13th, 20:31.8).

Other Lady Bearcats leading them to a state title included Clara Scheible (31st), Alaina Worland (56th), Ava Engemann (63rd) and Anna Wright.

Tavis Harris (41st), Jackson Poehlman (43rd) and Ben Berkemeyer (96th) also competed for Hermann in the Class 2 Boys race.