A preview of the upcoming Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Cross Country Championships greeted Matt Candrl’s Owensville Dutchmen and Dutchgirl harriers over the weekend in Columbia.

Running in the Gans Creek Cross Country Classic, a total of three OHS harriers left Columbia with medals around their necks for top-25 finishes in their respective races.

Owensville’s day of racing started with the varsity girls blue race.

Freshman Ilene Limberg showed the way with an eighth-place time of 19:21.50 finishing 30 seconds behind the race winner.

Varsity Dutchgirls finishing behind Limberg included Kyah Weirich (141st), Abbie Gibson (156th), Lauren Kandlbinder (183rd), Peyton Weinland (211th), Kiera Finn (220th) and Hayden Loeb (225th).

Next on the course for the orange and black was the varsity boys blue race.

Running against a very fast field, Felix Guerrero posted the best finish for Owensville with a time of 18:16.50 good for 105th place.

Varsity Dutchmen following Guerrero were Gabe Soest (133rd), Harm Rademacher (141st), Freddy Zheng (148th), Jacob Breedlove (156th) and Noah Holtmeyer (213th).

In the JV girls blue and white race, Katelyn Holtzer missed the top 100 by :18 seconds with an 105th-place time of 28:08.90.

Kaeori Butler (133rd) also ran for Candrl’s JV Dutchgirls.

A duo of JV Dutchmen left with medals after their top 20 finishes in Columbia.

Trevor Shockley (17th, 19:41.90) and Tristan Davis (20th, 19:54.60) led the JV Dutchmen at Gans Creek.

OHS runners finishing behind the medaling duo were Andrew Blankenship (68th), Jayden Barnett (70th), Sam Hoffman (76th), Trenton Million (83rd), Aidan Ward (105th), Sam Nicks (110th), Brandon Graham (116th), Jim Jenkins (118th), Kyle Bollman (121st), Elias Medlock (123rd), Eli Graham (146th) and Jayden Stewart (158th).