Led by the district champion Owensville Dutchmen, our area of Missouri will be well represented later this week at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Cross Country Championships scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

With the exception of Vienna and Chamois, the remaining nine schools covered by Warden Publishing Company publications competed over the weekend during the MSHSAA Class 2 and 3, District 3 meet hosted by Owensville High School throughout the Gasconade County R-2 campus.

Four girls from within the Four Rivers Conference (FRC) will compete in the Class 3 Girls race on Friday in Columbia at 11 a.m.

They include St. Clair senior Lila Hinson, St. Clair junior Ellie Imler, St. James senior Katherine Strackeljahn and St. James freshman Tara Murphy.

Class 3 boys racing will take place at 11:45 a.m., Friday morning in Columbia with seven Dutchmen and seven St. James Tigers as they also placed fourth in the team standings.

Representing the orange and black on the state course at Gans Creek will be senior Zach Holtmeyer, senior Cris Reyes, sophomore Grayson Lairmore, senior Drake Dietrich, sophomore Dylan Dietrich, freshman Max Altemeyer and sophomore Bo Buddemeyer.

Running for St. James’ Tigers will be the team of junior Ashton Moreland, sophomore Kylar Hodge, sophomore Tristin Barton, junior Ryder Byfield, sophomore Eric Bolte, sophomore Isaac Siders and sophomore Kypton Earney.

In Class 2 district racing, Osage County will be well represented with Fatima’s Lady Comets and Comets both qualifying their entire teams to the state meet.

Winning a district title in Owensville, Fatima’s Lady Comets will be represented at state by freshman Lexi Massman, senior Brie Massman, senior Melissa Verslues, freshman Chloe Voss, senior Karly Bock, sophomore Avery Berhorst and freshman Zoey Wilbers.

Steelville sophomore Adalei Perkins will also represent Crawford County in the Class 2 girls race.

Fatima’s Lady Comets will compete at 9 a.m., Friday morning.

Maries, Crawford and Gasconade counties will be represented in the Class 2 boys race at 9:45 a.m., in Columbia.

Finishing with 101 team points, Fatima placed second in the Class 2 boys team standings to Whitfield with 100 points.

Comets that will run in Columbia later this week include senior Michael Gabelsberger, senior Wyatt Dake, freshman Evan Kampeter, freshman Austin Woehr, senior Zach Eisterhold, senior Trenton Orscheln and freshman Wyatt Kolb.

Crawford County runners that will be competing in the state meet include Steelville freshman Andrew Jensen and Bourbon freshman Elijah Frederick.

Hermann runners competing Friday in Columbia include junior CJ Mires and senior Ryker Ash.

Belle freshman Jackson Prater will represent Maries County in the Class 2 boys race Friday morning.

In Class 1, District 3 Cross Country racing at Vandalia hosted by Van-Far High School, Vienna’s Eagles won their fifth straight district title while Vienna Lady Eagle Sophia Neubert punched her ticket to state this coming Saturday at 11 a.m..

Eagles running Saturday morning at 11:45 a.m., include Hunter Schwartze, Eli Messersmith, Bryce Ewers, Paxten Jeremy, Tanner Hallahan, Kevin Russell and Alex Wieberg.

Joining Fatima’s boys and girls from Osage County will be the Chamois duo of Carly Schollmeyer and Grayson Gerloff.