Last weekend, high school cross country runners needed to finish in the top 30 during their respective Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) district cross country races throughout the state.

Conveniently for yours truly and Warden Publishing Company, all seven competing schools in Gasconade, Maries and Osage counties were at South Callaway High School in Mokane for their respective district races.

Come Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4, Gasconade County will be well represented on the Gans Creek Cross Country Course during the 49th MSHSAA Cross Country Championships.

A trio of Owensville High School harriers will represent southern Gasconade County Saturday morning during the Class 3 races in Columbia.

Making her third appearance at Gans Creek, junior Ilene Limberg will be after he third consecutive state medal in orange and black.

In the Class 3 boys race, senior Felix Guerrero will look to close his high school cross country career with All-State honors while freshman Zach Holtmeyer gets his first taste of Gans Creek during a state meet.

Hermann’s Lady Bearcats and Bearcats qualified both of their teams to state after winning a district title and finishing as district runner-up respectively.

They will be looking to finish in the top four to earn team hardware in addition to individual All-State accolades for top-25 finishes.

Blue and white harriers representing northern Gasconade County will include Nolan Kopp, John Hiatt, Conner Manning, Ryker Ash, Nathan Menke, Chase Branson, Colin Nunnally, Amelia Uthlaut, Alaina Heaney, Cecilia Shepard, Jocelyn Neill, Elaina Uthlaut and Lillian Vogelsang.

Hermann and Owensville will also have plenty of company from within the Four Rivers Conference (FRC) throughout the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships later this week.

New Haven qualified three harriers for the state meet in Ryan Steinbeck, Janelle Cronin and Sydney Grubb out of their Class 1, District 3 meet at South Callaway High School.

Along with Owensville in Class 3, District 3 at South Callaway, St. Clair advanced three Bulldogs through to state in Tyler Yarberry, Zechariah Slater and Thomas Perkins.

Moving up to the Class 4 ranks, Sullivan, Union and Pacific all qualified at least one individual out of their Class 4, District 2 meet held in Nixa.

Sullivan will be represented at state by the Denney siblings Mariah and Abram who finished second and 16th in their respective races.

Union will have three runners racing in Class 4 with Taylor Meyer in the boys race along with Viola Johanson and Abigail Spurgeon in the girls race.

Pacific saw one boy and one girl each qualify out of their respective district races in Ben Smith and Grace Dryer.

The Republican wish all qualifiers the best of luck at the 49th MSHSAA Cross Country Championships.