With softball and volleyball district tournaments already in the history books, this weekend will mark time for area cross country schools to hold their annual district meets.

Numerous area schools will converge on the Gasconade County R-2 School District’s campus encompassing Owensville Elementary School, Owensville Middle School and Owensville High School on Saturday, Oct. 31 for the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 2 and Class 3 District 3 meets.

Schools competing alongside Owensville in Class 3, District 3 include Blair Oaks, Bowling Green, California, Centralia, Cuba, Eldon, Fulton, Hallsville, Helias Catholic (Jefferson City), Lutheran St. Charles, Mexico, Moberly, Salem, Southern Boone, St. Clair, St. Francis Borgia, St. James, Versailles, Winfield and Wright City.

Among all of those schools, the top 30 individuals and top four teams will all advance to the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

Matt Candrl’s Owensville Dutchmen have been ranked in or around the top four all season and will look to keep their quest for a piece of district and state hardware alive.

If one thought that field of schools was crowded enough, 27 Class 2 schools will also invade Owensville for the MSHSAA Class 2, District 3 Cross Country meet scheduled to be hosted by Owensville High School.

Competing schools in the MSHSAA Class 2, District 3 Cross Country meet include Belle, Bourbon, Brentwood, Clark County, Dixon, Duchesne, Elsberry, Fatima, Hermann, Highland, Houston, Licking, Linn, Mark Twain, Missouri Military Academy, Monroe City, Montgomery County, New Bloomfield, North Callaway, Palmyra, Plato, Principia, South Callaway, Steelville, Valley Park, Veritas Christian Academy and Whitfield.