State cross country notebook: Saxony Lutheran girls earn team's first trophy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Long johns were required to view the races at last year's state cross country meet. This year, it was the opposite, with the temperature topping out at 78 degrees by the time the final race concluded.

The championships featured a 45-minute delay before the start of the Class 4 boys race due to medical complications from an earlier race and concern for the safety of the runners.

Strong finishes

Southeast Missouri enjoyed a big day at Saturday's state meet.

"I'm so proud of Southeast Missouri," Saxony Lutheran coach Larry Cleair said. "Isn't that something?"

Jackson's Jordan Whitener, left, and Landon Wachter close in on the finish line during Saturday's Class 4 girls race at the state meet in Jefferson City, Mo. (TONI HAMMES ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian) [Click to enlarge]

The Saxony Lutheran girls finished in third place behind junior Kristen Dippold's sixth-place finish.

"At the very beginning, I wasn't that nervous," Dippold said. "I know I should have been, but I wasn't. I told myself I could do this and we had a bunch of fans cheering me on."

It was the first time the Crusaders girls team earned a trophy.

"We were hoping to get on the podium this year," Cleair said. "We are thrilled to be third. The girls ran well. We ran a smart race and moved up through the pack as the race went on."

Oak Ridge freshman Carlie Bolen finished 14th and teammate Amanda Lappe, a sophomore, was 17th.

Delta's Zach Riegert competes during Saturday's Class 1 boys state meet in Jefferson City, Mo. (TONI HAMMES ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian) [Click to enlarge]

Both Delta runners in the Class 1 boys race earned all-state honors. Junior Zach Riegert finished 22nd, while junior Austin Seabaugh finished 6 seconds behind him in 25th. The top 25 runners in each race earned all-state honors.

"I'm tickled to death," Delta coach Gordon Walton said. "You got two guys running and they're both all-state. Top 25 isn't something that happens for us every year. That's all I hope for."

In the Class 4 girls race, Central junior Mary Dohogne finished in 26th place, missing all-state honors by one place.

The Jackson girls team finished in seventh place with 185 points. Sophomore Taylor Dickerson led the Indians by taking 28th, and junior Tori Parry finished right behind her in 29th.

Local finishers

Oak Ridge's Stephen Bolen, second from left, and Delta's Zach Riegert, middle, head toward the finish line during Saturday's Class 1 boys race. [Click to enlarge]

CLASS 1 boys

Advance -- 95. Braden Bien 20:26

Delta -- 22. Zach Riegert 18:40; 25. Austin Seabaugh 18:46

Meadow Heights -- 27. Daylan Davis 18:50

Saxony Lutheran -- 72. Rhett Obermann 20:00

Central's Mary Dohogne runs during the Class 4 girls race Saturday. [Click to enlarge]

CLASS 1 girls

Delta -- 74. Shannon Ledbetter 25:31

Oak Ridge -- 14. Carlie Bolen 22:48; 17. Amanda Lappe 23:03

Saxony Lutheran -- 6. Kristen Dippold 21:51; 38. Tori Winter 24:14; 49. Regan Obermann 24:35; 72. Sarah Winningham 25:27; 102. Claire Skelton 26:45

CLASS 2 boys

Kelly -- 126. Cody Kern 20:16

CLASS 3 girls

Notre Dame -- 40. Elizabeth Kiblinger 22:02

CLASS 4 girls

Central -- 26. Mary Dohogne 20:28; 95. Laura Chavez 22:00

Jackson -- 28. Taylor Dickerson 20:35; 29. Tori Parry 20:35; 68. Lindsey Seabaugh 21:29; 104. Landon Wachter 22:12; 105. Jordan Whitener 22:13; 137. Diane Strong 23:07; 155. Amber Crites 24:08

CLASS 4 boys

Central -- 41. Roy Leighton 17:24; 65. Eric Schott 17:47