McClellan leads Notre Dame boys to third at state cross country meet

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The streak lives.

The Notre Dame boys captured their seventh consecutive trophy at the cross country championships Saturday.

"We did what we had to do, that's basically it," Bulldogs coach Bill Davis said. "It makes it a good day when you do that."

Notre Dame finished third in Class 3 behind district rival Festus, which finished first with 47 points, and West Plains, which scored 55 points. Notre Dame finished with 116 points.

Notre Dame senior Wynn McClellan finished fourth in 16 minutes, 48 seconds, a minute behind champion Makim Korolev of Harrisonville.

"I felt like I had a good run," McClellan said. "I did what I wanted to do."

Korolev's time was the 10th fastest time in state championship history.

"I knew I'd be close, but Korolev's is top in the state," McClellan said. "I knew I could run good, but the main thing was getting another trophy."

It was McClellan's fourth run in the state championship race, and he's happy looking back on the opportunities he had to compete.

"I've run here four times and this was definitely my best race," he said.

Senior Ryan Johnson finished in 14th place, which earned him the first all-state honor of his career. Davis said Johnson struggled earlier in the season with the mental aspects of running, but turned the corner during the last month of the season and helped earn Notre Dame its seventh straight trophy.

"At the beginning of the year, he said he wanted to shoot for the top five and I said that's fine," Davis said. "He just really came on for us. I think the first year he ran up here he was 80th and the next year 28th and this year he was 14th. He just moved up the ladder, and we expect our seniors to do those types of things."

Johnson said he struggled with the heat Saturday but he was happy with his final performance in Jefferson City.

Bulldogs runners feel the pressure to keep the streak alive, but it's a healthy reminder to stay on task and do what is best for the team.

Davis preaches placing five runners in the top 50 every year at the state meet, which almost guarantees taking a trophy back to Cape Girardeau every year. The Bulldogs did that again this year with senior Cody Moore finishing in 26th place in team points, junior Ethan Holcomb crossing the line in 37th place and freshman Josh Johnson, the younger brother of Ryan Johnson, in 41st place.

Although Moore, a senior, didn't earn all-state honors, he's an example of why Notre Dame finishes in the top four every year.

"He really charged up the last hill," Davis said. "The last quarter mile is really big for us. That's where the race is usually won and lost and he did his job today."

Notre Dame finishers

4. Wynn McClellan 16:48; 14. Ryan Johnson 17:23; 42. Cody Moore 18:06; 59. Ethan Holcomb 18:27; 64. Josh Johnson 18:33; 103. David Willems 19:10; 107. Nate Lincoln 19:13