All season long, members of the boys and girls varsity cross country teams have been training with a single goal in mind: the State Meet.

Many Lancers reached this goal, competing in the MSHSAA State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Oak Hill Golf Center in Jefferson City.

The girls, who qualified as a team, had a very impressive showing, placing 13th out of the 16 Class 4 schools.

Sophomore Jessy Maddox led the Lady Lancers, placing 51st in a time of 20:06.05, followed closely by junior Maddie Henning in 69th with a time of 20:27 and freshman Mary Augustin in 94th place, running the race in 20:43.61.

The strong performance of the girls was accompanied by great runs by senior standout Kurtis Harshman and sophomore Derek Legenzoff.

Harshman, who earned National Elite status earlier in the season, placed19th with  a time of 16:21.60, earning himself an All-State title.

Legenzoff followed closely behind, finishing with a time of 16:39.45 in 34th place.

With fulfilling finishes from both teams, it is safe to say that the Lancers met the standards set for them earlier in the season, competing at the highest level possible.

“It was a surprise that we made it to State, but at the same time we worked really hard all season,” said sophomore Grace Bueckendorf, who place 128 in a time of 20:59.00.

“We earned it.”