Lady 'Cats looking to run down a state title

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
By JERRY JARRELL Daily Statesman Sports Editor

Jerry Jarrell photo Picture above are the eight members of Dexter High School's cross country team that qualified for the MSHSAA Class 2 Cross Country Championships this Saturday in Jefferson City. Team members are (from left) Jenny Blattman, Ameila Jibben, Hannah Mathis, Brittany Waldner, Hannah Baker, Lizzie Kohlbaker, Melinda Mayo and Linda Love.

After getting a taste of competing in the state cross country championships last year, the Lady Bearcats were hungry for more this time around.

In 2008 Dexter qualified several individuals to test their skills against the state's best runners, but this time around the Lady Bearcats will also compete as a team after finishing second at the Class 2, District 1 tournament at Jefferson Barracks Parks in St. Louis Saturday.

The Lady Bearcats qualified five individuals as well as the team after finishing second to Hurculaneum, the defending Class 2 state champions.

"I am so proud of the girls because this was their goal, to qualify as a team and that is what they did," Dexter coach Jill King said. "They ran so strong and they were determined to win."

Seven runners and one alternate will leave Friday morning for the 2009 MSHSAA Boys and Girls Cross Country Championships at Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City. The Lady Bearcats will be among the first to compete as the girls championship race kicks the days activities at 9 a.m.

Team members for the Lady 'Cats include Lizzie Kohlbaker, Brittany Waldner, Melinda Mayo, Amelia Jibben, Hannah Baker, Jenny Blattman, Hannah Mathis, and Linda Love, alternate.

Kohlbaker was one of the Lady Bearcats to qualify last year where she finished a very respectful 12th as a sophomore. This year as a junior she was the team's top finisher at districts at 8th.

She was followed by Waldner at 10th, Jibben at 14th, Baker at 15th, Blattman at 16th and Mathis at 18th. The top 15 at districts qualify as individuals for the state tournament.

Along with Kohlbaker, Waldner, Jibben, Baker and Mathis competed in the individual state competition last year. New to this years team are Mayo and Blattman.

Saturday's 12-team district competition was contested in St. Louis under less than desirable conditions.

"The course was so muddy and wet from all the rain that it was hard running decent times with the conditions like they were," King pointed out.

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Go 'Cats!

-- Posted by greer958 on Wed, Nov 4, 2009, at 8:29 AM