Cross Country

Following a year of missing out on gathering with friends and family due to the COVID pandemic, everyone, including sports fans, is anxious to spend time with those closest to us once again.

Former Notre Dame cross country runner Clayton Eftink ran his first ever 8K race at 27:13.2, finishing in 41st place in the Redhawk Invitational on Saturday at the Osage Center. Eftink, also a freshman at Southeast Missouri State, said he’s been told going in that it would be the hardest race he would ever run...

It remains unclear as to what the intentions of the late (and oh, so great) Johnny Cash were in heading to “Jackson,” but one thing is for certain if he would have visited the town of that name in Southeast Missouri he had better have been prepared to see something victorious (and to fight traffic on a Friday night).

Jackson High School senior cross country runner Evan Stephens signed to compete next season at Missouri S&T in Rolla. Stephens (seated, center) was joined by family at a ceremony at Jackson High School Friday. (photo courtesy of Jackson Athletics)

The stakes were as high as they could be for area athletes throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as they competed in various MSHSAA postseason competitions.

COLUMBIA — The Jackson boy’s cross country team hadn’t advanced to the MSHSAA State Finals as a group in six years, so Saturday’s appearance at the C5 finals at the Gans Creek Course was sure to be a learning experience.

COLUMBIA — In August, veteran Jackson cross country coach Andrea Talley wasn’t positive she would get the opportunity to see the 2020 season through due to the coronavirus. However, on Saturday, both her girl’s and boy’s squads competed in the MSHSAA Class 5 State Finals and her runners were able to tear through the finish line both literally and figuratively on closing this season.

COLUMBA — Running the same course on separate occasions doesn’t equate to having the same experience or covering the course in a similar time.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Katie Griffin and Kinsley Murphy earned all-state medals to lead the Van Buren cross country team to a second straight fourth place finish at the MSHSAA Class 1 championship meet Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course. Griffin finished ninth, Murphy was 13th and Addison Lewis placed 28th as Van Buren finished with 118 points, two behind Harrisburg and nine ahead of St. Vincent. College Heights Christian won the team title with 91 points followed by Valle Catholic at 109...

The Farmington girls cross country team finished fifth at the state championships Friday with a total team time of 1:41:21.90 and 166 total points accumulated. Individual girls and boys results include: Girls 5K Results include: 13. Breanna Mathes - Farmington - 19:28.7...

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes were immersed in their postseason competition.

The Ste.Genevieve boys cross country team finished tenth in the team results at the Class 3 State Championships Thursday. They finished with 256 team points with a total time of 1:33:42.10. Area individual results include: Boys 5K CC: 17. Lyndon Gruenke - Fredericktown - 17:05.1...

With the exception of one race this fall, Jaden Deaton has been running by himself. The Poplar Bluff senior won seven of the eight races he competed in by an average of 28 seconds, often sprinting away from the start and setting his own pace. That will change Saturday at the MSHSAA Class 5 championship meet at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia...

For the Cape Central Tigers, the MSHSAA Class 4 XC State Finals at Gans Creek Course, Columbia will be a family affair. The Tigers will once again send senior Nathan Caldwell as their lone representative in the boys race but this time his younger sister, sophomore Lindsey Caldwell will also run in the girls race along side McKensi Williams...

ARNOLD, Mo. — Seven Southeast Missouri runners advanced to the state finals after their performances at the Boys and Girls Class 4 District Cross Country Meet at Arnold City Park Saturday. Notre Dame’s Laura Eftink and Haley Smith finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Eftink completed her run in 20:12, while Smith finished two seconds after, at 20:14...

By BRIAN ROSENER Daily American Republic IRONTON, Mo. — Dylan Price wasn’t too sure where to turn during points on the 5,000-meter course at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. Having not run there before Saturday’s MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet, the Ellington freshman came to a near stop with less than 400 meters left looking for the second-to-last turn...

IRONTON, Mo. — Kennett Rampley scared himself on Halloween. The Zalma sophomore surged into the lead at the two-mile mark of the 3.1-mile race Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. In passing Ellington’s Carson McNail, an all-state medalist the previous year, Rampley said, “scared the crap out of me.”...

ARNOLD, Mo. — Every program at Jackson High School seemingly excels when the postseason arrives. On Saturday, the Indians added more hardware to their trophy case, as the boy’s and girl’s cross country teams each earned MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championships at Arnold City Park. Both Jackson teams rolled past Lindbergh to move on to the Class State Finals at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes prepare for the looming postseason competition.

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes prepare for the looming postseason competition. Sikeston boy’s soccer player, Brice Gordon, and Kelly softball player, Ava LeGrand, each excelled in their endeavors and were voted by fans as the Semoball.com Athletes of the Week...

The Oak Ridge boys cross country team won first place overall in the Heartland Conference meet Tuesday held at Cape County Park North out of 20 teams. Zalma finished second place on the boys side. The East Carter girls team won first place overall on the girls side while Woodland finished runner up...

CAPE GIRDARDEAU, Mo. — The East Carter girls cross country team won the Heartland Conference meet after placing all five runners in the top 30. While the Redbirds did not have an individual in the top 10, East Carter was one of three teams to field a full team. In team scoring, all five runners finished in the top 10 to give East Carter 30 total points. Woodland finished second with 44 points and Oak Ridge was third with 46 points Tuesday in Cape Girardeau...

There were no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes prepare for the looming postseason competition.

One point and 0.7 of a second decided the girls team title at the SEMO North Conference Cross Country Championships. Haley Smith and Lauren Eftink led Notre Dame across the finish line Thursday at Cape Central High School while Kathryn Taylor also earned an all-conference medal for the Bulldogs...

It was a cold afternoon at the SEMO North Conference meet on Thursday, held at Cape Central High School. The boys varsity 5K was the last race of the event so Poplar Bluff senior Jaden Deaton, he wasn’t just racing to beat 33 other runners but also the sunset...

The Kennett cross country team is set to return to action Saturday after competing in its third meet of the season last week at the Van Buren Invitational. Kennett will compete in the Notre Dame Invitational Saturday at 10 a.m. in Cape Girardeau. “We will have a tough week of practice this week before we head up to the Notre Dame Invitational,” Kennett coach Fred Garmon said. “That course and competition is always tough."...

The Jackson boy's and girl's cross country squads each raced to 10th-place finishes in the recent Gans Creek Classic meet in Columbia.

It was a good week for Notre Dame athletes both on AND off the field, as a pair of Bulldogs earned success in their athletic quests, as well as proved to be popular with Southeast Missouri fans.

VAN BUREN — The Van Buren girls won their home cross country meet with 21 total points Wednesday, easily beating Dexter’s 53 points and East Carter’s 61 points. Three schools fielded a team in the varsity girls race at the Graham Invitational in Van Buren...

There is a reason why Kennett football coach Joel Wyatt is an extraordinarily successful coach and not a member of the media or even a fan, per se. His task is to focus on the here and now, not some possible, but not definitive opponent off into the future. However, the Indian Nation – and the rest of the prep football fans (and media) throughout Southeast Missouri had to have had their interest piqued a tad when MSHSAA released its District assignments Monday.

In the Cape Central Cross-Country invitational held Saturday it was Jackson taking all team finals. Individual Finals included: Varsity Boys 5k finals: Jackson- 2. Evan Stephens – 16:26.37. 1 point 3. Cade McCadams – 16:26.81, 2 points 5. Jake Eastin – 17:39.64, 4 points...

Even with a few wrong turns, Poplar Bluff’s Jaden Deaton ran away from the field Saturday at the Arcadia Valley Invitational in Ironton, Missouri. The senior finished the 5,000-meter course in 16 minutes 1.26 seconds, winning by 23 seconds. Poplar Bluff coach Beth Lewis-Muse said Deaton took a pair of wrong turns on the course because workers were not expecting him to have caught the group that started in front of the Mules...

Jackson won all four team titles at the recent Arcadia Valley Cross Country Invitational. In the boys varsity 5k race, Jackson scored 23 points, while Notre Dame finished third with 100 points, and St.Vincent was eighth with 243 points. In the girls varsity 5k race, Jackson had 39 points, while Notre Dame finished third with 78 points...

The Jackson girls and boys Cross Country teams performed very well at the Ft. Zumwalt Twilight Invitational tuesday. .The varsity girls placed fourth overall with Layla Fliege finishing eighth with a time of 20:36.90 in the 5000 meter run. Teammate Addie Heisserer would round out the top 10 with a time of 20:41.60...

The Kennett boys cross country program enters its 2020 campaign with four runners after having a senior-heavy squad last season. “We are a little thin after graduating five seniors,” Kennett cross country coach Fred Garmon said. “But we are returning one senior who has had a great summer - Brett Bradley. He’s been doing more than enough to get ready for the season and he really wants to have a big senior year.”...

Jackson’s sophomore cross country sensation Cade McCadams finished first in the 10th-grade boys’ division at the Jackson Invitational meet Saturday at Jackson City Park.

SULLIVAN, Mo. — Poplar Bluff ran out of time in the third-place game Saturday afternoon against the host at the Back to School Softball Classic. The Mules rallied from a two-run deficit without driving in a run, but Sullivan earned a 3-2 walk-off win in five innings...

Poplar Bluff runner Jaden Deaton tore off over the 2.35-mile course through Jackson City Park Saturday to win the 12th-grade boy’s class at the annual Jackson Cross Country Invitational.

The last time Jaden Deaton wore a Poplar Bluff Mules uniform, he was running at the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships last November, earning an all-state medal. After missing out on a spring track season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior looks to get back to Columbia...

PERRYVILLE — All eyes are going to be on Perryville High School senior runner Courtney Wright on Saturdays this fall.

There are now options for schools in Missouri to play sports at different points during the 2020-21 academic year. On Thursday morning, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Board of Directors announced, during a virtual meeting, the approval of a possible alternative schedule for its member schools...

Each year the Semoball Awards recognizes outstanding high school athletes from around the region. That tradition continues Saturday albeit in a different format due to the lingering COVID-19 concerns and social distancing requirements.

The coronavirus pandemic has altered the 2020 Semoball Awards into a production like never before, as the event will be conducted as a “virtual” event on Facebook Live on July 11 at 7 p.m. instead of a live show that the sports fans throughout Southeast Missouri have grown accustomed to through the years.

With the 2020 spring sports season getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult for any high school athlete to remain positive these days. However, Perryville cross country coach Shadrick Shafer explained that task isn’t as hard for junior runner Courtney Wright as it once was.

Each year the Semoball Awards recognizes outstanding high school athletes from around the region. That tradition continues this summer albeit in a different format because of lingering COVID-19 concerns and social distancing requirements.

There was no shortage of magnificent accomplishments performed by the athletic teams at Notre Dame throughout this school year. And there was not a dearth of individual achievements by the Bulldog student-athletes either.