<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2JaAbI_1GqWxivh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2JaAbI_1GqWxivh00" width="1024" height="683" >The West Plains cross country program is arguably the most dominant athletic program in state history.Friday was the 49th consecutive state appearance for the boys as a team in 49 tries. For the girls it was the 43rd appearance in a row and 46th overall.When the dust settled, the boys added their 16th state title, 40th team trophy and third consecutive state championship.“They did exactly what I asked of them,” West Plains head coach Alicia Gunter said. “They have done that every meet. As we went into districts and state, for once I didn’t have a lot to say. I said take care of your teammates, run the Zizzer race and take care of business. That is what they did.”West Plains went out patiently sitting in second after one kilometer. Then the Zizzers started to move in the second kilometer jumping into first place and staying there for the remainder of the race.After four kilometers, West Plains had 93 points.Then No. 5 runner Dylan Wade went to work.After four kilometers, Wade was in 62nd place.By the end of the race he was in 47th. His 15-place improvement was the third-biggest final kilometer jump in the entire field. He picked up 20 spots of his final two kilometers.“We knew Dylan was the door closer,” Gunter said. “When I saw Dylan with 800 meters to go, I said ‘you have to pass some, we are behind’.” I didn’t know if we were or not, but I thought I would say it and he just went like a bullet. Dylan is a class act and does everything right. He is a team player and he is the epitome of what it means to be a Zizzer.”Blake Romans paced the Zizzers in seventh place with a time of 15:33.0. Joseph Roberson placed ninth in 15:39.1. Hunter Stanley (13th – 15:44.4) and Chaska Shearin (18th – 15:56.5) gave the Zizzers four in the top 20.Bryon Davis and Knox Weisbrod were the six and seven runners.Roberson, Stanley, Shearin and Davis are all seniors who finish their careers as three-time state champions.“Three in a row is special. They are down in history forever,” Gunter said. “They have grown. This has been the smoothest, easiest year. Every one of those championships were sweet, but they have grown and made this year about taking care of their teammates and running the Zizzer way.”Next year will be the 50th year of Zizzer cross country and Gunter is hoping to make it another big one.“It (the Zizzer XC program) is special, and a lot of people acknowledge that,” Gunter said. “Anybody who has ever been a parent, fan coach or runner, they really acknowledge it. Next year is our 50th season and we want to celebrate big. My daughter said on a social media post today that some of the year you don’t win are just as good as the ones you do because of the lessons you learn as a Zizzer. This program is special. Our school supports us and supports me. I hope everybody in the West Plains community shows these young men and women the love and support they deserve.”The top area finisher in the boys race was Springfield Central senior Ronald Timm. Timm placed fifth overall in 15:24.3, which was an improvement of 16 places and 64 seconds over last season.“We have been thinking about this all year,” Timm said. “I don’t have the best kick, but I thought if I stay with the top pack that maybe around three kilometers I can kind of break off. I tried to, but they had a better response that I was prepared for.”Central’s team also had a strong showing placing fifth right behind Bolivar in fourth place.Last season was the program’s first time at state since the mid-90’s. This year, the group approached with a much different mentality.“All last year we were focusing on qualifying and not this race specifically,” Timm said. “We hadn’t been to state in a long time. I think this year what we tried to do was less about qualifying and more about staying strong in districts and coming back and focus on this race. That was partially in our training and partially in our mindset. Last year, coach had all the guys but me really hit the taper around district meet and they weren’t quite as fit for this week. This year we all tapered this week. I think we were more prepared this year.”Timm hopes that the success of Central cross country continues to roll even after his graduation.“I don’t have words,” Timm said. “It has been a roller-coaster. The team captain before me believed in us more than I think we really knew. That kind of belief is something he carried on to us and me and I hope to carry it on to the people after me. I couldn’t be more proud. There aren’t words to describe the joy and amazing feeling it is to be here with my team.”Bolivar’s Landen Young placed sixth overall with Maccaffey Rich placing 14th to pace the Liberators to a team trophy with 120 points. Colin Carrel (26th – 16:12.4), Thomas Henderson (36th – 16:27.4) and Peyton Cole (64th – 16:52.1) rounded out the scoring for Bolivar. Emmit Howes and Andrew Hamann were the six and seven runners for Bolivar.Parkview’s Henry Reeves was the only other area runner in the top 30 placing 25th with a time of 16:06.3.In the girls’ race, West Plains paced the area as well. Sophomore Kaebrynn Gunter ran 18:02.0 to finish third overall. It was a 32-second improvement for Gunter from last season’s time that earned her a runner-up finish.“Kaebrynn is an awesome athlete,” Coach Gunter said. “She is a No. 1 runner on your team every time out, but you don’t know that in practice or watching the way she treats her teammates. She felt a little off this morning and was a little worried. I assured her she would be just fine and reminded her after the race she was just fine.”West Plains took fifth as a team with just five girls competing. Bolivar was just behind the Lady Zizzers in fifth place with 169 points. Lebanon placed 10th with 253 points.Lena Finke joined Kaebrynn Gunter in the top 15 placing 12th in a time of 18:38.7. Bolivar had a pair of top 30 finishers in Michaela Young (16th – 19:02.2) and Aileen Wooderson (29th – 19:28.9).Monett’s Isabell Coffey (22nd – 19:14.7), Camdenton’s Averie Hotle (19:19.9) and Lebanon’s Raeann Shelton (19:24.2) also placed in the top 30.</div></body>

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The West Plains cross country program is arguably the most dominant athletic program in state history. Friday was the 49th consecutive state appearance for the boys as a team in 49 tries. For the girls it was the 43rd appearance in a row and 46th overall. When the dust settled,...

Class 4 State XC Recap

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The West Plains cross country program is arguably the most dominant athletic program in state history. Friday was the 49th consecutive state appearance for

Class 4 State XC Recap

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