KJFM SPORTS — This year’s 2022 Tri-State Cross Country All-Area Teams were recently announced. The runners are picked from Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.
Runner of the Year – Ben Chance, Jr., Bowling Green
It’s no surprise that Ben Chance of Bowling Green High School showed up on the local and state scene in the fall of 2022 in an impressive fashion. The son of head coach, Matt Chance, Ben has running in his blood, and it was only a matter of time before Ben made the big jump and, at the starting line, put himself in contention at every race. The fall of 2022 just happened to be that time.
No stranger to making the 1st team list, 2022 marks his 3rd straight season on the list and, with a heavy senior laden list in 2021, Chance was a name that was likely to put himself in position for runner of the year honors this fall. When the season started, it was a crescendo of fitness as he just continued to get better as the year progressed. In the nine races Chance competed in, he finished no worse than 2nd in any of them. Of those nine, six were individual meet titles and the three second-place finishes were losses to national high school phenom, Connor Burns of Boone County. Burns accomplished the rare feet of becoming a sub-4 miler in the spring of 2022 on the track when he ran 3:58, only becoming the 15th US high school athlete to accomplish that feat. When looking at losses, one can’t be ashamed in losing to senior, Burns.
Chance had individual titles at the QND Running Raider, Fort Zumwalt, Mexico, Camdenton and Gans Creek Invitationals. He was also the individual champion at the always strong EMO Conference meet where he ran 15:25 to win by over a minute and a half and lead the Bobcats to yet another EMO Conference team title. That meet kicked off a three-meet run to the Missouri Class 3 state championship meet. Runner-up finishes at the Bowling Green Invite and Missouri District meet to Burns, qualified Chance and his Bobcat team to the Missouri State meet at Gans Creek. The next weekend Chance would run 16:02 to earn his highest state meet finish to date, finishing runner-up and helping the Bobcats earn a 6th place team finish. If 2022 was any sort of precursor to what is in store for the 2023 season, it will be hard to dethrone Ben Chance of the Runner of the Year title next fall.
For his efforts on the course in the fall of 2022, Been Chance has been named this year’s Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Boy’s Runner of the Year.
First Team All- Area – (Alphabetical Order)
Elija Henningfeld, So., Bowling Green – Henningfeld was spectacular from start to finish for the Bobcats. Being a forceful number two behind Chance, Bowling Green could go low at the top two positions, making them a formidable team. Elija was 4th overall at the Running Raider in his lone three-mile race of the year. Following that, he was able to pick up with a runner-up finish at the Mexico Invite and he placed 4th at the EMO conference meet running 17:32 for 5k. He placed 25th at the District meet to help the Bobcats advance to the Missouri State Meet where Henningfeld ran 17:54 for 5k to place 63rd overall, and helped the Bobcats place 6th as a team.
Tommy Hess, Jr. QHS – A consistent piece to the Blue Devils pack Hess made big improvements from his sophomore year. The Devils junior was able to put together top 10 finishes at Liberty and the Tom Oakley Invitationals and placed 13th overall at the Running Raider. Hess had a big breakthrough at the Western Big 6 meet where he placed 7th overall running 16:19. Look for Hess to step into the lead role for the Devils next year in his senior season.
Devon Funk, Jr., Liberty – The Eagles go-to number two man was consistent throughout the year, holding his own within the area and saving his best races for the bigger stages. He earned West Central Conference All-Conference honors placing 6th, and ran 17:05 at the St. Joseph Ogden Spartan Classic. Late in the season, he ran a seasons best of 17:02 at the Patriot Invite before narrowly missing sub 17 again at the Elmwood sectional where he ran 17:05. Look for Funk to make a major jump in his senior campaign for the Eagles.
Eric McClelland, Sr, QHS – McClelland jumped into the lead role of the Blue Devils squad in 2022. The senior gave the Devils a consistent low stick and was a leader up front. McClelland tallied three individual wins, including Jacksonville, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitationals. He was the Western Big 6 conference runner-up when he ran a massive personal best of 15:33 to kick off his post-season run. He went on to place 4th at the Quincy Regional and 19th at the Normal Sectional running 15:46 to qualify for his first IHSA State Championship meet. McClelland ended his senior campaign with a stellar 75th place finish in the 3A race on a sloppy Detweiller Park course where he ran 16:00.
Sam Northcut, So., Mark Twain – With a strong group of sophomores on the Missouri side of the river, Northcut finds himself near the top of that list. In his 2nd year on the 1st team list, the Mark Twain sophomore was runner-up at the Marion County Invite and 3rd at North Callaway and Centralia, running low 17 minutes for 5k. He was 11th at the strong EMO Conference meet and placed 3rd at the District meet at North Callaway to advance to the state meet. The next week at Gans Creek he was able to run 18:25 to finish 57th overall.
Lane Obert, Fr., Liberty – In a freshman campaign that only saw 2 races over the 17 minute barrier, Obert had as consistent of a runner as any coach could hope for. Landing himself in the top 10 in 6 races throughout the season, including top 5 finishes at the Tom Oakley and Liberty Invitationals, Obert was also the West Central Conference runner-up and placed 3rd at the Macomb Regional. The Eagle Freshman ran a personal best of 16:16 at the Patriot Invite at Detweiller Park in late October.
Parker Quinlan, Jr., West Hancock – The 2022 West Central Conference Champion had an exceptional junior season. Along with the individual conference title, Quinlan also qualified for his first IHSA State cross country meet where he finished 82nd overall on a sloppy, muddy day, running 16:52. He was also the Macomb regional runner-up, and placed 15th at the Elmwood sectional running 16:15.
Jackson Veile, Jr., Pittsfield – The younger of the Veile brothers finds himself on the 1st team list for the first time in 2022. An almost perfect crescendo of a season found Veile running his best when it mattered most at the end of the season. An almost 1 minute and 30 second drop from the beginning of the season to the end is how Veile ended up on this list. He was 20th at the Running Raider and 16th and 18th respectfully at the Tom Oakley and Liberty Invitationals. Veile raced to an 18th place finish at the Porta Regional before setting a huge personal best running 16:56 at the Elmwood sectional.
Joe Warning, Jr., QND – Warning became extremely consistent in 2022 as the leader of the Raiders squad. His junior campaign started off strong with two runner-up finishes at Macomb and Canton. He continued from there with a 6th place finish at the Running Raider. He was 10th at the Tom Oakley Invite and 6th at Liberty. Warning set a new personal best at the Patriot Invite at Detweiller Park where he eclipsed 17 minutes for the first time, running 16:42 for 3 miles.
Noah Wilt, So., South Shelby – Wilt burst onto the scene strong in 2022 with a campaign that only saw him finish outside the top three in two meets all season. He posted four individual race wins, including a victory at the Clarence Cannon Conference meet where he ran 17:02 for 5k. Wilt placed 3rd at the Missouri District 4 meet to advance to the Missouri State Meet where he finished a strong 14th in 17:24 on the Gans Creek Course.
Levi Wright, So., Marion County – Wright finds himself on the 1st team list for the first time after a strong sophomore season. He placed 14th overall at the Running Raider and 12th at the Tom Oakley Invite when he cross the river to race in Illinois. On the Missouri side he was able to finish 3rd overall at the Moberly XC Invitational and 7th and 9th overall at Clopton and Mexico respectfully. In the post season, he placed 6th to advance to the Missouri State Meet where he would go on to finish 90th overall in Class 1.
All-Area Honorable Mention –
Bowling Green – Brendan Finnegan, Fr., Jack Hughes, Sr., Jose Soto, Sr.
Hannibal – Eli Hess, Sr., David Munger, So.
Illini West- Chase Mudd, Fr.
Liberty- Devon Funk, Jr.
Macomb- Jack Dunseth, Fr., Kyle Glaue, So., Zak Green, Sr., Isaiah Rebman, Jr., Mathew Sadler, Jr.
Marion County – Porter Britt, So.
Mark Twain – Brandon Black, Sr., Ean Colbert, So., Gabe Howald, Sr., Colten Eisele, Jr.
Palmyra – Jacob Barnes, Jr., Connor Bross, Sr.
Pittsfield- Brayden Veile, Sr.
QHS- Cameron MacDonough, So., Jude Mintle, Sr., Gavin Slee, Fr.
Rushville – Myles Ackman, Sr.
Runner of the Year – Arianna Neisen, Jr., Liberty
2022 was a true coming out party for Arianna Neisen of Liberty on the cross country course. Following a super sophomore track campaign that saw her end with a state medal in the 3200m at the IHSA State track meet in Charleston, one would think big things would be on tap for the fall of 2022. What transpired was much more than a traditional improvement curve. Neisen would drop minutes off her times from the 2021 to 2022 season.
Even with the tremendous improvements the Liberty junior made, it didn’t come easy. Battling a foot injury for the back half of the year, Neisen wasn’t able to race as much as she may have wanted and training was limited for long stretches of time. However, that did not hinder the Eagles leader from trying to accomplish her goal of earning her first trip to the IHSA State Meet. A goal she would inevitably accomplish.
2022 started off strong for Neisen with a 4th place showing at the Rochester Invitational where she improved by over 2 minutes from her 2021 time. Following that up, she rattled off impressive races at the First To The Finish meet at Detweiller Park where she placed 10 running 18:20 for 3 miles. Her success continued throughout the remainder of the fall where she finished no worse than 3rd in any of the races she ran. She was the individual champion at the QND Running Raider Invitational and was runner-up at the Tom Oakley Invite. However, her most impressive regular season result came at the St. Joseph Ogden Spartan Classic where Neisen finished 3rd overall clocking an impressive 17:41 for 3 miles.
Still battling her lingering foot injury, Neisen entered the post season on the sideline when she did not compete at the West Central Conference meet. She placed 4th at the Macomb regional in her first race in over three weeks before going on to finish 3rd overall at the strong Elmwood sectional running 18:22 to book her ticket to the IHSA State Championship meet. The next weekend, Neisen covered the rain soaked Detweiller Park course in 18:54 to earn a 39th place overall finish. A finish she was not happy with, but one that gained her valuable experience to take forward into her junior track season and springboard her into the fall of 2023 where she will return for her senior season.
For her efforts on the course in the fall of 2022, Arianna Neisen has been named this year’s Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girl’s Runner of the Year.
First Team All- Area – (Alphabetical Order)
Jocelyn Dorsey, Jr., Hannibal – Dorsey lead the Lady Pirates with a strong junior season that included four top 10 finishes throughout the year. Included in those top 10s were a pair of runner-up finishes at the Mexico Invite and the NCMC conference meet where she ran a personal best 20:54 for 5k. She was also 11th at the big Bowling Green Invitational running 21:00. She finished her season at the Missouri class 4 state meet where she finished 59th overall running 21:12 on the Gans Creek course.
Matera Ellis, Sr., Mark Twain– Ellis’s senior campaign was a strong one. She was 7th at North Callaway and 3rd at the Marion County Invite. Buoyed by a strong 12th place finish at the EMO Conference meet where she ran 22:40 for 5k, she went on to finish 4th at the Missouri district meet at North Callaway to advance to the Missouri state meet at Gans Creek. There she would finish her high school career with a 72nd place finish running 22:52 for 5k.
Hailey Eyring, Sr., Illini West – In her lone season for the Chargers, the Illini West senior put together strong finishes throughout the year. She put together top 15 finishes at the Running Raider, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitationals and was 6th overall at Rushville early in the 2022 season. The Charger lead woman placed 11th at the Macomb regional to advance to the sectional contest at Elmwood where she would save her best race for last, running a huge personal best of 20:53 to cap her senior season.
Abigail Genenbacher, Jr., QND – Genenbacher was a consistent piece at the front of QNDs pack in her junior season. Her 2023 season was highlighted by an individual title at the West Central Conference meet, and the Macomb Earlybird meet. She also placed top 10 at the QND Running Raider, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitational. Genenbacher set a seasons best at the Patriot Invite running 20:04 for 3 miles.
Alexandria Meyers,Sr., QHS – No stranger to the All-Area First Team, Meyers again finds herself on the list. With 5 top 5 finishes including 3rd place finishes at Jacksonville, Liberty, and Tom Oakley Invitationals she was among the area’s best. Another 3rd place finish at the Western Big 6 conference meet helped the Lady Blue Devils secure the team title again in 2022. Meyers would place 10th at the Quincy regional meet and finish her high school cross country career with a seasons best 19:07 for 3 miles at the Normal Sectional meet.
Aly Noland, Sr., Palmyra – The leader of the Panther squad, Noland made a strong return for her senior season following an injury that plagued her junior campaign. Noland was runner-up at her home meet in Palmyra and placed 10th overall at the Running Raider. She also placed 10th overall at the pair of meets at the Gans Creek course running 21:23 and 21:24 for 5k. She finished her season strong with a 7th place finish at the Conference meet at Kahoka running 21:49.
Meghan Spears, Fr., QND – Spears consistently got better throughout the entire 2022 season. The QND Freshman placed in the top 20 at the Running raider, was 10th at the Tom Oakley, and placed 11th at the Liberty Invitational. She was also the West Central Conference runner-up. Spears ended her season with a personal best time of 20:18 at the IHSA Elmwood Sectional. She will look to improve upon her strong freshman season next year.
Keeauna Scheufele, Jr., QHS – A vital part of the Blue Devil pack was upperclassmen, and Scheufele was a linchpin in that group. She had top 10 finishes at five meets throughout 2022 including 4th place finishes at Jacksonville, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitationals. Scheufele would also finish 6th overall at the Running Raider Invitational and the Western Big 6 conference meet, where she ran a personal best of 19:49 to help the Lady Blue Devils win the team titles. Look for her to have a strong senior season in 2023.
Olivia Schuering, Jr., QHS – Taking over the reins as the lead Blue Devil from her sister in 2022, Schuering put together a strong consistent junior campaign. She would place top 5 in all but two races the entire season, including wins at the Tom Oakley and Moline Invitationals. She was also runner-up at the Running Raider and Liberty Invitationals along with being the Western Big 6 runner up, where she ran a personal best of 18:09. Schuering would place 4th overall at the Quincy regional meet before being sidelined for the remainder of the post-season with a stress fracture. She would have likely been a state qualifier in 2022, but will have to wait for her senior campaign for a trip to Detweiller Park in November.
Nataly Uppinghouse, Fr., QHS – A new face on the Blue Devil squad in 2022, Uppinghouse graced the roster, putting herself in the Devils scoring five. She was 6th overall at the Tom Oakley and Liberty Invitationals and delivered late in the season, placing 10th overall at the Western Big 6 conference meet, where she ran a personal best 20:04. She would go on to place 29th at the Quincy regional to help the Lady Blue Devils advance to the Normal sectional where she placed 81st overall. She will be a strong contributor for QHS in the coming years.
All-Area Honorable Mention –
Bowling Green- Natalie Hickerson, So., Addison Lilley, Fr.
Clark County- Cady St. Clair, Jr., Delana Hess, Sr., Mia Johnson, So.
Hannibal – Piper Berhorst, Fr., Ava Bonvillian, So., Matti Harvey, Fr., Jordan Puterbaugh, Fr.
Highland – Kaycie Stahl, Jr.
Illini West – Emma Whitaker Jr.
Macomb- Jasmine Alcantara, Jr., Kristen Rebman, Sr.
Mark Twain- Lauren Booth, Sr., Ava Roberts,Fr.
Pittsfield – Avery Wyatt, Fr.
QHS- Amick McClelland, So.