Par for the course.
But this trip Brooklynn Lercher is looking to shoot a birdie, as in an all-state finish, at the Missouri Cross Country State Championships.
In her third season with the Waynesville High School girls’ cross country team Lercher, a junior, has advanced to the Missouri Class 5 State Meet for the third time. And this time she hopes to bring home a medal.
Lercher competes in the Missouri Class 5 girls’ state race at 1:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia. The Class 3-5 boys’ and girls’ state races are held Friday, Nov. 7 and the Class 1-2 state races Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Class 5 girls’ race is the final race on Friday.
Lercher qualified for state through the District 2 Meet Saturday, Nov. 1 in Nixa. The top four teams and top 30 individual runners moved on from district to the state meet.
Lercher earned all-district first-team honors by placing 15th overall with a time of 19:25.11
She has made gradual gains at the state meet in her first two trips there, finishing 95th as a freshman at 20:00.2 and last year placing 61st with a time of 19:41.3.
This year she hopes to continue the improvement, finishing in the top 30 and earning an all-state medal.
“I’m really excited about this time,” she said of her third state race. “I know this course and I really like this course. It’s really wide and has a little of everything.
“I’m looking at placement. The top 30 and all-state is the goal. And I think that’s doable.”
Lercher seems to be running her best at the right time. Her district time was her fastest of the season.
“I think I’ve improved mentally, and I’m focused more,” Lercher said. “This year it’s not been the same every race. I’ve put more thought in it. The first lap I try to stay with the front pack, and the second lap I try to move up and pass.
“I’m really excited. I feel mentally and physically I’m a lot better than the past two years.”
And being an all-stater in back-to-back years as a junior this year and a senior next year will cap a sparkling Lady Tiger career.
“Four years (at state); that would be a big deal,” she said. “But right now I’m more concerned about being all-state.”
Nov. 1 at Nixa
Class 5 District 2 Meet
5,000-Meters
Boys
Team Standings: 1. Springfield Kickapoo 57*, 2. Raymore-Peculiar 80*, 3. Rockhurst 86*, 4. Nixa 90*, 5. Webb City 96, 6. Ozark 156, 7. Springfield 160, 8. Joplin 259, 9. Rolla 262, 10. Lebanon 263, 11. Willard 291, 12. Republic 354, 13. Carthage 364, 14. Waynesville 379, 15. Sedalia Smith-Cotton 389, 16. Branson 434.
Top-3 Individual State Qualifiers: 1. Jack McGovern, Rockhurst, 14:51.93; 2. Gabriel Voelker, Raymore-Peculiar, 14:59.73; 3. Cameron Martensen, Rolla, 15:11.42.
*-State Qualifiers
Waynesville Results: 35. David Boyd 16:42.88, 74. Tobias Huckaba 18:03.45, 89. Hector Johnson 18:33.63, 91. Hunter Flood 18:40.61, 95. Jackson Roby 18:45.07, 98. Cooper Walkup 19:01.53, 103. Clay Walkup 19:17.01.
Girls
Team Standings: 1. St. Teresa’s Academy 44*, 2. Webb City 60*, 3. Nixa 120*, 4. Ozark 128*, 5. Joplin 160, 6. Lebanon 179, 7. Republic 202, 8. Carthage 221, 9. Springfield Kickapoo 229, 10. Raymore-Peculiar 253, 11. Glendale 298, 12. Smith-Cotton 316, 13. Rolla 362, 14. Branson 363, 15. Waynesville 375.
*-State Qualifiers
Top-3 Individual State Qualifiers: 1. Ava Doll, Joplin, 17:46.01; 2. Ella Messner, St. Teresa’s Academy, 18:08.24; 3. Brooke Hedger, Webb City, 18:08.46.
Waynesville Results: 15. Brooklyn Lercher 19:25.11, 92. Mieke Ditmeyer 24:12.00, 95. Juliet Choi 25:10.15, 96. Emmalie Erlewine 25:16.58, 101. Sophie Johnson 25:53.13, 103. Zoey Cossey 26:31.45, 104. Ivory Stitts 26:35.58.
