Morris’ Top 10 Finish Highlights Tigers Cross Country Meet

ST JOSEPH, Mo. (Sept. 24, 2024) — The Excelsior Springs Tigers varsity boys’ and girls’ cross country teams delivered solid performances at the Duane Kimble Invitational on Tuesday, with several runners contributing significantly to the team’s success. The boys’ team, in particular, showcased its depth, while the girls’ team saw strong back-to-back finishes from two of their top runners.

Boys’ Results:

Leading the way for the boys’ team was senior Mac Morris, who finished in 6th place with a time of 18:45.00, earning 6 points. Junior Liam Hedding followed closely, finishing 9th with a time of 18:50.40, adding 9 points to the team’s score. Senior Silas O’Dell crossed the finish line in 25th place with a time of 19:41.90, contributing 25 points.

The team’s final two scorers were juniors William Tade and Conrad Purnell, finishing 58th and 59th, respectively, with times of 22:37.90 and 22:41.00, contributing 40 and 41 points. Freshman Ivan Overfield also put in a commendable effort, finishing 66th with a time of 23:07.70 adding 44 points.

The boys’ total team score — calculated by adding the point values of the top five finishers — was 157 points.

Girls’ Results:

Juniors Kate Houck and Kirsten Stout led the charge for the girls’ team. In a field of 49 runners, Houck finished 10th overall with a time of 23:34.90. Close behind, Stout secured 11th place with a near-identical time of 23:35.00. Though the girls’ team didn’t field a full five runners for a team score, both Houck and Stout’s individual efforts were impressive, earning them recognition in a competitive race.

Cross country meets are scored by adding the points earned by a team’s first five finishers. The lower the finish number, the better. For example, a runner finishing 1st scores 1 point, while a runner finishing 50th scores 50 points. Teams with fewer than five runners are not eligible for team competition.

The Tigers’ next meet is the Columbia Parks & Rec Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.