Missouri Southern Stampede Recap

Joplin, Mo. – The Pioneers continued to compete with tough opponents as they headed to the Tom Rutledge Cross Country course at NCAA Division II Missouri Southern State University. The course had long been known as a fast course, though not particularly flat. The competition on a warm, humid morning just added to the heat with various nationally ranked teams in both the NCAA DII and NAIA polls. The Pioneers, however, were ready to bring their own heat as they went to toe-to-toe with their opponents.
 
After a schedule change due to forecasted hot temperatures, the men took to the course first to push through an 8k, roughly 5 miles, with personal bests on the line.
 
Mile one and the event was living up to its name as harriers stampeded past the mark with only the lead athlete from Mid-America Christian managing to breakaway. Many of the Pioneers were out for a fast start, trying to keep pace with the ranked Pittsburgh State and Mid-America Christian teams as well as the many strong harriers. Leading the Pioneers, first year teammate, Gavin Williams, got out quickly as three Pioneers were in the low 5-minute range, only five seconds apart. Aidan Scherman was next, only three seconds back, but sixteen spots away. The stream of harriers was thick. Jacob Hendrickson was the third Pioneer, two seconds from Scherman, using his teammate as a focal point for movement. Twelve seconds back, the Pioneers had Ken Morgan and senior Ray Kosgei packed in a group like sardines. Morgan was at the front of the pack with Kosgei running directly behind him. Kosgei finished out the top 5 Pioneers for team scoring. Jackson Elsey was running very smoothly thirty seconds back, which totaled over a hundred harriers between him and Kosgei. Bryson Delong closed out the Pioneer top 7, another thirty seconds behind Elsey. Delong had plenty of company as Spurgeon tried to keep up.
 
At the 5k mark, Mid-America Christian's Mohamed Guled was all by himself, requiring two lead bicycles, one for him and one for all others. Meanwhile, Scherman had taken the lead for the Pioneers, passing twelve harriers as he broke into the top 100. He also broke the 16-minute barrier as three Pioneers were in the low 16s or better. Hendrickson moved into the second spot for the Pioneers, shedding three opponents including teammate Williams. Williams was eight seconds from Hendrickson and looked strong going into the final 3k loop. Morgan and Kosgei both slipped back in positions, but both had plenty of people around them to move up quickly. Morgan passed by the 5k mark in the upper 16s with Kosgei in the low 17-minute group. Elsey passed by next with five opponents ready for the taking. Cruising by smoothly with a very determined look, Delong slipped past an opponent as he started the long uphill stretch.
 
In the final 3k section, the Pioneers were determined to shred through the crowd and move up through the ranks. Scherman led the charge by dropping nineteen competitors while breaking into the low 26-minute range. Hendrickson followed suit by flying by another eighteen harriers as he set a personal best, breaking into the 26-minute barrier for the first time. Williams struggled through the last mile after leading the Pioneers through the first mile, but he did not give in, hitting his best time as a Pioneer. Morgan dropped a baker's dozen in this stretch to put together one of his best times of his college career. Kosgei did not disappoint with another five harriers conquered before the line. The team scoring dropped by thirty-four points with the Pioneer surge. Elsey also passed two competitors with a season best 8k time. Delong grabbed another fourteen harriers before crossing the line and dropping his personal best 8k time by roughly 5 minutes.
 
For the Pioneer women, they too had tough competition with two ranked NCAA Division II teams in Pittsburgh State and Rogers State, though the host team Missouri Southern is always strong.
 
Leading all runners at the mile, Missouri Southern's top harrier, Ruth Chemutai, had dropped the crowd with Pittsburgh State chasing her from a distance. Bella Meili led the Pioneers with Anna McKnight matching stride, though two places back. Thirty places back, but only nine seconds, Riley Filmore led the next group of Pioneers. Julia Swearengin and Bailey Cook were two seconds back as the top five Pioneers passed by at a fast low 6-minute pace. Kalana Smittick was another twenty seconds back, but like the men's race, the pack was tight. About fifty-five harriers separated Smittick and the top 5 Pioneers. Kennedy Krotzinger, the seventh Pioneer, hit the low 7-minute range as she closed in on a group of three harriers. Josephine McClung, always the fighter, was out to a sluggish start, but still was driving to catch the next opponent.
 
Mile two, and Chemutai continued to keep the next competitor at bay. Meanwhile, the Pioneer women struggled through that section as all but one slipped back in the thick crowd. Meili was the lone Pioneer to move up through the never-ending stream as she drove into the top seventy. McKnight lost fifteen seconds to the consistent Meili, holding on to a top 100 spot. Filmore, who had been dealing with an illness, was another fifteen seconds from McKnight, but had pulled away from Swearengin and Cook. Swearengin had dropped Cook by seven seconds as they headed into a downhill at the two-mile mark. Smittick was next with a Mizzou Running Club opponent in her sights. She did a great job using downhill technique to gain and pass her opponents. Krotzinger, likewise, took her lean on the downhill and went after the next opponent. McClung, typically with Krotzinger at the two-mile, had closed in, but still was twenty seconds back. Always with a strong kick, she needed to start her move.
 
For the final mile, the Pioneers would not lay down. With such a tight pack, it would not take too much to pass many opponents. The Pioneer women took advantage of that. Meili led the charge by setting a collegiate 5k best and leaving an additional twenty-two competitors in the dust in the last mile alone. McKnight grabbed another nine harriers while keeping her 5k under 20 minutes. Filmore did not let her illness stop her as she led the team with twenty-six opponents past in the last mile and a collegiate best 5k. Swearengin grabbed another four harriers and also set a collegiate best. Cook kept the string going with another five opponents left behind and a collegiate best, closing out the top 5 Pioneer scorers. In this last section, the Pioneer women top 5 scorers passed sixty-six opponents. Smittick added double digits to those she conquered as the sixth Pioneer to cross the line. McClung dropped the hammer and was able to catch teammate Krotzinger while claiming twenty-three victims down the stretch. Krotzinger took down another six harriers, as the Pioneers passed 105 athletes in the last mile stretch.
 
The Pioneers had a strong effort at the Southern Stampede with six collegiate bests and team finishes of 17th and 15th for the men and women, respectively.