Missouri Track FANatic: 2012 STL Suburban West Conference XC Championships

2012 (St. Louis) Suburban West Conference Cross Country Championships

Long and Kauppila cruise, Marquette Girls edge Lafayette and Eureka, Lafayette Boys win

After getting pushed back two days because of weather, the (St. Louis) Suburban West Conference Cross Country Championships was held October 8, in Chesterfield as Lafayette High School hosted the meet at the cross country course at Parkway Central High. It was the first of three meets in the coming weeks for many of the runners on the course. The site will play host to the Class 4 District 2 meet and the Class 4 Sectional #1 on October 20, and October 27.

In the Varsity Boys race, the Marquette duo of Noah Kauppila and Adam Roderique earned their third straight 1-2 finish. After Rodgerique kicked passed Kauppila for a 1-2 Mustang finish at the Rim Rock XC Classic September 22, Kauppila captured the Parkway West title September 29 with Rodgerique not far behind. Monday, the junior Kauppila, earned his second straight conference title rolling to victory just under 16 minutes, clocking in at 15:59. Senior Rodgerique, improved eight spots from last year’s meet finishing in 16:12. Parkway South senior Brian Hernan continued a strong season with his bronze medal finish in 16:21.

Noah Kauppila wins 2nd straight SWC Title

Marquette's Adam Roderique crosses the finish in 2nd place.

Despite missing their number four runner, Derek Albright who was attending his grandmother’s funeral, the Lafayette Boys easily captured the conference title, the Lancers first since 2007. The Lancers went 4-5-6, with seniors Derek Legenzoff finishing 4^th in 16:29 and Jordan West 5th in 16:46, while freshman Dylan Quisenberry clocked in at 17:02 for 6th. With their other three runners finishing 20^th, 21^st, and 26^th in the 59-athlete field, Lafayette totaled 56 points to comfortably take the crown over Lindbergh, 74 points, and Marquette, 78 points.

Lafayette senior Derek Legenzoff led a 4-5-6 finish for the Lancers.

Legenzoff said about winning the conference title, “That was definitely a huge goal of ours all season long, and we’re just happy to be able to pull it out today.” With arguably the two top boys in the state in the race in Kauppila and Rodgerique, it would be tough to place first or second but Jordan West welcomed the chance to race them. “They are great pacers so we just followed them. They took it out at 5:12 today (for the first mile), so we were like, ‘yeah we’ll go with you guys, that’s awesome’. They led us out perfectly and that was our game plan” West said.


Lafayette senior Jordan West was 5th.

Dylan Quisenberry finished 6th for the Lancers.

Winning the conference title without their fourth man may prove to have positive effects going forward for the Lancers. ”The fact we could win conference without him is just a huge confidence booster for us,” West added.

Lafayette Lancers 2012 Suburban West Conference Champions

After his third place finish, Parkway South senior Brian Hernan showed respect for the Marquette standout duo and talked about how his race plan worked out successfully. Hernan said, “…Adam and Noah, they’re two great runners and I knew that they were going to be going for 1-2. I knew there was Derek Legenzoff and Jordan West from Lafayette. I knew it was probably going to be us five. I figured Noah and Adam would probably (finish 1^st and 2^nd) and so I’d just be fighting off Derek at the end, and it ended up working out.”

Parkway South senior Brian Hernan was 3rd.

On the girls side Eureka was the likely favorite with Lafayette and Marquette expected to give them a battle. All three teams are built differently and have excelled this season in different ways. Eureka has shined with a strong 1-2 punch with super- sophomore Hannah Long and senior Angie Sumner, along with a solid top four with Megan Cunningham and Rachel Yergensen. Lafayette had a great pack last year with a phenomenal 1-5 split most races and finished 6^th at the Class 4 State Meet. This year the Lady Lancers may have the front-runner they need to earn a State Trophy. Freshman Sarah Nicholson has several top finishes this season including a runner-up finish, less than 4/10ths of a second behind the winner in the 4A race at the Hancock Invitational. The Marquette girls have excelled with an abundance of freshman talent this year. While Marquette lacks a standout front-runner, their pack style running, which includes four freshmen, excel at moving through the field and finishing strong.

Eureka’s chances were less favorable on race day as they were without their number two runner and one of the state’s best in Angie Sumner. The Lady Wildcats, wearing pink shorts, presumably in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, were off the line quick at the sound of the starting gun.

150 meters into the Varsity Girls race.

The Marquette Girls were content to start at the back in the early going of the Varsity Girls race.

At 150 meters, Eureka had five in the top eight, while Marquette was happy to take it easy and had just about all seven in the bottom half of the 45-woman race. At the mile mark, after a long climb up a hill, Long lead Nicholson by eight seconds with Eureka’s Cunningham 12 seconds back and Yergensen 18 seconds back. Oakville’s Melissa Brown followed closely behind. Lafayette had five in the top eleven at the mile with Marquette’s 2-5 behind in 14^th-17^th.

Eureka's Hannah Long strolled to her 2nd straight SWC Title.

Hannah Long, noticeably taller and stronger than during her phenomenal freshman season a year ago, was relaxed and strolled through the wooded trail and the windy turns of the course. Long expanded her lead on Nicholson to 22 seconds just before the two mile mark. The team race tightened as Eureka remained 1-3-4 and Marquette’s two and three runners were just two steps behind Lafayette’s 2^nd and 3^rd.

Lafayette freshman Sarah Nicholson finished 2nd.

Eureka's Megan Cunningham finished and was in 3rd most of the race.

In the end, Marquette was strongest over the last mile with freshman leading the way, putting four in the top 11. Hannah Pierson was 5^th in 19:38 while Eryn Bass was 7^th, Daninelle Morhman 8^th, and Lindsay Bass 11^th in 20:37. Senior Ashley Bertich rounded out the top five with a 17^th place finish as the Mustangs totaled 43 points to squeak out a victory over Lafayette’s 46 and Eureka’s 48 point total. The Marquette Girls said winning may have been in the back of their mind but it wasn’t the main goal, which was to follow coaches’ orders. According to Shelby Hummel those were to: “…push passed anybody we could get passed, and just try and run our best and see what would happen. (And) at least try and get some of our girls some medals. And we did that, so I’m really proud of our team today.”

Oakville's Melissa Brown finished 4th.

Marquette's Hannah Pierson was the first of four freshman to finish in the top 11 for the Mustangs.

Eureka sophomore Rachel Yergensen was the 3rd Wildcat across the finish in 6th.

Freshman Erin Bass added, “I don’t think we really realized we were in the running for first, while we were going. But we definitely had a chance and we made it happen.” The girls said the Marquette coaching staff didn’t let the ladies know how exactly things were shaping up during the race, but were simply encouraging and supportive. “That got us through the race” added Ashley Bertich.

The Marquette Mustangs scored 43 points to edge Lafayette (46), and Eureka (48).

When questioned about the quick success and impact they have had as a freshman group, Hannah Pierson said it was in large part due to the support of the team and family-like setting. With some of the freshman being fairly new to running, Lindsay Bass said the experience has “been really good.” And it’s one the Lady Mustangs want to continue for another month.

Do they have goals for upcoming Districts and beyond? Shelby Hummel said “Big picture, overall, we would love to be at State, and be in that top 4 teams from sectionals that goes to state, but we’re just taking it one step at a time and focusing on little goals before we get to the big picture.”

Hannah Long captured her second straight Suburban West title, finishing in 18:08 while Lafayette’s Sarah Nicholson was second in 19:01. Megan Cunningham held form for 3^rdfor Eureka in 19:26, while Oakville’s Melissa Brown was 4^th in 19:37 and Eureka’s Rachel Yergensen finished 6^thin 19:51.

Nine days after her runner-up finish at the Great American Cross Country Festival’s Race of Champions in North Carolina, Long took a little more relaxed approach Monday. “I was just supposed to run a nice smooth, easy race; I didn’t have a time goal in mind or anything. So (I was) just getting to know the course better for districts and sectionals” Long said. About the course where she’ll run for the third and fourth times this season for Districts and most likely Sectionals, Long added, “It’s definitely a fun course, you go all over the place with different terrain … and I’ve run it a lot of times and have to run it two more times.”

Hannah Long heads into the shade behind the tree long just before the two mile mark. Nine days after her 2nd place finish at the Great American Cross Country Festival's Race of Champions, Long was earned a victory at the SWC meet.

In Junior Varsity action, despite Lafayette sophomore Josiah McElmurry’s victory in 17:43, the Lancers fell two points short of winner Marquette, 40-42. On the girl’s side, the combined JV and Freshman/Sophomore race was run together but separated in scoring. Lafayette dominated, scoring 24 points in the 98-runner, 6-full team JV race with Lafayette junior Katherine Kelly winning in 21:00. The Lady Lancers scored just 18 points in the 56-athlete freshman/sophomore field to win the four full team race. Lafayette sophomore Emma Enright was victorious and the first of four Lancers across the line first, finishing in 21:24. It was a two-title day in the Kauppila household. After Marquette junior Noah captured the Varsity Boys race in the first race of the meet, Marquette freshman Jacob won the freshman race in 18: 16 in the day’s final race.