The Chillicothe Cross Country teams competed at the Midland Empire Conference Championships, where senior Luke Thompson captured his fourth consecutive conference title and the Lady Hornets earned five All-Conference medals behind a series of huge personal records.
Thompson led wire to wire, building a large lead early and cruising to victory in 16:30, finishing 41 seconds ahead of second place. His win marks an incredible four-year sweep of the MEC Championship, continuing his dominance in the conference.
The Lady Hornets had a standout night, with all five varsity runners achieving personal bests and earning All-Conference honors (Top 14 finishers):
Boys
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1st – Luke Thompson – 16:30
Girls
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6th – Sophie Hurtgen – 22:14 (PR)
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8th – Payton McGee – 23:27 (PR)
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11th – Abby Longo – 23:57 (PR)
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12th – Myli Johansen – 24:01 (PR)
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14th – Adrian Caselman – 25:21 (PR)
A highlight of the night came from Adrian Caselman, who made a remarkable push in the final 1.5 miles—moving up from 15th place to finish 14th and secure the final All-Conference spot, cutting nearly two minutes off her previous best time.
Both the boys and girls teams finished 3rd overall, battling through lingering fatigue from a hot Warrensburg meet five days earlier. Despite falling short of their team title goals, the Hornets remain confident and focused heading into the postseason.
Up next, Chillicothe will compete in the Class 3 District Meet on Saturday, November 1, at Platte Ridge Park in Platte City, with the boys running at 11:20 a.m. and the girls at 11:55 a.m.