Joplin's Riechman-Bennett earns all-state cross country honors

Post date: Nov 11, 2013 11:43:30 PM

Joplin Globe Article

November 10, 2013

Joplin's Riechman-Bennett earns all-state cross country honors

Lamar's Overstreet wins Class 2 title

The Joplin Globe

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Matt Riechman-Bennett of Joplin became a two-time Class 4 all-state selection when he placed 21st Saturday at the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships at Oak Hills Golf Center.

Riechman-Bennett had a time of 16 minutes, 18 seconds. Noah Kauppila of Marquette won the event in a course-record 15:22.

“We were hoping for a top 10 finish, and the guys who finished 10th and 11th he beat at the sectional,” said Joplin head coach Jason Riddle. “I told him don’t get upset. You had a great time.”

His time was 15 seconds faster than what he ran in last year’s race when he placed 19th, Riddle said.

Kush Bhatka of Joplin was 82nd with a time of 17:11. “Our goal for him was to break 17 minutes, so he was pretty close,” Riddle said.

Kaden Overstreet of Lamar won the Class 2 individual championship in 16:35. Ryan Beaver of College Heights was 11th with a time of 17:04 and led his team to ninth place.

In Class 1, freshman Max Ostmeyer of McAuley Catholic became an all-state selection when he placed 24th in 17:54. Edward Hershewe of Thomas Jefferson was 49th in 18:40.

In Class 3, Blake Barth of Carl Junction joined the all-state leaders when he placed 25th in 16:54. Teammate Ethan Frack with 58th. McDonald County’s boys were 11th, led by Connor Underwood, who placed 40th.

In the girls’ division, Emily Sorrell of East Newton was fourth in Class 2 with a time of 20:21. Other leading runners included Monica Steeves of Jasper, who was 35th in Class 1; JeLynn Tatum of Carl Junction, who was 33rd in Class 3, and Natalie Capron of Webb City, who was 72nd in Class 4.