2022 Girls All Area

Arianna Neisen is your 2022 Girls Runner of the Year

2022 Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls All-Area Team

Written by Jared Schmidt - Tri State Cross Country Coaches Committee Member

Runner of the Year – Arianna Neisen, Jr., Liberty –

2022 was a true coming out party for Arianna Neisen of Liberty on the cross country course. Following a super sophomore track campaign that saw her end with a state medal in the 3200m at the IHSA State track meet in Charleston, one would think big things would be on tap for the fall of 2022. What transpired was much more than a traditional improvement curve. Neisen would drop minutes off her times from the 2021 to 2022 season.

Even with the tremendous improvements the Liberty junior made, it didn’t come easy. Battling a foot injury for the back half of the year, Neisen wasn’t able to race as much as she may have wanted and training was limited for long stretches of time. However, that did not hinder the Eagles leader from trying to accomplish her goal of earning her first trip to the IHSA State Meet. A goal she would inevitably accomplish.

2022 started off strong for Neisen with a 4th place showing at the Rochester Invitational where she improved by over 2 minutes from her 2021 time. Following that up, she rattled off impressive races at the First To The Finish meet at Detweiller Park where she placed 10 running 18:20 for 3 miles. Her success continued throughout the remainder of the fall where she finished no worse than 3rd in any of the races she ran. She was the individual champion at the QND Running Raider Invitational and was runner-up at the Tom Oakley Invite. However, her most impressive regular season result came at the St. Joseph Ogden Spartan Classic where Neisen finished 3rd overall clocking an impressive 17:41 for 3 miles.

Still battling her lingering foot injury, Neisen entered the post season on the sideline when she did not compete at the West Central Conference meet. She placed 4th at the Macomb regional in her first race in over three weeks before going on to finish 3rd overall at the strong Elmwood sectional running 18:22 to book her ticket to the IHSA State Championship meet. The next weekend, Neisen covered the rain soaked Detweiller Park course in 18:54 to earn a 39th place overall finish. A finish she was not happy with, but one that gained her valuable experience to take forward into her junior track season and springboard her into the fall of 2023 where she will return for her senior season.

For her efforts on the course in the fall of 2022, Arianna Neisen has been named this year’s Tri-State

Cross Country Coaches Girl’s Runner of the Year.

First Team All- Area - (Alphabetical Order)

Jocelyn Dorsey, Jr., Hannibal – Dorsey lead the Lady Pirates with a strong junior season that included four top 10 finishes throughout the year. Included in those top 10s were a pair of runner-up finishes at the Mexico Invite and the NCMC conference meet where she ran a personal best 20:54 for 5k. She was also 11th at the big Bowling Green Invitational running 21:00. She finished her season at the Missouri class 4 state meet where she finished 59th overall running 21:12 on the Gans Creek course.

Matera Ellis, Sr., Mark Twain– Ellis’s senior campaign was a strong one. She was 7th at North Callaway and 3rd at the Marion County Invite. Buoyed by a strong 12th place finish at the EMO Conference meet where she ran 22:40 for 5k, she went on to finish 4th at the Missouri district meet at North Callaway to advance to the Missouri state meet at Gans Creek. There she would finish her high school career with a 72nd place finish running 22:52 for 5k.

Hailey Eyring, Sr., Illini West – In her lone season for the Chargers, the Illini West senior put together strong finishes throughout the year. She put together top 15 finishes at the Running Raider, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitationals and was 6th overall at Rushville early in the 2022 season. The Charger lead woman placed 11th at the Macomb regional to advance to the sectional contest at Elmwood where she would save her best race for last, running a huge personal best of 20:53 to cap her senior season.

Abigail Genenbacher, Jr., QND – Genenbacher was a consistent piece at the front of QNDs pack in her junior season. Her 2023 season was highlighted by an individual title at the West Central Conference meet, and the Macomb Earlybird meet. She also placed top 10 at the QND Running Raider, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitational. Genenbacher set a seasons best at the Patriot Invite running 20:04 for 3 miles.

Alexandria Meyers,Sr., QHS – No stranger to the All-Area First Team, Meyers again finds herself on the list. With 5 top 5 finishes including 3rd place finishes at Jacksonville, Liberty, and Tom Oakley Invitationals she was among the area’s best. Another 3rd place finish at the Western Big 6 conference meet helped the Lady Blue Devils secure the team title again in 2022. Meyers would place 10th at the Quincy regional meet and finish her high school cross country career with a seasons best 19:07 for 3 miles at the Normal Sectional meet.

Aly Noland, Sr., Palmyra – The leader of the Panther squad, Noland made a strong return for her senior season following an injury that plagued her junior campaign. Noland was runner-up at her home meet in Palmyra and placed 10th overall at the Running Raider. She also placed 10th overall at the pair of meets at the Gans Creek course running 21:23 and 21:24 for 5k. She finished her season strong with a 7th place finish at the Conference meet at Kahoka running 21:49.

Meghan Spears, Fr., QND – Spears consistently got better throughout the entire 2022 season. The QND Freshman placed in the top 20 at the Running raider, was 10th at the Tom Oakley, and placed 11th at the Liberty Invitational. She was also the West Central Conference runner-up. Spears ended her season with a personal best time of 20:18 at the IHSA Elmwood Sectional. She will look to improve upon her strong freshman season next year.

Keeauna Scheufele, Jr., QHS – A vital part of the Blue Devil pack was upperclassmen, and Scheufele was a linchpin in that group. She had top 10 finishes at five meets throughout 2022 including 4th place finishes at Jacksonville, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitationals. Scheufele would also finish 6th overall at the Running Raider Invitational and the Western Big 6 conference meet, where she ran a personal best of 19:49 to help the Lady Blue Devils win the team titles. Look for her to have a strong senior season in 2023.

Olivia Schuering, Jr., QHS – Taking over the reins as the lead Blue Devil from her sister in 2022, Schuering put together a strong consistent junior campaign. She would place top 5 in all but two races the entire season, including wins at the Tom Oakley and Moline Invitationals. She was also runner-up at the Running Raider and Liberty Invitationals along with being the Western Big 6 runner up, where she ran a personal best of 18:09. Schuering would place 4th overall at the Quincy regional meet before being sidelined for the remainder of the post-season with a stress fracture. She would have likely been a state qualifier in 2022, but will have to wait for her senior campaign for a trip to Detweiller Park in November.

Nataly Uppinghouse, Fr., QHS – A new face on the Blue Devil squad in 2022, Uppinghouse graced the roster, putting herself in the Devils scoring five. She was 6th overall at the Tom Oakley and Liberty Invitationals and delivered late in the season, placing 10th overall at the Western Big 6 conference meet, where she ran a personal best 20:04. She would go on to place 29th at the Quincy regional to help the Lady Blue Devils advance to the Normal sectional where she placed 81st overall. She will be a strong contributor for QHS in the coming years.

All-Area Honorable Mention -

Bowling Green- Natalie Hickerson, So., Addison Lilley, Fr.

Clark County- Cady St. Clair, Jr., Delana Hess, Sr., Mia Johnson, So.

Hannibal – Piper Berhorst, Fr., Ava Bonvillian, So., Matti Harvey, Fr., Jordan Puterbaugh, Fr.

Highland – Kaycie Stahl, Jr.

Illini West – Emma Whitaker Jr.

Macomb- Jasmine Alcantara, Jr., Kristen Rebman, Sr.

Mark Twain- Lauren Booth, Sr., Ava Roberts,Fr.

Pittsfield – Avery Wyatt, Fr.

QHS- Amick McClelland, So.