Boys All-Area Team

Inaugural Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Boys All-Area Team

Hannibal Sophomore Ayden Nichols is your 2015 Runner of the Year (Photo Credit: Russ Tate)

Runner of the Year - Ayden Nichols, So., Hannibal

In the Spring of 2015 as a Freshman on the track, Ayden Nichols had personal records of 5:23 for 1600 meters and 12:15 for 3200 meters. Not exactly eye popping times, even for a Freshman on the track. That was Ayden Nichols the Freshman, not Ayden Nichols the Sophomore cross country runner. "Ayden was not satisfied with his performances. Over the summer he made a commitment to training, and just started to progress when the cross country season rolled around," said Hannibal Coach Charlie Newland. "He is motivated and he is very coachable."

The commitment Nichols made was apparent in his first cross country season for the Pirates this Fall. A night and day difference of his former self only a few months earlier. Not only did he emerge as the number one runner for the Pirates this fall, but he also earned himself top finishes at several meets throughout the year. Third place finishes at both the Running Raider Invitational and Tom Oakley Invitational, showed his strength as a top local, regardless of which side of the Mississippi you are on. Add a 3rd place finish at the North Central Missouri Conference meet and 2nd at the Class 3 District meet, and his 2015 resume shines. But the crowning achievement for the Pirate Sophomore was a 23rd place All-State finish, running 17:01 for 5K on the hilly Missouri Class 3 State Championship course. Behind Nichols' low finish, the Pirates were able to finish 9th overall as a team at the State Championships. That finish capped off a season that included team championships at the Running Raider and Quincy Tom Oakley Invitational's.

More importantly, for those that support the Pirates, this may just be the beginning of good things to come from the Sophomore, according to Newland. "I believe that Ayden has just barely scratched the surface as far as his running is concerned. The future is bright for (him)." For his efforts on the course in the Fall of 2015, Ayden has been named the Inaugural Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Boys Runner of the Year.

First Team All-Area - (Alphabetical Order)

Wendell Bias, Sr., QHS - Bias had an exceptional Senior campaign. Placing in the top 10 at all 3 major local invites: Running Raider (8th), Tom Oakley (8th), and Liberty (7th) , he proved he belonged with the area's best. Bias was the consistent #2 for the Blue Devils in his final season, and they will have to rebuild to fill his void after graduation.

Lucas Booher, Jr., Liberty - The Eagle Junior secured 8 top 5 finishes throughout his season along with two meet victories at Macomb and the Liberty Travel Meet. He also paced the Eagles to a 13th place team finish in their first state appearance in 12 years. The West Central Conference Individual Champion placed 5th at the Franklin Regional, 11th at the Elmwood Sectional, and 46th at the Class 1A State Meet. He also produced a 15:44 personal best for 3 miles at the Patriot Invite in Peoria.

Dalton Ellingboe, So., West Hancock - As the season progressed, so did Ellingboe's racing skills and fitness. A runner who isn't afraid to push the pace if he thinks it is lagging, the West Hancock Sophomore proved to be a contender across the area. A Runner-Up finish at the West Central Conference meet propelled him to a 6th place finish at the Aledo Regional, and a 21st place finish at the Elmwood Sectional, finishing just a few spots out of a State qualifying spot.

Eli Ten Eyck, So., Pittsfield - In just his 2nd season of cross country, Ten Eyck made himself a household name on the local scene. Runner-Up finishes at the Running Raider, Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitational's, he set the tone for his season long progression to the top of the area. Other top 5 finishes included PORTA (2nd), Macomb (1st), and Carlinville (4th) for the Saukee. A 4th place finish at the Franklin Regional was derailed by a late season ankle injury that would have likely ended in a State Meet birth for the Pittsfield Sophomore.

Kyle Horner, Fr., Bowling Green - The Freshman was a vital piece to the Bobcats run at a 13th place team finish at the Missouri Class 2 State Championships. A first season that included 1st Team All-Conference (2nd), and All-District (4th) ended with a 59th place finish at the Missouri State Championships. The Freshman looks to be off to a great start to his high school career, one that will likely end with many more accolades in the next three seasons.

Sean Jones, Sr., Hannibal - A linchpin in the success of the Pirates team’s successes this Fall, Jones had a strong Senior campaign that included top ten finishes at both the Running Raider and Tom Oakley Invitational's. Jones helped his team place 9th at the Missouri Class 3 Championships with a 67th place finish in 17:58 for 5k on the tough State course. He was also NCM All-Conference with a 6th place finish, and All-District with his 7th place finish.

Brendan Kroeger, Sr., QHS - Kroeger's Senior campaign did not start the way he envisioned it with a DNF at the Running Raider Invite due to an ankle injury, but that didn't stop the Blue Devil Senior. With big races at the Travel Meet (3rd), Quincy (5th), and Liberty (3rd), the Devils #1 put himself back on track. His season ended with an 11th place finish at the Edwardsville 3A Regional and a 61st place finish at the loaded 3A Normal Sectional. The Senior had a season’s best of 16:00 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

Dalton Moore, Sr., Rushville - The Rushville Senior ended his high school career with his 2nd straight trip to the Illinois Class 1A State Meet. He finished there with a 79th place finish in 16:24. Moore was 4th at the Aledo Regional, and 9th at the Elmwood Sectional which secured his 2nd State meet birth. His final season for the Rockets also included individual victories at both the Rushville and PORTA Invitational's and medalist honors at the Canton Invite and Quincy's Tom Oakley.

Devin Neff, So., Mark Twain - One of the best runners in the area on the Missouri side of the river, the Mark Twain Sophomore produced plenty of results to make you take notice. He was 5th at the Running Raider Invitational, before rattling of top 3 finishes in all but one other regular season meet he competed in. Neff was the EMO Conference Champion, and placed 2nd overall at the Class 2 District meet in Bowling Green before he placed 47th overall at the Class 2 Missouri State Championship.

Noah Pyles, Jr., Macomb - The Macomb Juniors season started slow, but progressively built over the course of the season to produce late season results to help lead the Bombers. A 5th place All-Conference finish at the West Central Conference meet lead to a 10th place finish at the Aledo Regional and an eventual 28th place finish at the Elmwood Sectional. He ran a lifetime best of 16:26 for 3 miles at the Patriot Invite in mid-October.

Reed Tate, Jr., Liberty - Tate emerged in his Junior campaign as a stronger and more consistent runner for the Eagles. With 8 overall top 10 finishes in his season, that included 7th at the Running Raider, 9th at the Tom Oakley, and 6th at Liberty, the Eagles #2 proved he belongs in the conversation of the top runners in the area. The 4th place finisher at the West Central Conference meet, Tate finished his season with finishes of 7th at Franklin, 23rd at the Elmwood Sectional and 82nd at the Class 1A State Meet running 16:25 to help lead the Eagles to 13th place overall as a team.

Brendan Watson, Jr., Hannibal - Watson had a strong and consistent season that was vital to his team's success on the course this Fall. 6th place overall finishes at the Running Raider and Tom Oakley meets helped to secure his team victories and cement himself as a top local runner. Watson was 6th at the NCM Conference meet, and placed 7th at the Class 3 District meet before finishing 89th at the Missouri Class 3 Championship helping his team place 9th.

All- Area Honorable Mention -

Bowling Green - Reid Glenn, Jr., Justin LeBeouf, So., Connor Shannon, Fr.

Clark County - Blain Lindsey, Jr.

Liberty - Brady Cook, Sr., Logan Waid, Jr.

Macomb - Zach Zahnle, Jr.

Marion County - Alex Click, Sr.

Palmyra - Riley Fee, Sr.

QHS - Wyatt Wollaston, Jr.

QND - Carter Henry, Sr.