A year ago, Austyn Robinson and Olivia Spurgeon were the 1-2 punch of the Montgomery County Middle School girls cross country team. Now, they are enjoying outstanding freshman seasons with the Montgomery County High School girls squad.
Robinson and Spurgeon have been solid additions to the Wildcats as they have combined for four medals. On Oct. 14, they not only earned medals at the Eastern Missouri Conference meet, but they also helped the MCHS girls capture their third straight league championship.
Robinson placed fourth with a 22:17.67 and Spurgeon came in 14th with a 23:22.73 at the EMO championship meet at North Callaway High School to earn all-conference honors. They joined Caitlin Grote and Harley Haywood of Bowling Green as the only freshmen to receive all-league notice.
Robinson said she was thrilled that she and Spurgeon were part of an EMO championship team in their first season of high school cross country.
“We did the best of our abilities,” Robinson said. “I think we did really well. Everybody had a great kick at the end.”
The two freshmen are hoping for more success on Oct. 28, when they compete at the Class 3, District 3 championship meet at South Callaway High School. The top 30 individuals qualify for the Class 3 state meet on Nov. 4 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia. The MCHS girls will race at 10:15 a.m., while the boys team will run at 9:30 a.m.
“It’s nerve-racking, but I’m excited because this is big for us being freshmen,” Robinson said. “Most freshmen don’t get the chance to do this. I’m excited that we got to be able to make it to districts.”
Robinson earned her first high school cross country medal at the Mexico Invitational on Sept. 1, placing 11th with a 24:08.
“Getting a medal in Mexico was really amazing for me and exciting because I was very nervous when I got there,” Robinson said. “I usually get really nervous before races. I was really nervous for this one. So I freaked out. Since I had everybody cheering me on and had so much inspiration and really good role models, I did really well.”
Spurgeon placed fifth at the Wellsville-Middletown Invitational on Sept. 18th to pick up her first high school medal.
“That was a lot of fun, especially since I got fifth in middle school the year before,” Spurgeon said.
Last year, Robinson had seven top-10 finishes, including a first-place effort at the Wellsville-Middletown Invitational. Spurgeon placed in the top 20 three times, including a fifth-place performance at the W-M meet. This year, they are part of a MCHS girls team that has a total of four new runners.
Robinson said she is enjoying the high school cross country experience after two months.
“It’s different from middle school,” she said. “I feel like we have more fun and have a lot more bonding.”
As for Spurgeon, she is already looking forward to the 2024 season.
“I’m definitely coming back next year,” she said.
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