Austyn Spinks is definitely making up for lost time this year with the Montgomery County girls cross country team.

The junior returned to the squad this fall after not competing last year and is enjoying an outstanding season that included two medals, including one at the Eastern Missouri Conference championship meet on Oct. 18 at Bowling Green.

Spinks left the Pike County Fairgrounds with her second all-conference medal after placing eighth with a season time of 22 minutes, 47.2 seconds. She earned all-league honors in her freshman year.

“Obviously I didn’t run last year, so it means a lot,” Spinks said. “I’m just glad to have that title (of all-conference performer) back again.”

Spinks came up 30 seconds short from her personal-best time of 22:17 she ran at the EMO meet in her freshman year at North Callaway. 

Spinks was one of five MCHS runners who earned all-league honors. Freshman Anna Johnson placed 12th with a 24:37, senior Katlyn Kolling came in 13th with a 24:48 and junior Olivia Spurgeon finished 14th with a 24:51 in the girls race. Junior Jacob Roesner finished 11th with a 19:05 in the boys race.

Johnson, Kolling and Roesner earned an EMO award for the first time, while Spurgeon picked up her third. The top 15 finishers are awarded all-conference.

“I’m so proud of everyone,” Kolling said. “We did so good.”

Kolling was one of four seniors to earn all-league honors in the girls race. Last year, she finished 22nd at the EMO meet at North Callaway.

“It meant a lot to me because it showed that my hard work paid off and I was able to push through not being the best,” Kolling said. “Then, I got better so I could accomplish the things I wanted to accomplish.”

Also for the Wildcats, junior Noah Lacy placed 33rd with a 23:38 in the boys race. MCHS had a total of just six runners competing in the EMO meet.

The MCHS girls are without two of their runners – seniors Taylor River and Baleigh Nichols – due to injury. Spinks said despite the key losses, her team stays motivated in every race.

“We all work together and mainly just pray about it,” the junior said. “We all have really strong faith in our team, so it’s nice.”

Spinks’ strong faith helped her turn in a strong showing at the EMO meet. She wrote Biblical scriptures of Isaiah 60:22 on her left arm and Philippians 4:13 on her right leg.

“It’s just a motivational thing to keep me going and for other people to keep going when they read it,” Spinks said.

Spinks, who changed her last name from Robinson this year, has been the top runner for the girls team all season long. She said she was thrilled to return this year after taking a year off.

“It feels great,” Spinks said. “The injuries kind of suck because my knee still hurts, but it was nothing too bad for me to not stop running. I’m going to keep running.”

Spinks earned a medal at the Linn Invitational on Sept. 13, placing 12th with a 24:55.

“Linn was quite intimidating,” Spinks said. “I didn’t think I would do good with me coming back and just starting on hills. But then, it turned out that I did really good and I medaled in that meet and I PR’ed. It was a really good race. It was just hot.”

Spinks is setting her sights on a strong showing in the postseason. The Wildcats return to Linn on Nov. 1 for the Class 3 district meet.

“I’m excited to go back to Linn because I had a really good time there,” Spinks said. “Hopefully, I can make it to state this year.”

If Spinks goes to state in cross country this year, she will compete in her second state event of the year. She competed in the 1,600-meter relay at the Class 3 state track meet in May.

“That will be cool if I do make it,” Spinks said. “I really hope I do because that would be a whole different feeling. Me being off with my injury and everything, that would be great if I got to go to state this year.”