Montgomery County junior Malia Rodgers was a busy athlete at the Eastern Missouri Conference championship meet on May 2 at Wright City, competing in four events in a combined total of 6,400 meters.

Her hard work paid off for the Wildcats in the 11-team meet as she had first-place finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200 and second-place finishes in the 800 and the 3,200-meter relay. The effort helped MCHS win its seventh EMO championship and its fourth in the last five years. The Wildcats won the meet with 122 points.

After the meet, Rodgers did some more running. She did a victory lap with her teammates at the Susan Wright Track.

“I’m proud of everyone and the sacrifices that everyone had to make in order to make this dream a reality,” said Rodgers, who also helped the cross country and girls basketball teams win EMO championships this year.

Two other MCHS athletes captured conference titles. Senior Lyric Ford won the 400 in 1:04.0 and the 800 in 2:28.35 and junior El Reagan came out on top in the pole vault in 10 feet.
Ford was the first athlete to receive the EMO championship plaque. She said she was happy her team won the conference title despite having just 13 athletes compete.

“Everybody pulled their weight when they were supposed to,” Ford said. “That definitely helped a lot.”

Freshmen Kaitlyn Kolling, Gracie Cobb, Skylar Bethmann and Josy Eversmeyer, sophomore Brenna Ludy, seniors Carie Schroer, Destiny Shaw and Carissa Doyle and juniors Morgan Koch and Presley Schluss also competed for the Wildcats.

Also, the MCHS boys team placed fourth with 89.5 points. The Wildcats had second-place finishes from Weston Marshall (javelin), Landon Massey (pole vault), Tyler Erwin (triple jump, long jump), the 400-meter relay and 1,600-meter relay teams, Jadrian Thurmon (1,600) and Jacer Brower (400).

Rodgers earned most valuable distance athlete honors at the EMO meet. She finished with a 5:45.38 in the 1,600, a 12:39.74 in the 3,200 and a 2:33 in the 800. She also helped the 3,200-meter relay team – which included freshman Gracie Cobb and seniors Destiny Shaw and Carie Schroer – run an 11:34.01. Rodgers ran the anchor leg of the 4x800.

Rodgers now has five first-place finishes in the conference meet in her high school track career. She had first-place finishes in the 3,200 and 4x800 in her freshman year and placed second in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 the following year.

Rodgers said she enjoyed running the 1,600 for the first time this season.

“It’s always fun to run something different,” she said. “When you run the same events over and over, it gets kind of boring.”

Rodgers picked up her fourth first-place finish in the 3,200 this season with the win at the EMO meet. The junior said even though she was showing signs of fatigue in the beginning of the race, she was determined to pick up a victory.

“When I got to the line, I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to do what I can,’” Rodgers said.

Now, Rodgers is setting her sights on qualifying for the Class 3 state meet for the third year in a row. She and the Wildcats will compete in a Class 3, District 4 championship meet at North Point High School in Wentzville on May 13.

“We’re going to go out and see what we can do,” Rodgers said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I always loved districts. It’s exciting. Everyone is so pumped. The fans are wild.”

Rodgers also wants to get back to the awards podium at the state meet. Last year, she came up one place short of earning all-state honors in the 3,200, placing ninth. She came in seventh in the 3,200 her freshman year.

“I wasn’t very pleased with myself last year,” Rodgers said. “We’ll call this the revenge season.”

Ford, who earned the meet’s most valuable middle distance athlete award, also finished third in the 200 and placed eighth in the 100. It was the first time this season that she competed in the sprinting events.

“We needed the extra points because we were so low on girls.” Ford said.

The Wildcats won their first conference title in 1996. They also came out on top in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2022.