The Montgomery County cross country team enjoyed another outstanding season as it had an all-state medalist, two state qualifiers and a third straight Eastern Missouri Conference title in the girls division.

Junior Jadrian Thurmon became the fourth MCHS all-state medalist in five seasons after placing 15th with a personal-best time of 16:17.9 in the Class 3 state meet on Nov. 4. Thurmon joined senior Malia Rodgers as the Wildcats’ only representatives at state. Rodgers helped the MCHS girls team win the EMO meet by one point over Bowling Green.

The Wildcats had 13 runners, eight girls and five boys on their roster. Rodgers and Olivia Shaw were the only seniors. Thurmon, Beckham Cothren, Brendan Craven and Maddie West made up the junior class. The team also had sophomores Taylor River, Katlyn Kolling, Baileigh Nichols and Cooper Sellenriek and freshmen Austyn Robinson and Olivia Spurgeon and Jacob Roesner.

Thurmon was the Wildcats’ top runner all season long, earning medals in eight meets. He won the Mexico Invitational on Sept. 1 for his first cross country victory in the high school level.

Thurmon qualified for state for the second year in a row after placing seventh in the Class 3, District 3 championship meet at South Callaway High School on Oct. 28. Thurmon also picked up medals at the COMO Kick-Off, EMO meet, Gans Creek Classic, Camdenton Laker Invitational and the Bowling Green Invitational.

Rodgers was the top runner in the girls division, earning five medals. She wrapped up her high school career with 27 medals.

Rodgers won the individual championship of the EMO meet on Oct. 14 at North Callaway and qualified for state for the third time in four years after coming in seventh in districts. Rodgers also finished with medals at Laker Invitational, Gans Creek Classic and Bowling Green Invitational. She came up two places short of a medal at state as she finished 32nd. Rodgers missed the first two weeks of the 2023 season due to a stress fracture.

A total of 10 MCHS runners earned at least one medal this fall. Other runners who received medals were Shaw, Cothren, Craven, Sellenriek, Kolling, Robinson, Spurgeon and Roesner.

Shaw, who also played volleyball for the Wildcats, had a 19th-place finish at the Mexico meet with a 24:47. She came up two places short of a medal in the EMO meet, finishing 17th.

Robinson and Spurgeon each had two medals for the girls team. Robinson finished 11th at the Mexico meet and fourth at the EMO meet to earn an all-conference award. Spurgeon placed fifth at the Wellsville-Middletown Invitational on Sept. 18 and 14th at the EMO meet to earn all-league honors.

Cothren, Craven, Sellenriek, Kolling and Roesner earned medals at the W-M meet.

Also, West won a conference championship in the junior varsity girls division after placing 36th with a 32:04 at the EMO meet.

The MCHS girls scored 36 points at the EMO meet to win their third straight conference championship.

Chasity Rodgers wrapped up her 12th season as MCHS coach.