Hunter Patton Clinches Third All-State Finish in Final Race

In the Class AA state boys cross country race held on October 21, 2023, at Broadland Creek Golf Course, senior runner Hunter Patton of Mitchell High School secured his third all-state finish, concluding his high school career with an impressive 18th place. Patton completed the race in a time of 16 minutes, 28.5 seconds. His strategy involved a conservative start, mirroring the approach he took in previous years.

“I went out conservative in the first mile and then I tried kicking it up,” Patton explained. “I know it’s state; people are going to be going out fast. I knew I had plenty of time to work my way up.” This performance places him among an elite group of Mitchell runners, becoming only the fourth in the school’s history to achieve three all-state finishes, joining the ranks of Brad Fockler (1980-83), Erik Person (1989-91), and Chad Feeldy (1990-93).

Patton’s familiarity with the course proved beneficial, despite having only run it once this season due to scheduling conflicts with other prestigious events. His goal extends beyond personal accolades; he is committed to mentoring younger runners at Mitchell. “I’m just trying to set the younger kids up for a better cross-country season than I had,” he said. “There are promising runners who are not even in high school yet, and helping them is just the most beneficial thing I can do.”

Despite Patton’s strong performance, the Mitchell boys team finished 18th out of 19 squads. Other notable finishes included Micah Bennett in 90th place (18:02.95) and Karsten Herges in 99th (18:20.92). Other Kernel runners included Ben Gerlach (103rd, 18:27.49), Will Mullenmeister (104th, 18:28.75), Kaiden Colomb (128th, 19:58.17), and Blake Russell (129th, 20:12.41).

Mitchell’s girls team also competed, finishing 16th out of 18 teams in the Class AA race. Londyn Schroeder led the Kernels with a 42nd place finish (19:56.23), followed by Kapri Herges in 57th (20:13.94) and Skylar Lawson in 61st (20:22.22). Other finishers included Averi Gerfen (106th, 22:04.84), Sydnie Pischel (126th, 23:50.44), Khloe Mackey (128th, 24:00.33), and Amara Rinehart (129th, 25:08.81).

Chamberlain Girls Shine in Class A Race

The Chamberlain High School girls cross country team celebrated a remarkable third-place finish in the Class A race, drawing enthusiastic cheers at the finish line. The Cubs secured 106 points, with three runners finishing in the top 40, allowing them to stand on the team medal podium. The competition was fierce, with teams like Hill City (114 points) and Lennox (122 points) close behind.

Chamberlain coach Holly Evans noted how her team’s collective mindset shaped their performance. “On Thursday night, we had a team supper, and the girls set individual and team goals,” she said. “Last year, not getting up on that podium burned us. Everyone wanted to do better for the team this year.”

Leading the Cubs was freshman standout Grace Phillips, who finished sixth overall (18:37.07). Kylah Biggins also earned an all-state finish in 24th place (20:10.70), with Ava Schindler (48th, 20:49.31) and Sasha Van Den Bosch (52nd, 20:54.10) rounding out the team’s scoring.

In the Class B girls race, Kimball/White Lake finished third overall, led by Autumn Baker, who secured third place individually with a time of 19:28.87. Alli McCord also finished strong in seventh place (19:43.92), contributing to the team’s success.

Notable Performances from Other Teams

The Mitchell Christian girls team produced a significant result with eighth-grader Laura Nemec, who finished 20th (20:32.08) in the Class B race. This marked Nemec’s first all-state finish and the first for the school since Adaya Plastow in 2016. The Golden Eagles finished seventh overall with 86 points.

Additionally, Mount Vernon/Plankinton showcased strong performances with three all-state runners. In the Class A boys race, Hudson Schmidt finished 18th (17:10.77), while Abigail Engelland and Suri Schmidt placed 20th (19:47.53) and 23rd (20:00.20), respectively, in the girls race.

The Class B boys race featured notable finishes, including Luke Barreto from Gregory in 14th (17:32.74), Darron Moeller from Kimball/White Lake in 20th (17:57.03), and Lane McCune from Freeman in 24th (18:05.54).

As the season wraps up, the achievements of these young athletes highlight not only their individual talents but also the spirit of competition and camaraderie that defines high school cross country.