Kingsville boys cross country wins third straight district title
Published 4:35 am Sunday, November 1, 2026
Kingsville boys cross country earned its third consecutive district title, topping the team standings in the Class 1 District 4 meet on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Platte Ridge Park in Platte City.
The Tigers had 63 points, six ahead of runner-up St. Joseph Christian. The placement in the top four automatically qualifies Kingsville for state as a team.
Senior Avery Barnes led Kingsville in fifth with a time of 17:26.60. Sophomore Cole Smith finished 14th with a time of 17:58.50, freshman Derek Merriot finished 16th with a time of 18:07.30, senior Gideon Melling finished 21st with a time of 18:21.80, junior Jack Ewing finished 22nd with a time of 18:30.90, junior Levi Dennis finished 23rd with a time of 18:34.60 and freshman Tyson Utterback finished 53rd with a time of 20:22.80.
Junior Peyton Kee ran in the girls race, finishing 42nd with a time of 26:40. She missed the top-30 to advance to Columbia by just over two minutes.
Crest Ridge also competed on Saturday, sending a pair of runners onto state.
Sophomore Jaycee Gower qualified in the girls race, finishing 23rd with a time of 23:59.
Junior Clayton Gower qualified in the boys race, finishing 26th with a time of 18:39.70. The top-30 time needed to advance was 18:55.40.
Sophomore Beck Brandes finished 66th with a time of 21:20.50, sophomore Ryker Williams finished 72nd with a time of 22:19.60, sophomore Ethan Gamblin finished 76th with a time of 22:45.40, sophomore Shawn Peterson finished 85th with a time of 23:15.90, sophomore Teagen Kaeser finished 99th with a time of 25:21.40 and sophomore Nolan Dettmer finished 100th with a time of 25:22.10.
The MSHSAA Class 1 Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Gans Creek Recreation Area in Columbia. Jaycee Gower will run at 11 a.m., followed by the Clayton Gower and the Kingsville boys at 11:45 a.m.
The Kingsville boys will be looking for a top-four team finish for the second consecutive year. A year ago, they became the first team in school history to accomplish the feat. Boys basketball and softball went on to earn top-four finishes during the school year.
The top 30 individuals will receive all-state recognition.
Joe Andrews can be reached at 660-747-8123.
