After enjoying a successful 2024 season in which it had two runners compete at the Class 4 state meet, the Warrenton cross country team is hoping for bigger and better things in 2025.

“My goal is for the team to do better than last year. I want to have more than just one person from the boys and girls side to qualify for state,” Warrenton coach Jeremy Collins said. 

Alexis Ruff and Matt Craven return after representing the Warriors in last year’s state meet. They will lead a group of key returners that includes Madeline Schoppenhorst, Malia Hopper, Ava Schneider and Jonathan Sweitzer. Last year, Schneider narrowly missed a state berth and Schoppenhorst and Hopper were sidelined due to an injury.

Craven is optimistic about the boys team’s potential. 

“I think we have a good team this year, so I feel like we have a good chance of going to state as a team,” Craven said. 

The program welcomes seven new runners, including freshmen Easton Miller and Landon Neace and senior Makenna Faubion.

“You can always have a surprise runner, so my goal is not to put any limitations on anybody, encourage them and see what we can do – it’s a good combination of kids that we have,” Collins said. 

Collins emphasized the emerging leadership from Ruff, a two-time state qualifier. 

“It always helps to have someone like her who takes charge of everything,” Collins said. 

Ruff said she is coming into her junior season very confident.

“Compared to my freshman year, I didn’t think I had the ability to even do remotely good, but now I know I’m capable of it, so I have a very good and strong mentality this season,” Ruff said. 

Collins said he is hopeful the girls team can turn in a strong showing at districts and qualify for the state meet in Columbia.

“I think we can definitely compete for a top four spot, so I’m pretty optimistic and I know it’s going to be tough, but they’ve been working hard,” Collins said. 

Collins said in practices, his runners have been working on pacing themselves. 

“Once we get more of a base built up, we’ll start incorporating some interval workouts and some critical velocity training,” the Warrenton coach said. “It’s not quite a race pace, but it helps them get used to that race pace feel.” 

Warrenton begins its season on Aug. 29 at the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational. Collins said he simply wants to see improvement from all of his runners.

“I want to see everyone progress, work hard and also learn about themselves. Some of these workouts are tough and it’s like, ‘oh wow, I didn’t know I could run six miles,’” Collins said. “So hopefully, they’ll be not only faster but know they can accomplish things they didn’t know they could do.”