Trent Bruning is going back to the Missouri state cross country meet.
This time, the Wright City junior will have some company.
Bruning and Zoe Riggs will represent the Wildcats at the …
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Trent Bruning is going back to the Missouri state cross country meet.
This time, the Wright City junior will have some company.
Bruning and Zoe Riggs will represent the Wildcats at the Class 3 state meet on Thursday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia. Riggs will make her first state appearance, while Bruning will compete in Columbia for the second year in a row.
Bruning and Riggs qualified for state by turning in top-5 finishes at the District 3 championship meet on Oct. 31 at the Pike County Fairgrounds in Bowling Green. Bruning finished third with a season-best time of 17:32 in the boys race and Riggs came in fourth with a 20:44 in the girls race.
“Both ran really well this year,” Wright City coach Billy Garrett said. “Their goal was to get to state. I’m glad they met that goal.”
Riggs’ race at the state meet is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bruning will run at 3 p.m.
A year ago, Bruning was the lone Wright City state representative. He finished 113th with a 17:59 in the 2019 state meet.
Bruning said he’s happy that Riggs is joining him in Columbia.
“She’s going to get all-state this year,” Bruning said. “She’s going to be great and good things are coming.”
Riggs said she’s thrilled that she clinched a state berth in her first year with the Wright City cross country team.
“I’m really honored with all of the work that I put into it and the coaches and people encouraging me, helping me and watching me,” Riggs said. “I’m hoping to go to college for cross country and track.”
Riggs became the first Wright City runner to qualify for state in the girls division since Erin Tomschin in 2016.
“It’s a pretty big deal for the high school,” Riggs said.
Also this season, Riggs had a victory in the Van-Far Invite, placed second in the Palmrya Invitational and came in third in the Eastern Missouri Conference meet and Bowling Green Invitational.
“Zoe has been strong all season,” Garrett said. “We’re looking forward to seeing her make a strong finish at state.”
Bruning finished behind individual champion Dalton Gleeson of Hermann and runner-up Dawson McCown of Montgomery County at districts.
“Trent ran extremely well today,” Garrett said. “He beat his best time of the season by 20 seconds. It was really good.”
Bruning finished in the top five for the fourth time this season. He won the Van-Far Invite, placed fourth in the EMO meet and came in fifth in the Palmyra Invitational.
“It’s a great feeling,” Bruning said. “Last year, I got 15th in districts. This year, I got third in districts, so I improved a lot. I’m really excited. I actually have a chance to be all-state this year. I have pushed myself a lot over quarantine and COVID-19. I took advantage of it and it has paid off.”
Wright City didn’t field a full team in both boys and girls races at districts. The Wildcats had four runners in each race.
Junior Jackson Mazella (35th, 20:10), senior Caliou Florian Muller-Williams (37th, 20:17) and freshman Aiden Brummet (56th, 23:26) ran for the Wildcats in the boys division. Freshmen Kaedyn Johnson (41st, 25:26), Samantha Finch (53rd, 27:38) and Nicole Lotspeich (54th, 29:19) competed in the girls race.
