Annalise Wagner, John Burroughs: Week 6, MVP

Annalise Wagner, sophomore at John Burroughs School has taken to track and field like a duck takes to water.

Really, she's quite good at new her spring time sport.

Wagner came from the pack and won the 800 and 1600 meter runs in the district finals at MICDS last week and ran on the first-place 4 X 800 meter relay. She will get a chance to do it again today in the sectioal competition on the MICDS track. Top four placers advance to next weekend's Class 3 state championship on the Dwight T. Reed Track at Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

Wagner is popular at the ballot box. Of the 224 votes cast for MVP this week, she gathered 110 votes (49 percent). MICDS middle distance star Amos Bartelsmeyer, a junior got 59 votes (26 percent). Hanna Benben, senior soccer star at Villa Duchesne got 49 votes (21) votes nad Jehu Chesson of Ladue track and Lex Kaplan of Ladue baseball split the rest.

This is what Annalise told Patch:

Year in School: Sophomore

Team: John Burroughs track and field

Position: Middle Distance runner

What do you like best about playing for your team?

My teammates, because everyone is so supportive and encouraging.  It’s a really great environment to be in every day—everyone motivates each other and cheers during all of the races, so it makes the effort worth it and the successes even better.

How is your team doing this year?

The boys team won districts last weekend, and the girls team got fifth out of a tough field.  It’s hard because our school is so small, so we don’t have people running in the majority of events. But everyone’s improved a lot since last year and we have a relatively young team, so I’m excited to see how we all continue to develop.

What other sports do you play?

I played soccer for about nine years, but recently made the switch to exclusively running cross country and track.

What is your favorite tune in your I-Pod?

Before I run, I like to listen to “Let’s Get it Started (Black Eyed Peas)” or “I’ll Make a Man out of You (From Mulan)”

Previous MVP's:

• Trey Baur, MICD baseball

• Greg Gannon, Ladue baseball

• Foster Bundy, MICDS lacrosse

• Katie Prosperi, St. Joe lacrosse

• Caroline Militello, MICDS soccedr