MICDS' Amos Bartelsmeyer Leads Area Runners Out Of The Gate

The Ladue-Frontenac Patch will likely field very strong cross country teams this fall. In particular, the MICDS boys should be one of the top small schools in the area while the Ladue boys and girls cross country teams will be the class of the Suburban East and should do well in big meets too.

Amos Bartelsmeyer, senior at MICDS is primed for college running. He is looking seriously at a variety of Ivy League schools. He won the Class 3 state mile championship in 4:14 and ran a blistering 4:11 at the Festival of Miles Invitational at St. Louis U. High right after the state meet.

Bartelsmeyer took fourth in the Class 3 cross country championships last fall in Jefferson City and should be the odds-on favorite to win this year. He should duel often with rival Kirk Smith of John Burroughs.

Last year Bartelsmeyer ran a long course best of 15.54, 10th best in the area and most of those runners above him on the list graduated including Drew White who is now at Mizzou.

The Rams captured fourth as a team at state cross country and return their top five runners. Klasey Medelberg will lead the Lady Rams.

The Ladue girls will be strong. Anna Nelson had the 12th best time in the area last year as a junior at 19:17 in the Suburban East meet at Shaw Park. Nelson captured 16th in state last year and did well during the track season and should be a real threat this fall.

Kate White, junior took 22nd at state and has a personal best of 19:57.She is Ladue's only runner ever to earn all state recognition for two years.

Strayhorn will count on three more juniors: Eva Klingenberg, Victoria Soncasie and Jessica Stromsdorfer.

Ladue coaches just found out Friday they have been moved to Class 4 for the state meet. "It's hard to predict who will make up our varsity but we're excited for the start of the season. Since we just moved up to Class 4, our path to state will be more challenging," said Strayhorn.

The Ladue boys are working hard to be competitive. The big three are: Drew Hutchens, junior (16:45); Colin Cernick, senior (16:52) and Daniel Lloyd, junior, (18.40).

"Both Drew and Colin are training partners and we hope to continue that tradition," said Ladue's coach John Spencer.

The schedule gets going early. Area teams will test themselves August 31 at the Webster Groves tuneup in Blackburn Park or the Fleet Feet Kickoff meet in Fenton City Park.

The small schools will run in the Priory Invitational September 1 and on September 8, the state’s most prominent teams gather for the prestigious Big River Running Forest Park Festival.

Big River Running is out with its top 10  teams for boys and girls:

Top 10 Girls Teams:

1. Lee’s Summit West
2. St. Teresa’s of Kansas City
3. Francis Howell
4. Eureka
5. Kearney
6. Columbia Rock Bridge
7. Lee’s Summit North
8. Lafayette
9. Branson
10.Nerinx Hall

Top 10 Boys Teams:

1  Blue Springs, Kansas City
2. Columbia Rock Bridge
3. St.Louis U. High
4. Marquette
5. Springfield Glendale
6. Warrensburg
7. Rockhurst, Kansas City
8. Parkway West
9. West Plains
10.MICDS