2021 Tri-State Cross Country Coaches girls all-area team

Runner of the Year — Anna Schuering, Sr., Quincy High School

If there’s one thing that 2021 showed, it was that 2020 was no fluke for Quincy High School senior Anna Schuering. The reigning Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls Runner of the Year used the 2020 season as her coming out party to the area and the state. Unfortunately, for Anna, 2020 was a myriad of smaller meets and a shortened season due to Covid-19. However, that didn’t take away from the stellar season she had. Anna still won her first Western Big 6 conference individual title and led the Blue Devil women to the team title en route. She also qualified for the Shazam Championships, a meet that took place in lieu of the State Championships. A high quality meet, but not Detweiller Park in November.

On to 2021. Things were back to normal. The schedule, the IHSA post season, the goals. Could Schuering repeat her 2020 season? Could she be as consistent as she was in 2020? The simple answer, as she showed, was emphatically yes.

Schuering started the 2021 season where she left off in 2020, with big goals and lots to prove. Most importantly, she was able to repeat her Western Big 6 individual champion title and earn her first trip to Detweiller Park in November to race at the IHSA state championships. Only time would tell if she could deliver. Anna started off the season strong, placing 2^nd at the Moline opener, running 19:27 for 3 miles. She then went on to repeat her victory as the individual champion at the QND Running Raider, QHS Tom Oakley, and Liberty Invitational. In the middle of the season, she ran 18:02 at the Richard Spring Invitational held at Detweiller Park, placing 30^th overall in a state caliber quality field, showing she was capable of earning herself the elusive state appearance that was taken from her in 2020.

As the post season arrived, Anna was fit and ready to take on all comers. She repeated as the Western Big 6 conference champion running 18:42 for 3 miles. En route to the individual title, Schuering led the Blue Devils to the team title as well, giving the Devils back-to-back individual and team titles within the conference. Goals 1 and 2 were checked off the list. When the IHSA post season started she would place 3^rd overall at the 3A Normal Sectional running 18:14. She would follow that up the next week with an 11^th place showing at the Quincy Sectional where she ran 19:14 in muddy conditions to qualify for the state championships. Goal number 3 was accomplished.

Finally, after years of hard work, Anna was able to toe the line at Detweiller Park on November 6^th, 2021 to race at the IHSA 3A State Cross Country Championships where she would place 65^th overall and run a seasons best 17:55 for 3 miles. This capped an outstanding high school career for the Blue Devils senior, and proved that 2020 was not a fluke. That her hard work and dedication over the last few years were worth the hard work and sacrifice. She had achieved her goals that she had set and worked hard for the one opportunity she was granted to race the state’s best. It was all worth it.

For her efforts on the course in the fall of 2021, Anna Schuering has been named this year’s Tri-State Cross Country Coaches Girls Runner of the Year.

First Team All-Area

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Grace Buschling, Sr., Clark County – The Clark County Senior caps off a four-year run of 1^st team All-Area accolades in 2021. She was 3^rd overall at the QND Running Raider in the early season. Her senior season ended with a 3^rd place All-Conference finishing and a runner-up finish at the Missouri District meet, running 20:28 for 5k, helping her team win their first ever team conference championship. Buschling finished 9^th at the Missouri State Meet running 20:24 giving her 4 top 10 state meet finishes in her high school career.

Jocelyn Dorsey, Soph., Hannibal – The Pirate Sophomore became a name to watch in the Tri-State area in 2021. She started early with a 13^th place finish at the Running Raider. She finished 31^st at the Gans Creek Classic running 21:35 for 5k. She then finished 18^th at the Bowling Green Invite running 21:20. The highlight of Dorsey’s season however was a runner-up finish at the NCMC Conference Meet in Kirksville. Dorsey was in position to qualify for the Missouri State Meet but fainted with 200m to go. She will look to rebound in 2022 and make her first state appearance.

Theresa Drotar, Sr., QND – Drotar’s season was a strong build throughout. Starting with a strong 11^th place finish at the Running Raider, she continued to build from there. She placed 7^th at the Tom Oakley and was 5^th at the Liberty Invitational. She went on to win the West Central Conference individual crown running 20:45 for 3 miles at Liberty. Her season did not end the way she had hoped when she battled sickness at the Elmwood Sectional. The Lady Raiders will have to rebound next year with the loss of Drotar and her leadership.

Ella Hayes, So., Monroe City – 2021 was another consistent year for the Panthers’s sophomore. She was 7^th at the Salsbury meet early in the season before placing 16^th at the Running Raider in a time of 21:47 for 3 miles. She placed 25^th overall at the always tough Bowling Green meet, where she ran 21:57 for 5k. Hays placed 17^th at the Missouri District meet to help the Panthers qualify as a team for the Missouri State meet. At the Class 2 State Championships, Hays ran 22:03 to place 51^st overall. Look for Hays to step up into the #1 runner position next fall with the graduation of Williams and try to lead the Panthers to the state meet again.

Amick McClelland, Fr., QHS – McClelland’s late season rise lands her on her first All-Area team. The Devil Freshman was a consistent piece to the Devils’s team success throughout the season once she climbed into a scoring position for their squad. Once there, she never looked back. However, it was the post season where she really shined. McClelland placed 10^th at the Western Big 6 meet where she ran 20:22 for 3 miles to solidify the Devils back-to-back conference team titles. She went on to run 20:32 at the Normal Regional to help the Devils advance to the Quincy Sectional where she ran 22:07 to help the Devils place 10^th overall as a team.

Megan McMillen, Sr., Bowling Green – McMillen capped off a stellar high school career in 2021 with quality finishes throughout the year. She was 6^th at the QND Running Raider early in 2021. She was All-Conference finishing 4^th in 20:55 for 5k and All-District. She capped her career running 20:08 for 5k to place 24^th overall at the Missouri State meet to finish All-State. The Bobcats will miss her front running in 2022.

Alexandria Meyers, Jr., QHS – Meyers has been a staple at the top of the Blue Devil roster since the first day she joined the squad. The Devil Junior has been consistent as ever and 2021 was no different. She was 8^th at the Running Raider and placed runner-up at the Tom Oakley Invitational. She was also 4^th at the Liberty Invitational before the post season started. Meyers was instrumental in the Blue Devils winning their 2^nd straight Western Big 6 team title when she placed 3^rd overall running 19:25 for 3 miles at Sterling. Meyers went on to place 9^th at the Normal Regional running 19:08 to help the Devils advance to the Quincy Sectional where she ran 20:25 in muddy conditions to place 50^th overall. Meyers will look to lead the Devils next year with the graduation of Anna Schuering and finish her varsity career strong.

Arianna Neisen, Soph., Liberty – Neisen rebounded well from an up and down freshman season to find her stride in 2021. She was 12^th at the Running Raider Invite. She had a PR race of 20:12 for 3 miles at the St. Joseph Ogden Spartan Classic that sparked several strong mid-season performances including finishing 4^th at the Tom Oakley and 7^th at the Liberty Invite. A late season injury didn’t allow her to compete in the WCC Conference meet or run at full potential at the IHSA Regional. However, Neisen ran strong for the Eagles at the IHSA Sectional in Elmwood where she placed 31^st in 20:55 narrowly missing a trip to the IHSA State meet. She will look to qualify for the State Championships next season as a junior.

Olivia Schuering, So., QHS – The younger Schuering followed her strong freshman campaign with an even more impressive sophomore year. She was strong from start to finish for the Devils. She placed 9^th at the Running Raider. She was 3^rd at the Tom Oakley and Liberty Invitational respectively. The post season is where Schuering showed out the most. Finishing 4^th overall at the Western Big 6 meet in 19:45 for 3 miles garnered her All-Conference honors and help the Devils to the team title. She went on to place 11^th at the Normal Regional running a PR of 19:09 for 3 miles. She will look to step into her older sisters shoes next year and fight for the #1 runner honors for the Devils’s squad.

Delaney Straus, Sr., Marion County – No stranger to the All-Area First-Team, Straus finds herself here for the 4^th consecutive year. While dual sporting with softball, Straus was able to have yet another stellar season to cap an impressive 4 year high school career. She was 5^th at the Running Raider and Tom Oakley Invitational. She placed 4^th at the Missouri District meet, running 22:30 for 5k before capping her career with a 11^th place finish at the Missouri State Meet, where she ran 21:07 for 5k. Straus has been a staple name for the area the last four years and will be missed on this list in 2022.

Emmalee Williams, Sr., Monroe City – The Lady Panthers #1 finds herself on the First Team again in 2021. She placed 3^rd overall early in the season at the Salsbury meet before placing 7^th at the Running Raider where she ran 20:28 for 3 miles. She was 10^th at the Bowling Green Invite, running 20:14 for 5k. When post season rolled around Williams was on her game. She placed 4^th overall at the Missouri District Meet to help the Panthers team qualify for the State Championships. At the Missouri State Class 2 Championships, Williams went on to run 20:30 for 5k to place 12^th overall and earn All-State Honors.

Honorable Mention

Bowling Green — Abbie Waddell, Sr.

Clark County — Cady St. Clair, Jr., Delana Hess, Sr., Mia Johnson, Soph.

Hannibal — Ava Bonvillian, Fr.

Liberty — Larissa Neisen, Sr.

Macomb — Khyliegh Diggs, Sr.

Mark Twain — Matera Ellis, Jr., Cynthia Resor, Soph.

Quincy High School — Keeauna Scheufele, Soph.

Quincy Notre Dame — Abigail Genenbacher, Soph., Natalie Farah, Fr., Makayla Patton, Fr.

Rushville-Industry — Katie Park, Jr.

Editor’s note: All selections are made by the Tri-State Cross Country Coaches