As she continues an unprecedented season in the history of Houston High School cross country, freshman Lyla Huffman has earned yet another victory.
This time Huffman took first at Thursday’s annual El Dorado Springs Invitational, beating a field of 74 runners with a time of 19:50.5 on the 5,000-meter course at Gene Pray Memorial Golf Course. She finished well over a minute ahead of the runner-up, Eldorado Springs senior Braylie Steward who came in at 21:02.3.
In nine outings so far this season, Huffman has won six races and finished second three times, posting sub-20 times on three occasions (the only three in school history). Her next race will be the biggest of her budding career, when she and the rest of the HHS runners return to El Dorado Springs on Nov. 1 for the Class 3 District 2 championships.
Huffman’s efforts helped the Lady Tigers place third among seven teams with five-runner scores, while El Dorado Springs won and Stockton was second.
Other runners making up Houston’s score included senior Lilly Kincaid in 10th, sophomore Jessyn Allen in 22nd, senior Natalie Clinton in 28th and junior Adyson Dailing in 33rd.
The HHS boys placed sixth among 10 teams with scores, while Eldorado Springs won and McAuley Catholic came in second.
Junior home-schooler Marcus Posant was first to finish for the Tigers, placing 15th in a field of 116 at 19:00.1. Houston’s other scorers included senior Jack Sawyer in 26th, sophomore Christopher Meier in 46th, senior Jackson Evetts in 55th and sophomore Michael Perez in 56th.
El Dorado Springs junior Wyatt Klaiber won the race with a blazing fast time of 15:35.2.
ONLY ONE HMS RUNNER AT THE MEET
Houston Middle School’s lone participant at the meet was eighth-grader Myles Copley, who remained undefeated for the season by topping a field of 32 in the middle school girls race with a personal-record time of 12:16.7 on the 3,200-meter course. Next to finish was Adrian eighth-grader Alayna Patterson at 13:08.3.
At the district meet, Huffman will get another chance to beat Fair Grove junior Katrina Cantwell, who has won races barely ahead of Huffman twice this season.
The HHS girls are looking to make a second-straight trip to the state meet, as the top-four teams from districts qualify for state and the Lady Tigers are ranked fourth in the district.
Copley and other HMS runners will compete this Saturday (Oct. 25) at the Missouri Middle School Cross Country Championships at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland.
Copley and Oliver Choate (who is also undefeated this season) both won seventh-grade state crowns last year and are positioned to win eighth-grade titles this year.
Choate and the HMS boys are also unbeaten in 2025 and are hopeful for another win, this time for all the marbles.