Zizzer Cross Country continues winning tradition
Wed, 11/06/2024 - 11:35am
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By:
Sue Fiorino, contributing writer
It is time to start using the word “dynasty” to refer to Zizzer cross country.
Around West Plains, we hardly talk about how great our cross country team is. It is just known -- a given. The candy-striped shorts, the athletes running in packs all over the streets, and the legacy of championships are part of this town’s identity.
The numbers are staggering:
>37 District Championships for the boys team
>32 District Championships for the girls team
>47 State appearances for the boys finishing 37 times in the Top 4
>42 State appearances for the girls finishing 27 times in the Top 4
>13 State Championships for the boys team
>14 State Championships for the girls team
>8 Individual State Champions for the boys
>5 Individual State Champions for the girls
In 2019, the entire program was inducted in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as the “West Plains High School Cross Country Program.” Not just a team and not just an era of good teams -- but the program as a whole. The legendary cross country coach, Joe Bill Dixon, was inducted in 2001. In total, he coached at West Plains for 42 years and established the red and white striped shorts as a tradition of achievement. If an athlete meets a certain time standard, they earn the privilege of wearing the candy-stripes that season.
The boys’ team is so good this year they are likely to break the 16-year drought on State Championships for the boys. The only meet in which they did not have a First or Second place team finish was in Lawrence, Kan. back in September. The Zizzer boys won the Ozark Mountain Conference championship, the District 2 championship for Class 4, and even a prestigious invitational in Memphis.
The girls’ team is much smaller, only seven girls total, but also combined their talents to win the Ozark Mountain Conference championship, the District championship and many small meets throughout the season. Last year, the girls placed second at state.
Both cross country teams travel to Columbia, Mo. to run in the Class 4 State Championships this Saturday, November 9.
According to Zizzer Cross Country head coach Alicia Gunter, “Both teams have a real chance to bring home a trophy. If we go up there focused and run tough races, it could be a really exciting weekend.”