Both Salem XC Squads Finish in Top 10 at Steelville Meet
September 18, 2026
The Girls team finished in 4th place, with Zoey Elliott bringing home top medalist honors, and the boys team finished 8th overall in a strong showing at the meet in Steelville.
Heat is the Story Once Again
Another meet had a delayed start time due to the brutal lates summer Missouri heat. But that was something the Salem Cross Country teams have grown accustomed to and don't seem to let it bother them.
This was the first meet of the season where Coach Will Hubbs had his entire group running. He is seeing the improvement in his runners and sees that this young group of runners are figuring things out.
"Wesley Dooley and Quinn Cooper are coming into their own. Both of them ran their 5k in the 23 minute range and Noah Hooden Pyle wasn't far behind (in the 24 minute range)," said Coach Hubbs.
Coach Hubbs was impressed with their their work ethic and commitment. "It was hot, the meet got delayed (because of the heat) and they could have just phoned in the race. They didn't. They ran hard and they improved."
The girls team is really starting to run well as all of them posted their fastest time of the season.
Zoey Elliott , who was 3rd the last meet, was not to be denied on Thursday, with a peformance that put her in the top spot on the girls side.
While this was not her fastest career time, Coach Hubb felt that this might be her best race. "With a time of 21:39 she was just off her personal career best of 21:27 - which she ran in St James last year. She finished ahead of the next runner by almost 1 minute. I think she still looked really strong at the end of the race. I think she will improve on that time in our upcoming races."
Individual Finishes
Varsity Boys: Team finish 8th
40. Quinn Cooper 23:35
42. Wesley Dooley 23:47
52. Noah Hoodenpyle 24:46
57. Parker Dempsey 26:58
59. Josiah Fredrickson 28:56
60. Tyler Walters 29:22
63. Jaron Utt 33:16
Varsity Girls: Team Finish 4th
1. Zoey Elliott 21:39
43. Abbi Terrill 32:09
45. Bea Hovey 32:40
48. Savannah Beard 34:12
52. Clara Cooper 38:46
53. Danica Garner 38:52
54. Jhonine Maralit 39:23
What's Next
The next race is in Belle on Tuesday September 22. It will be a quick turnaround, but Belle is one of the favorite courses for the team to run. They enjoy the picturesque lake that the runners have to go around, adding a different feel and vibe, to run in such a nice setting for a course.
Last year, Zoey won this race and Coach Hubbs expects another strong showing.
Based upon what he has witnessed so far this young season, he is expecting improvement across the board.
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