Missouri Standouts Connor Burns and Sage Wilde Will Get A Chance To Race, Southlake Carroll Teams Poised For Big Weekend In Arkansas

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Connor Burns seemed to have victory in his grasp at last year's Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival when he got outkicked by Max Girardet of Central Catholic OR in the final 100 meters. 

Burns, a senior at Southern Boone MO who went on to break Jim Ryun's national junior class record in the mile last spring, is expected to return Saturday to Chile Pepper with a chance to move up a spot. 

The El Caliente races represent the premier high school fields in one of the largest invitationals in Arkansas. 

In the boys race, the anticipation is building for a matchup beween Burns, a University of Oregon commit, and Liberty North MO junior Sage Wilde, who was fifth in last year's Chile Pepper race. 

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST OF CHILE PEPPER CROSS COUNTRY FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 30 AND OCTOBER 1

Burns and Wilde compete in different classes in Missouri, so Saturday's race carries some additional significance. Burns is No. 8 and Wilde is No. 27 in the latest DyeStat Top 30 rankings. 

Burns traveled out of state to compete Sept. 17 at the Richard Spring Invitational at Detweiller Park in Peoria, winning in 14:22.2 (three miles). 

Wilde has enjoyed a tremendous September with three victories in 5-kilometer races where he ran under 15 minutes: The Tim Nixon Invitational (14:54.4), the Olathe Twilight (14:45.7) and the Missouri Southern Stampede (14:55.8). 

Last year, Burns ran 14:56.3 for second place at Chile Pepper. Wilde ran 15:10.8. 

Southlake Carroll TX (South#2) will run two teams in the El Caliente boys race and is the team favorite. Kickapoo of Missouri, Bentonville and Fayetteville of Arkansas, Edmond North of Oklahoma and Liberty North of Missouri are among the top teams in the field.

Southlake Carroll, led by Logan Cantu, has seven runners who have gone under 16 minutes this season in 5-kilometer races. 

Kickapoo features a strong pairing up front with Tyler Harris and Grant Musick. 

Hudson Betts of Fayetteville and James American Horse from Bentonville are two of the top runners in Arkansas. 

Southlake Carroll's girls, the No. 1 team in the NXR South region, have the depth to send three teams into the El Caliente girls field. 

The top two for Carroll, Alexandra Walsh and Ava Bushaw, should be in the mix for the individual title as well. 

Some others that could run off with the victory included freshman Gabbie Bishop from Providence Classical Christian, who won the Missouri Southern Stampede by 104 seconds with 18:00.

Margaret Thompson of Hockaday TX finished fourth in the Southlake Carroll Invitational and ran 17:29 behind Walsh and Bushaw. 

Olivia Pielemeier of Lake Hamilton AR won the Cyclone Invitational last weekend in 18:13.8. Natalie Duggan from Deer Creek Santa Fe OK won the Edmond Pre-State XC meet last weekend in 18:31.5. And Morgan Kirkland of Edmond North was second last week at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in 18:56.5.