The California High School varsity cross country team competed at the Tri-County Conference Meet at Eldon Thursday, where the Lady Pintos clenched the conference title, while the Pintos were just one point away from winning the conference championship as well.
The Pintos finished in second place with 49 points, just one point behind Blair Oaks, who took the boys' title with 48. Hallsville finished third with 88.
The Lady Pintos won with 45 points, followed by Blair Oaks in second place with 54 and Osage in third place with 56.
California's Lizzy Kirby was the conference champion in first place in the the girls division with 19:59. Katie Imhoff followed in second place with 20:24; Leah Korenberg, fifth, 20:39; Regan Downing, 15th, 23:25; and Emily Ziehmer, 22nd, 24:42.
In the boys division, Brett Voss, Blair Oaks, was the first place finisher and conference champion with 16:21. California's Adam Burkett finished in fourth place with 17:05. Zach Merrill followed in fifth place with 17:17; Dakota Harris, eighth, 17:35; Eli Freeman, 14th, 17:52; Justin Mitchell, 18th, 18:06; Josh Long, 34th, 20:21; and Greg Schroeter, 37th, 20:54.
All-Conference honors were earned by the following California runners who finished in the top 15: Kirby, Imhoff, Korenberg, Downing, Burkett, Merrill, Harris and Freeman.
The CHS cross country team will compete at Fatima at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by the Class 2 District 4 Meet at Linn Saturday, Oct. 27. The girls will run at 2 p.m., and the boys at 3:20. Those who finish in the top 15 will advance to the 2012 state cross country championships Nov. 3 at Oak Hills Golf Center, Jefferson City.