Inductees

In eastern Missouri, where two-lane highways wind and dart through the pines in and near the Mark Twain National Forest, you’ll find a quaint community called Potosi.

From here has risen a giant in high school cross country, and for good reason. In the 1990s and on, middle schoolers logged 40 miles a week, increasing to 90 miles by the time they were seniors. In season, the Potosi High School boys practiced twice on weekdays and had long runs on Sundays.

“The dedication, motivation and commitment required was the reason why we never had too many people knocking down the door to be on the team,” former coach Steven Davis said. “But the ones who did achieved so much success both individually and team-wise. This was their second family.”

With the sport in their DNA, so to speak, the Trojans became one of the best in the Show-Me State. That’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted the Potosi High School Boys Cross Country Program with the Class of 2022.

Potosi has earned nine top four finishes at the Class 3 state meet since 1999. That includes seven state championships in Class 3 (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013), and a runner-up in 2004 and third place in 2008.

Notably, the 2006 team still holds the state record for the lowest team score (16) and placed eighth at the Nike National Cross Country Meet in Oregon.

Overall, it’s a history full of storylines.

Launched in 1971, Potosi has had only five head coaches in John Tweedie, Jerry Noble (1973-1980), Paul Fitzwater (1981-1994), Steven Davis (1995-2014) and Amanda Politte (current).

The Trojans have won 14 district titles (1972, 1973, 1974, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001-2007) and had six other state-qualifying teams (1975, 1976, 1984, 1986, 1992, 2021). They also won 11 conference titles (1973, 1977, 1979 and 2002-2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2017).

Individual state champions have been Walker Eye (1999), Kyle Davis (2003), Josh Mathis (2005), Josh Thebeau (2006) and Jacob Swearingen (2007, 2008).

Additionally, the Trojans have secured 53 All-State honors, including 51 between 1996 and 2014.

Davis’ arrival in 1990 as a middle school coach eventually led to the dominat era. He had coached Viburnum to the 1986 state title.

From 1991 to 1995, the middle school boys enjoyed a 40-meet winning streak. Davis was then promoted to varsity head coach after Fitzwater took over the track & field program.

The 1996 varsity, with four freshmen and a junior, tied for fourth at state before falling to fifth on the tiebreaker. Potosi had only five runners, and the tiebreaker was based on the finish of a team’s sixth runner.

Not that anyone foresaw a dynasty ahead. The 1997 finished seventh, and the 1998 team had only three runners.

Then came the surge.

The 1999 team featured Eye, Chad Allen, Jake Malloy, and three others with little experience. Months later, they secured the program’s first state championship.

“Coach Davis had been with us in those middle school years and transitioned to high school with us, so we felt a special connection with him,” Malloy said.

In 2002, Potosi won state by 65 points and had four All-State runners.

Potosi’s 2003 team won by 85 points. That year, the roster had 14 runners, and the seven on junior varsity had times that would have earned a state trophy had they been entered into competition.

The 2004 team, despite three runners in the top six, finished second behind tradition-rich West Plains, whose enrollment had dropped it from Class 4.

Potosi exacted revenge in 2005, besting West Plains by 86 points as four runners earned All-State – with Mathis and Thebeau finishing first and second.

The 2006 record-setting Trojans were ranked No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 10 nationally by Dyestat. Six earned All-State, with Thebeau, Mathis and Jacob Swearingen taking the top three medals.

“I don’t know if we knew we could score that low (16), but we knew that we were going to dominate,” Thebeau said.

With many assuming a drop-off, Potosi won again in 2007. The Trojans edged West Plains 78-87 thanks, in part, to senior Joe Skelton placing fifth in only his second high school season.

The 2013 team won state by 19 points against Festus, which had edged the Trojans at districts.

Looking back, many others contributed to the success: supportive parents, administrators and even West Plains coach Joe Bill Dixon (MSHOF 2001), whose summer camps welcomed Potosi and made the Trojans even better.

Overall, what a run it’s been, literally.