READY TO RUN

NHS senior Alex Bledsoe leads the pack during the early stages of the District 7 meet last Saturday at Swope Park in Kansas City. Jason Peake/Daily Mail

By Jason Peake

Daily Mail Sports Editor

Alex Bledsoe has his goals set extremely high as he prepares for this weekend's MSHSAA Class 3 State Cross Country Championships.

Members of the NHS boys cross country team take off at the start of last Saturday's district meet in Kansas City.

The Nevada High School senior will run with the state's best on Saturday at Jefferson City's Oak Hills Golf Center. The Class 3 boys race is scheduled to start at 12:35 p.m.

Coming off an individual district title at Swope Park on Saturday, Bledsoe will look to finish his prep cross country career on a high note.

Bledsoe finished 15th at the state meet a year ago.

"He should finish better than he did last year," Nevada Coach Robert Watts said recently. "His times are better. He's running a lot stronger."

Bledsoe said he knows what to expect at state, and is preparing this week with one last XC race in mind.

"The state course is known as one of the hardest courses in the country because of the hills," Bledsoe said last Saturday. "Hills...that's what I'll be working on this week."

The Tigers' standout said he'll be pleased if he can finish in the top three at state. He was quick to add that he would prefer first place.

The favorite to win the Class 3 title is Drew White of Festus. White finished second at state last year as a junior (15:57). White won the District 1 title with a time of 15:39.

"If I can beat him, I'll get my title," Bledsoe said. "That's my goal."

Other top contenders in Class 3 include Max Jobson of Liberty North, Shane Brown of Festus and Amos Bartlesmeyer of MICDS.

Bledsoe hopes to be in the mix, too.

Again, the MSHSAA State Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday at Jefferson City.