Emma Rodgers was excited to begin running when the starting gun went off at 6 p.m. on Aug. 29 in the girls race of the Mexico Invitational.

“I’m one of those people who get stressed all week before the meets,” the Montgomery County freshman said. “So when the gun goes off, it is kind of a stress reliever. It feels good after the gun goes off. It takes it all out of my mind and just puts my body through the race.”

There was no slowing down Rodgers after the gun went off. She took over first place at the start of the race and never looked back. She won the girls race with a time of 21:27.79 to begin her high school cross country career.

“It’s pretty good,” Rodgers said. “It feels nice to win and get one for our team to start off the year. My teammates did really good, too. I’m really excited that we started off well.”

Rodgers was one of eight MCHS runners who competed at the season-opening Mexico Invitational, which was held at Green Estate Park. The others were seniors Jadrian Thurmon, Beckham Cothren and Maddie West, freshman Braydin Finch, junior Katlyn Kolling and sophomores Olivia Spurgeon and Jacob Roesner. Thurmon was the other MCHS runner who medaled at the Mexico meet, placing second with a 17:33 in the boys race.

Rodgers became the first MCHS freshman to win a race since her older sister Malia accomplished that feat in October 2020, when she came out on top in the Orchard Farm Invitational.

Malia, who is now a freshman at State Fair Community College, was a two-time all-state medalist and a two-time Eastern Missouri Conference individual champion during her cross country career at MCHS. Emma Rodgers said Malia was her biggest mentor.

“She taught me a lot,” the freshman said. “She and I used to run together a lot. She ran with me all summer. She’s my hype up girl.”

Rodgers was thrilled to see her mother, Chasity, in attendance at the Mexico meet. Chasity Rodgers coached the MCHS cross country team for 12 years.

“I love having my mom cheering me on because usually I’m kind of in a zone when I run,” Rodgers said. “Having her cheering me on helps me get through it and finish it.”

Rodgers won the girls race by nearly 20 seconds over Kirksville’s Concillia Kunseviko. She said as she was approaching the finish line, her goal was to simply win the race.

“I was trying to get done,” Rodgers said. “In my head, I was like, ‘The faster I go, the faster I’ll finish.’ I tried to go faster.”

Rodgers is no stranger to Green Estate Park. Last year, Rodgers won the girls race of the Mexico Middle School Invite when she was an eighth-grade student at Montgomery County Middle School.

“It was good last year, but going into this year, I was like, ‘OK, it’s three miles.’ That means more running to do and more hills,” Rodgers said. “This one is not really hilly. It has growing hills. It’s an OK course. There are a lot of little dirt holes that you can fall in.”

Rodgers and the Wildcats will have their next meet on Sept. 14, when they travel to St. Louis to compete in the Forest Park XC Invitational.

Rodgers is a part of a MCHS girls team that has four returning runners from last year’s EMO championship team. She said she loves her new teammates after a month.

“They’re all really great people,” Rodgers said. “I love practicing with them. They’re all amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”