Eight Excelsior Springs varsity runners turned in season-best times on Sept. 24 – and got to check out a cross country course where, no doubt, they hope to run in about five weeks. That morning, the Tigers ran at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, also the site of this year’s state meets in November. Excelsior Springs was among 150plus schools there. Both Excelsior Springs teams competed in the Blue Division, one of four divisions. There were 30 schools represented in the girls Blue Division and 37 boys teams. In girls competition, first-year high schooler Lilah Shue finished the 3.1-mile race with a season-best time of 23 minutes, 3.2 seconds and was Excelsior Springs’ top finisher, placing 124th. Katie Houck, also a firstyear high schooler, ran a season-best time of 24:45.9 to finish 164th. Junior Braylissa Whitworth finished 181st in 25:24.8. Kirsten Stout’s season-best time of 25:32.4 put her at 184th. Also turning in seasonal bests were junior Chloe Albertson, 27:58.5;…