By Blake Chadwick
Class 5A Boys
The Kapaun Mount Carmel Crusaders finished third.
“We were City League Champions, Regional Champions and third place at the state meet,” coach Gage Garcia said. “This year we had a strong mix of athletes ranging from talented younger athletes all the way to vastly improved senior athletes.
Kapaun had a team of 32 runners who all brought it every day.
Maize placed fourth despite having one of the smallest teams they have had under coach Skeeter Rankins.
“Our group had zero room for error all season,” Rankins said.
For most of the year, no error is how they ran. The Eagles top six runners were the best qualitative group since the 1990s.
Maize had runners giving everything they had to get where they needed to be all season. At state, was no different.
The average time was 16:48 in which they finished 4th in 5A. Maize’s 2006 boys team averaged 17:27 and finished 2nd in 6A, so coach Rankins harped on the fact that these kids nowadays are getting better and faster every year.
Bishop Carroll placed sixth.
Arkansas City finished seventh.
Individual
Maize’s junior Kaleb Glazier took second with a time of 15:48.5.
“ Kaleb is saturated with the characteristics that help good runners become great, and great runners to become champions,” Rankins said. “Whether he becomes a champion is a matter of many variables, but I am confident that his internalized variables are a major asset to him continuing to improve and run faster.”
Out of seven cross country meets this year, Glazier won five of them, finished sixth at Rim Rock’s High School Classic, and second at state.
Kapaun’s Luke Brock ran 15:54.2 to place fifth.
“Luke Brock put together an excellent senior season,” Garcia said. “It was a great season for him. His leadership spanned more than just his individual performances though and was instrumental in our team’s success this year.”
Class 5A Girls
Kapaun Mount Carmel finished third with 115 points.
The Crusaders were really good all season with their lowest finish being at Rim Rock where they finished fourth out of 32 teams.
They also won the GWAL championship with all 7 runners placing in the top 15 and earning medals.
Bishop Carroll finished seventh.
Maize South placed ninth.
Individual
Andover freshman Madelyn Wallace finished sixth with a time of 19:20.6.
Kapaun freshman Taylor Barringer finished seventh with a 19:21.0.
“The girls were led by freshman Taylor Barringer, who medaled in every race in her debut XC season,” coach Gretchen Bina said. “Taylor comes from a gymnastics background and is just getting started in distance running. She’s a very hard worker and a determined racer, focused on improvement.”
Class 5A
Buhler finished second with 56, just eight points behind first-place Wamego.
Augusta placed third.
Winfield placed fourth.
McPherson finished sixth.
Wellington placed 10th.
Individual
Buhler junior Kaden Lohrentz finished sixth with a time of 16:45.57.
Circle junior Blake Logan finished seventh in 16:47.90.
Buhler’s other top 10 finisher was Layne Whisler who placed ninth in 16:55.51.
Class 4A Girls
Winfield placed third.
Rose Hill finished fifth.
Andale finished ninth.
Individual
Clearwater senior Hayley Trotter goes back-to-back after she ran a 19:17.44.
Winfield senior Kayli Myers placed sixth in 20:25.64.
Circle senior Alison Unruh placed eighth in 20:35.12.
Class 3A Boys
Trinity Academy placed first with 35 points.
“This years victory feels different. Last year we were going up against a three-time champ that was looking for their 4th in a row. We were a bunch of sophomores with nothing to lose,” head coach Eric Carroll said.
All year Trinity Academy had a target on their back.
“We ended this season as best team in the state. With all but 1 runner returning we’re looking to step onto the national stage next year and feel we have the talent to compete with some of the best High schools in the nation,” Carroll said.
SE-Saline finished second with 58 points.
Collegiate finished seventh.
Individual
Juniors Clay Shively and Jacob Hobson finished first and second to help Trinity Academy win the team title.
Shively finished in 15:26.2.
“Clay Shively is running amazing right now,” Carroll said.
Hobson finished in 15:41.3.
“Jacob Hobson never ceases to amaze us. No one has any idea what the ceiling is for this guy,” Carroll said.
Junior Samuel Ferguson was eighth in 16:20.8.
Sophomore Caleb Tofteland was ninth in 16:23.8.
Senior Ian Carroll was 18th in 16:52.8.
Collegiate’s CJ Meyer took third with a time of 15:56.1.
Sophomore Will Meyer took fourth in 16:04.5
Collegiate’s freshman Brayden Walker finished 14th in 16:31.5 and junior Cayden Walker placed 15th in 16:36.7.
Class 3A Girls
SE-Saline finished first with 64 points.
Cheney placed second edging out Trinity Academy who placed third.
“The Cheney girls had never brought home a state cross country trophy before and it’s
been 40 years since our boys have,” coach Rich Simmons said. “It’s a tough sport to assemble a top tier squad in. This same group was 5th at state a year ago and were all looking stronger this season. Each of our five scorers has ran year round since entering high school and that made all the difference.”
Indvidual
SE-Saline’s Sophomore Abby Commerford placed fifth in 20:08.4.
Senior Ashley Prochazka placed seventh in 20:16.6.
Freshman Breckyn Alderson rounded out the top 10 with a time of 20:24.5.
Hesston freshman Ashley Lehman placed second in 19:38.0.
Trinity Academy freshman Brecken Howell finished third at 19:52.4.
Cheney senior Abbye Hudson placed fourth with a time of 19:58.8.
Class 2A Boys
Berean Academy won the 2A title with 63 points.
Marion placed third.
Hutchinson Trinity finished fifth.
Individual
Berean Academy senior Zach Briscoe finished fourth in 17:04.75.
Hutchinson Trinity senior Jonah Godina placed eighth in 17:14.88
Berean Academy senior Andrew Harder 10th in 17:25.41.
Class 2A Girls
Remington placed second at state.
Salina Sacred Heart was third.
Sterling placed seventh.
Hillsboro finsihed eighth.
Individual
Sterling freshman Julia Kilgore started her state career with third place finish in 19:55.54.
Hillsboro freshman Quinlyn Funk placed ninth in 21:08.46.
Remington freshman Chelsea Willour finished 12th in 21:12.88.
Class 1A Boys
Beloit St. John’s was second with just 45 points.
Wichita Classical School placed 10th.
Individual
Beloit St. John’s sophomore Jonas Letourneau finished sixth in 17:47.25.
Pretty Prairie junior James White III placed seventh with a time of 17:51.41.
Class 1A Girls
Pretty Prairie placed fifth.
Wichita Classical School finished
Individual
Wichita Classical School freshman Hailey Walden finished second in 20:07.27
