Read, set, go! Here’s who/what to watch in Wichita-area high school cross country

The punishment-turned-sport has returned to the Wichita area, and there are some key teams and athletes to watch in 2018.

Here are the top five storylines to watch this cross country season:

1. Repeat runners

The Circle and Halstead boys were the only teams from the Wichita area to win state championships in 2017. Both programs lost a lot of talent, but they also have signs of promise that they could repeat.

The Thunderbirds lost Avery Stuever, one of the top cross country runners in Kansas. He finished fourth in Class 4A at 16:37.9, 18.4 seconds off Collegiate’s Lakelin Conrad and the state title.

But Circle have a solid, young crop of runners returning. Junior Emmett Keller and Eli Jacobson finished in the top 18 at the state meet last year. And juniors Ryan Derry, Brycen Shoenhofer and Corbin Tandy all came in the top 45, with Derby finishing 21st.

Circle might not have an individual state champion on the roster this season, but the Thunderbirds’ depth will be the key to a repeat and holding off the likes of Andover Central and Hugoton.

For Halstead, the Dragons must replace the middle of their lineup having lost seniors Dakota Blaylock and Neil Owens, who finished 31st and 41st respectively at the Class 3A meet. Other than those two, Halstead will have its full state roster back.

Seniors Andrew O’Brien and Josh Talbott were key to the Dragons’ state title in 2017, placing in the top 21. They will have to lead from the front to keep Central Heights and Scott City off the throne.

2. Back to glory?

No Wichita-area girls cross country team has won a Class 6A or 5A state championship since Bishop Carroll in 2011.

Teams are looking to change that in 2018. Maize South won a Class 4A title in 2016, but nobody from the Wichita area won in any classification last season.

Andover Central came close, finishing runner-up to Baldwin. The Jaguars might have the best shot this season, returning all seven of their state qualifiers from last season. Seniors Cailan Steward, Alexandra Schumann, Devin Gerber and Hannah Wiebe will lead the way after they all finished in the top 41 at state.

Maize South and Caroll will look to be strong as well.

The Mavericks came fourth in 5A last season, and sophomore Alexa Rios will look to improve on her seventh-place finish at state. Replacing Destini Eskridge, who finished 15th, will be a challenge. But Maize South does return a lot of quality runners in junior Katie Wagner (25th), senior Madison Schepis (28th) and sophomore Claire Dingler (47th).

Carroll brings back all but two runners, including 12th-place finisher, senior Claire Winter, and sophomore Camille Behring, who came 29th. Senior Kindel Nordhus and junior Grace Gorges will look to bolster the Eagles’ depth as they push to improve on last year’s fifth-place team finish.

3. Losing leaders

Some of the names those in the cross country community have gotten used to at the top of podium won’t be there in 2018.

Collegiate’s Lakelin Conrad won three cross country state championships in his high school career, and that earned him a scholarship at TCU. El Dorado’s Cale Carson became one of the best 800-meter runners in Kansas, but he was almost equally impressive on the course, finishing third in Class 4A.

Derby’s Jonathan Jones earned two top 15 finishes at state in his time with the Panthers. And Circle’s Avery Stuever became one of the school’s most recognizable figures with shoulder-length locks and top finishes, which helped the Thunderbirds to a state title.

They are all gone, but runners like East senior Will Clayton, Andover senior Asher Moen, Trinity Academy senior Claire Lieb will look to stand in their place after top 15 finishes at state last year.

4. Ready, Aimee, run

Clearwater hasn’t had the most athletic successes of any school in Kansas, but it does have one of its most promising runners.

Aimee Davis is set to start her junior season with the Indians, and a state championship could be on the cards after two top three finishes in the past two years.

Clearwater hasn’t won a girls cross country title as a team since 1987 and hasn’t had an individual winner since 2001 when Mallory Champa won her second title and first since she was a freshman with the Indians.

Davis will have competition atop the state standings, but her time is coming, and 2018 might just be the year.

5. Maving up the leaderboard

Maize South has found its next heir.

Alexa Rios was one of the area’s highest finishers at the state meet last year, finishing seventh in Class 5A at 19.17.8, about 42 seconds off the state championship time. She was only a freshman.

Returning as a sophomore, Rios will be one of the favorites in 5A, but most of the finishers above will be back as well, including the title-winner, Aquinas’ Olivia Sovereign.

If the Mavericks are going to get back to their 2016 state championship form, Rios will be the biggest reason.