Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Erik Enriquez won the Class 5A championship this season and was named the Wichita Eagle All-Metro Boys Runner of the Year.
Shocker Track Backers
Courtesy
A pair of state champions highlight The Eagle’s third annual All-Metro boys and girls high school cross country teams, as Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Erik Enriquez and Bishop Carroll’s Hope Jackson were chosen runner of the year in their respective field.
The All-Metro team consists of the top seven runners and coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on the season’s results and area coaches’ feedback.
Here is a look at the full 2020 Wichita Eagle All-Metro cross country team:
The Wichita Eagle Boys All-Metro Team
Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Erik Enriquez Shocker Track Backers Courtesy
Erik Enriquez, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Enriquez suffered an injury late in the summer, but he didn’t let that prevent him from an undefeated senior season that was capped by winning the Class 5A championship in a time of 15 minutes, 43 seconds. Enriquez won all five of his races his senior season and broke the Kapaun school record with a personal-best time of 15:18 to win regionals.
“We knew that he had this in him,” Kapaun coach Gage Garcia said. “He actually did a track season in the spring and ran really well, just nobody got to see it. So maybe it seemed like more of a surprise to other people, but we thought this was coming.”
Enriquez was a three-time state medalist and saved his best for last to earn the boys runner of the year award.
“As soon as they gave me an inch, I was going to take the mile,” Enriquez said. “I conditioned all summer and put in lots and lots of miles and did all of the crazy workouts my coach put together. I hated them in the moment, but I knew that they were all working toward this moment. Every mile was worth it.”
You could always count on McEachern being in the lead pack of big races. In seven races his junior season, McEachern finished no worse than third place in a race and capped it off with a runner-up finish at the Class 5A state meet. McEachern, a three-time state qualifier who finished fourth at state last season, ran a personal-best time of 15:43 this season. He is the only repeat All-Metro selection from last season’s team.
“In the biggest moments of a race and in the biggest moments of the season, Carson had absolute faith in his ability,” Carroll coach Cory Swords said. “He’s just a gamer. He’s a big-time race runner and he’s learning how to do the work that is worthy of the talent he’s been given. He’s learning how to push himself in practice more. If you look at Carson’s career, his biggest races have come in the biggest moments. That’s not something you can coach.”
Andover Central senior Brett Schoenhofer Mackenzie Scheidel Courtesy
Brett Schoenhofer, Andover Central senior
Schoenhofer won three races in his senior season, including a league championship, a third-place finish at regionals and a ninth-place finish at the Class 5A state meet. He broke the Andover Central school record with a personal-best time of 15:50 at regionals and wrapped up a career that saw him finish as a three-time state qualifier, including a 13th-place finish last season.
“He’s a runner who just caught the bug for running,” Andover Central coach Kevin Wiebe said. “He likes to run and he wants to get better. When the track season got canceled last spring, him and some other guys put together an unofficial track season. He kept training and had a meet a week at different tracks and it was very well-organized. That’s just who he is. You’ll see him out in the winter and he’ll be out there running with gloves and a coat on. He loves the grind.”
Maize South junior William Schaeffer Hector Rios Courtesy
William Schaeffer, Maize South junior
Schaeffer was an occasional scoring runner last season for Maize South, but put in the work to become one of the area’s top runners. He peaked at the right time, winning the AV-CTL Div. 1 championship, finishing runner-up at regionals, and notching a 15th-place finish at Class 5A state to lead the Mavericks.
“Losing four seniors last year, he knew that he was going to have to step up and take on a larger role,” Maize South coach Amber McVicar said. “He just put in a lot of work over the summer and throughout the season and kept getting better and better. Running is a sport based on belief and he just has this huge belief in what he does and his ability and that seems to carry him a little bit further than other kids.”
Eisenhower senior Jacob Fawson Jeff Taylor Courtesy
Jacob Fawson, Eisenhower senior
Fawson’s career was a steady progression that led to a breakout senior season when he qualified for the state meet for the first time and came away with a state medal after a 16th-place finish in Class 5A. Fawson helped lead the Eisenhower team to the state meet and finished top-10 in all seven of his races before the state meet.
“This kid was a leader for us and he ran all summer long,” Eisenhower coach Jeff Taylor said. “He was organizing practices and he was bound and determined to make it to the state meet. If you’ve got a kid that’s willing to work and willing to make sacrifices, he’s going to achieve his goals and Jacob has been a great example for the rest of our kids.”
Augusta junior Sawyer Schmidt Kenny Helton Courtesy
Sawyer Schmidt, Augusta junior
After missing out on the state meet last season, Schmidt returned fully healthy this season and delivered a superb campaign that ended with a sixth-place finish at the Class 4A state meet. He finished sixth or better in all seven of his races and ran a personal-best time of 16:02 to finish runner-up at the league meet. After finishing 20th at state as a freshman, Schmidt is now a two-time state medalist.
“Sawyer is just an outstanding young man who has this incredible drive to be successful,” Augusta coach Steve Reichardt said. “And he doesn’t just want the success for himself, he wants to bring bring his teammates along with him. He was a big reason why both of our teams qualified this year. Sawyer rose to the occasion when the races rose in importance.”
Berean Academy sophomore Andrew Harder Jennifer Harder Courtesy
Andrew Harder, Berean Academy sophomore
It was no surprise the Berean Academy boys team repeated as state champions this season, but it was a surprise that Harder was the top runner for the Warriors at the state meet. After an injury prevented him from running on varsity last season, Harder ascended the ranks as a sophomore and finished fifth at Class 2A state in 16:47 to lead Berean to a second straight title.
“Andrew put in a lot of miles and prepared a lot for this season,” Berean Academy coach Lewis Wiebe said. “He is a very competitive kid, which helps a lot and he has a lot of grit and determination and just good, natural running endurance. He didn’t really start running until the eighth grade, so it’s been impressive to watch him improve.”
Berean Academy coach Lewis Wiebe Jennifer Harder Courtesy
Lewis Wiebe, Berean Academy coach
Berean Academy won its second straight state championship, this time winning the Class 2A title after winning the Class 1A title last season. The Warriors were dominant after returning five key runners from last season and getting Andrew Harder, who finished a team-best fifth at state, back from injury. Wiebe was able to coach Berean to its sixth state title in program history, thanks to the efforts of seniors Gavin Tucker, Drew Janzen, Trey Topham, Sam Snook and junior Eli Nord. The group was also able to take down Buhler, the three-time defending Class 4A champions, in a regular-season meet this season.
“This was a very rewarding season and we had a really good season,” Wiebe said. “We had some injuries late in the season, so they were kind of iffy going into regionals and then (Tucker and Jantzen) just gutted it out through state. They were able to overcome those obstacles and it was pretty special to watch. They were just a really good group of kids that worked hard and liked to run.”
The Wichita Eagle Boys All-Metro Second Team
Asher Brown, Remington senior
Mark Davied, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Austin Hock, Derby junior
Ian Hunter, Circle junior
C.J. Meyer, Collegiate sophomore
Gavin Tucker, Berean Academy senior
Cole Waymire, Bishop Carroll junior
Skeeter Rankins, Maize coach
The Wichita Eagle Girls All-Metro Team
Bishop Carroll junior Hope Jackson Shocker Track Backers Courtesy
Hope Jackson, Bishop Carroll junior
All the reigning Kansas Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year did for a follow-up season was another perfect campaign capped by a state championship performance. Jackson, a junior, won back-to-back Class 5A titles, fighting off a vocal cord dysfunction discovered last spring in the process.
“My vocal cords seize up when I run, so it’s like I’m breathing through a straw,” Jackson said. “It hurts my lungs really bad and it’s hard to catch air.
“I just have to dig down and suck it up. I want to win more than I want that to bother me.”
Jackson was an easy choice for The Eagle’s girls runner of the year after she won all eight of her races this season, including a personal-best time of 17:58 to win regionals.
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach a lot of great runners and a lot of tough runners and Hope ranks right up there at the top of the toughest runners I’ve ever coached,” Carroll coach Cory Swords said. “Hope does all of the little things right and she works hard and she’s willing to suffer. It just shows the type of person she is that even when she has something like that, she’s not going to let it hold her back and not perform and not do what she knows she’s capable of doing.”
Maize South senior Alexa Rios Hector Rios Courtesy
Alexa Rios, Maize South senior
The only senior on the All-Metro team, Rios capped off a sterling four-year career for Maize South by leading the Mavericks to the Class 5A team championship in her final season. Rios finished seventh or better at the state meet all four years, including a fifth-place finish in 5A this season. Rios won five of her races this season, including a league and regional championship.
“I’ve never met a runner like her before and that’s a testament to her passion,” Maize South coach Amber McVicar said. “This (team title) was a long time coming for Alexa and I think that was the cherry on top for her. The longer the race, the better she is. She is such an endurance athlete, so if you’re not used to staying with her, then she can just run you into the ground.”
Andover junior Lizzie Vetter Justin Hill Courtesy
Lizzie Vetter, Andover junior
A three-time state qualifier, Vetter had the best season of her career as a junior with her best finish at the state meet yet with a fourth-place finish in Class 5A. Vetter won three of her seven races this season, including the league championship, and finished fourth or better in every race with a personal-best time of 19:00. She improved from 38th at state as a freshman to 17th at state as a sophomore to fourth this season.
“She’s everything you could ask for in an athlete,” Andover coach Justin Hill said. “She’s coachable. She’s determined. She’s humble. Class 5A was loaded with talented runners this year and Lizzie was determined to be in the top contention at the state meet. When you watch Lizzie run, she has this grit about her. She’s so focused and every step is so powerful and she never shows any weakness.”
Valley Center sophomore Hannah Grover Shocker Track Backers Courtesy
Hannah Grover, Valley Center sophomore
Grover was one of the top newcomers to the running scene this season and quickly established herself as one of the top runners in the area. She finished seventh or better in all five of her races, including runner-up finishes at the league and regional meets and a seventh-place finish at the Class 5A state meet. Grover’s personal-best time of 19:27 is Valley Center’s school record.
“Hannah is an incredibly hard worker and she is going to work as hard as she can to maximize the gifts that she has,” Valley Center coach Amber Russell said. “Hannah likes to get off to a fast start and she’s going to put herself in a position to run in front as long and as hard as she can. She truly leaves it all on the course.”
No runner on Carroll improved more from last season than Forbes, who was a junior varsity runner last season. After opening the season barely cracking 21 minutes, Forbes nearly ran her personal-best time at the Class 5A state meet and finished third overall in a time of 19:13. It capped off a breakout sophomore season that saw Forbes finish seventh or better in all eight of her races.
“Landon has loads of chutzpah,” Carroll coach Cory Swords said. “She’s not going to back down from anybody and she is unafraid to race anybody. The moment the gun goes off, she is going to tenaciously pursue whoever is around her. She’s a real scrappy basketball player and I think she needed to feel comfortable being that same type of kid on the cross country course that she is on the basketball court.”
East junior Eva McKinzie Brandice Brenner Courtesy
Eva McKinzie, East junior
No All-Metro runner faced a more difficult season than McKinzie, who did not compete in a full race until regionals due to the City League limitations set under the coronavirus pandemic. While other runners were constantly being pushed throughout the regular season, McKinzie had to run by herself all the way up until the state meet. McKinzie, a three-time state qualifier, was a regional champion this season with a winning time of 19:14 and finished 19th at the Class 6A state meet for her second straight state medal.
“Anyone who was able to make it to state this year deserves to be commended because for Wichita public schools in particular, we started, then stopped, then came back back again,” East coach Darham Rogers said. “It really toyed with their emotions and it was rather difficult to get through, but Eva was dedicated this whole summer and she was really concentrated on hitting intervals and certain spots on the courses this season. She always knew exactly what she needed to do and Eva would just turn on the jets and never look back.”
Maize South junior Britton Kelly Hector Rios Courtesy
Britton Kelly, Maize South junior
Alternating with sophomore Bowi Sargent as Maize South’s No. 2 runner behind Rios, Kelly was an integral part of the Mavericks’ state championship team. She finished runner-up in three different races, including the league meet, ran a season-best time of 19:29 at the regional meet, and finished 11th at the Class 5A state meet.
“The most impressive thing about Britton is her perseverance,” Maize South coach Amber McVicar said. “The tougher the course, the better it seemed for her. It’s also funny that she’s one of my best kickers, yet she is the one that absolutely hates speed workouts. At the end of races, she’s the one that can usually out-kick someone. She sees someone near the finish line and then she just goes. She’s always able to find that next gear and push through all of the pain that you feel after you hit the 3-mile mark. That’s where Britton thrives.”
Maize South coach Amber McVicar Hector Rios Courtesy
Amber McVicar, Maize South coach
Maize South completed an undefeated season in McVicar’s second season, capped by a dramatic victory at the Class 5A state championship meet to become the first public school to win the 5A team title in nearly two decades. The Mavericks won the team title by one point over Bishop Carroll, thanks to top-25 finishes by Alexa Rios, Bowi Sargent, Britton Kelly, Sage Pauly and Kennedy Mitchell with senior Claire Dingler also helping the Mavericks.
“To watch the girls put everything on the line and come through like that, it was a pretty amazing feeling,” McVicar said. “We knew we always had a shot as a team, but there’s always that worry in the back of your head about things that could go wrong. We didn’t know it was going to come down to us and Bishop Carroll, but scrolling through the phone and finally seeing the results, it was a very special feeling being able to tell the girls that they had won and to see their reaction of pure joy.”
The Wichita Eagle Girls All-Metro Second Team
Kelsey Bruening, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Addie Curtis, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
Zoie Ecord, Maize junior
Katie Hazen, Derby freshman
Jadyn Pavlik, Eisenhower senior
Bowi Sargent, Maize South sophomore
Hayley Trotter, Clearwater sophomore
Cory Swords, Bishop Carroll coach
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
.jpg)