Kansas state cross country: Wichita Trinity, Buhler, Remington, Hesston among winners
The Trinity Academy cross country team once again produced both individual champions at the Class 3A state race, while the Hesston girls team won its first championship in program history at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday.
Both races were dominated at the top by Trinity’s best, as junior Emily Hein won her second straight 3A gold medal in the girls 5-kilometer race, while senior Caleb Tofteland extended Trinity’s streak of three straight individual champions in the boys race. Hein won by nearly a full minute with her winning time of 18 minutes, 26.9 seconds, while Tofteland beat his field by nearly 16 seconds in a time of 15 minutes, 36.75 seconds.
The drama was instead saved for the team race on the girls’ side, as Hesston (104 points), Trinity (105) and Southeast of Saline (109) were separated by five points.
In the end, a trio of top-15 finishers in sophomore Reese Quinn (fifth, 19:47.12), freshman Avery Larson (seventh, 19:57.00) and junior Ashley Lehman (13th, 20:04.76) proved enough for Hesston to edge the field. The Swathers also don’t win without the races from freshman Josie Heinrichs (22:19.35) and sophomore Mary O’Halloran (23:30.47), while the rest of the team was rounded out by sophomore Lausyn Novack (25:31.26).
Trinity came up just one point short, as the team had another medalist performance from junior Brecken Howell (12th, 20:03.39) and the rest of the team was made up of senior Breckynn Lee (21:36.48), freshman Jentry Adams (22:01.13), junior Milly Jo Davis (22:28.24), senior Hannah Ferguson (23:06.77) and sophomore Abby Tofteland (23:13.80).
While Trinity’s boys team saw its run of three straight team championships come to an end, the Knights still finished with a third-place team trophy. Other members of the team included freshman Whit Geoffray (16th, 16:54.40), freshman Zach Patrick (17:12.26), junior Carter Tran (17:24.81), freshman Paul Shannon (18:21.96), freshman William Morris (19:15.64) and senior Jaren Martinson (19:47.41).
Other area medalists included Collegiate senior Will Meyer, who took third in the boys race in a time of 15:57.67, and Chaparral sophomore Cate Jensen, who took eighth in the girls race in a time of 19:57.24.
Buhler girls rely on pack to win 4A team championship
The Buhler girls team didn’t need a top-10 finisher to claim the Class 4A championship, as the Crusaders’ score of 78 points was enough to edge out Eudora (89) and Baldwin (90). It was the second title in program history following the 2019 championship.
The team was led by three medalists in sophomore Corbin Starkweather (13th, 20:55.41), freshman Isabella Friesen (14th, 21:03.85) and senior Ava Koster (19th, 21:23.01) and two other top-35 finishes from freshman Haylee Kinast (22:04.91) and sophomore Audrey Foster (22:08.35). The other title-winning members included junior Allison Johnson (24:15.74) and junior Khloe Blackwell (24:16.24).
Other area medalists in the 4A girls race included Circle junior Brett Jacobson (seventh, 20:28.70), Augusta senior Madison Busch (10th, 20:42.02), Rose Hill senior Kimberlin Lovell (15th, 21:06.63) and Andale senior Arwyn Hennessy (16th, 21:15.15).
While the Buhler boys program didn’t add another title to its collection, the Crusaders did manage a second-place finish in the team standings. Buhler has won five of the last seven 4A team championships. The team had three top-10 finishers in sophomore Gavin Lindahl (fifth, 16:51.10), senior Henry Trumpp (sixth, 17:13.24) and senior Kai Mendenhall (seventh, 17:15.92), while the rest of the team was made up of freshman Ryan Cherry (18:03.20), freshman Samuel Hougham (18:39.41), junior Sammy Hershberger (18:57.00) and senior Andrew Morgan (20:10.87).
Meanwhile, McPherson junior Caleb Muehler won his second straight 4A individual title in a time of 16:33.40. He also helped lead the Bullpups to a third-place team finish, while teammate Ethan Elder, a senior, added a third-place individual finish in 16:49.81. The rest of the team included freshman Tripp Pelzel (18:49.18), senior Garrett Floyd (18:53.13), junior Kayden Friesen (19:03.64), senior Micaiah Stevenson (20:32.08) and sophomore Jonas Emery (20:51.75).
Other area medalists in the 4A boys race included Augusta senior Dawson Schmidt (ninth, 17:24.93), Augusta junior Jase Thomas (10th, 17:29.33), Wellington junior Luke Wylie (19th, 17:59.08) and Winfield senior Talon Suttles (20th, 17:59.25).
Remington girls win tiebreaker to claim state championship
Another thrilling team title race played out in the Class 2A state race at Wamego Country Club, as Remington needed a tiebreaker to edge out Berean Academy to win the program’s first team state championship.
Both teams finished with exactly 108 points in the standings, which triggered a tiebreaker between each team’s sixth runners. That meant with a 65th place overall finish, Remington sophomore Joely Gerber helped deliver the Broncos their first team title because she had edged out Berean’s sixth runner by four spots.
Remington was powered by a pair of top-10 finishes from junior Chelsea Willour (fourth, 20:45.12) and freshman Alyssa Klingenberg (10th, 21:17.37). The rest of the team was made up of junior Kassi Peters (22:09.15), freshman Taylor Willour (23:39.40), junior Lily Ralston (24:03.30), Gerber and freshman Ruby Ralston (24:41.25).
It was an impressive effort from Berean, which didn’t have a single medalist, but had a pack of runners close in junior Addelyn Turpin (21:56.48), junior Autumn Hirsch (22:13.61), freshman Addie Busenitz (22:17.40), sophomore Aubrianne Briscoe (22:39.49), sophomore Aubrey Harder (22:54.67), senior Ellie Good (24:34.30) and freshman Ivy Busenitz (25:04.06).
Other area medalists in the 2A girls race included Eureka junior Rose Buck (third, 20:17.93), Hillsboro junior Quinlyn Funk (seventh, 21:00.80), Bluestem freshman Reagan Neal (12th, 21:23.68), Eureka junior Britta Mongeau (13th, 21:27.04), Sterling junior Julia Kilgore (16th, 21:38.18), Udall sophomore Lillian Hoffman (19th, 21:45.22) and Hillsboro sophomore Riley Richert (20th, 21:47.47).
Meanwhile, a trio of medalists powered Hutchinson Trinity to a second-place finish in the boys team standings. The team was led by junior Jacob Lindstrom (third, 17:00.29), junior Cameron Kiser (13th, 17:48.03) and junior John Lindstrom (20th, 17:59.74), while the rest of the squad consisted of senior Malachiey Alvarez (18:13.81), senior Max Ryan (18:32.46), junior Ambrose Pennycuff (18:39.49) and junior Sam Pennycuff (19:00.72).
Berean also took home a team trophy with a third-place finish in the boys race led by a top-10 finish by senior Jeremiah Briscoe (eighth, 17:35.37). The rest of the team included sophomore Will Snook (18:23.29), sophomore Luke Friesen (18:30.40), senior Elias Simkins (19:25.06), sophomore Lawson Wiebe (19:40.74), freshman Colton Busenitz (20:08.15) and senior Caden Zimmerman (21:11.70).
Other area medalists in the 2A boys race included Inman junior Tyler Martisko (sixth, 17:28.60), Medicine Lodge senior Davis Miltner (seventh, 17:34.21), Wichita Central Christian sophomore Levi Sturm (10th, 17:43.50) and Marion senior Luke Wessel (16th, 17:55.92).
Kapaun brings home a pair of team trophies
The Crusaders came away with a second-place team finish in the girls race, while the boys team placed third in a loaded field.
The girls team was led by three medalists in junior Taylor Barringer (seventh, 18:48.46), freshman Ava Claassen (15th, 19:36.09) and junior Courtney Nye (20th, 19:45.15). Other team members included sophomore Caitlyn Bruening (20:11.27), sophomore Abigail Bird (20:12.01), senior Amelia Hermann (20:29.26) and senior Keelin Luttrell (21:57.64). Kapaun’s team score of 93 points was only bested by St. James’ winning score of 77.
Kapaun’s boys team finished with a team score of 74 points, only behind Spring Hill (35) and Blue Valley Southwest (40). The team had four top-20 finishes in junior Daniel Enriquez (10th, 16:01.21), senior Will Niederee (12th, 16:14.07), junior Cole Reintjes (17th, 16:21.17) and senior Andrew Guyer (19th, 16:23.31). Other team members included freshman Jack Sauer (16:45.08), junior Will Etheredge (16:48.65) and sophomore Koelton Erwin (17:27.63).
In the 5A girls race, Bishop Carroll had a trio of medalists in senior Brooke Martin (sixth, 18:48.04), junior Abigail Meyer (10th, 19:24.72) and sophomore Gwen Sattler (19th, 19:41.15), while Andover had two top-10 finishes by junior Madelyn Wallace (fourth, 18:32.62) and senior Jordyn Cleary (eighth, 19:05.89). In the 5A boys race, Andover junior Aidan Braun was the only other area medalist with a 13th-place finish in 16:16.05.
Other Wichita-area state cross country medalists
In the 6A boys race, Wichita Heights senior Jack Harty was the lone area medalist with an eighth-place finish in 16:07.47.
In the 6A girls race, Wichita North junior Nelly Puente was the lone area medalist with an 18th-place finish in 19:33.96.
In the 1A boys race, Goessel sophomore Eli Gaeddert (fourth, 17:23.02), Burden-Central sophomore Kyson Henley (13th, 17:53.99) and Burden-Central junior James Braun (20th, 18:15.88) were the area medalists.
In the 1A girls race, Hutchinson Central Christian freshman Harper Newcome took second overall in a time of 20:34.68.
This story was originally published November 3, 2024 at 8:16 AM.
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