Kansas high school cross country: Hesston girls win second straight state title
After barely edging out the competition for its first state championship last fall, the Hesston girls cross country team didn’t have to sweat it on Saturday.
The Swathers shaved off 40 team points this season with a score of 64 to beat out Wichita Trinity once again — this time by 20 points — for the Class 3A team title at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence.
While Trinity had the first two finishers in the race, Hesston countered with the third and fourth runners in junior Reese Quinn (19:37.62) and senior Ashley Lehman (19:44.55) respectively. Other top-25 finishers included sophomore Avery Larson (14th, 20:13.64) and sophomore Josie Heinrichs (22nd, 20:39.78), while other team members included junior Mary O’Halloran (21:48.09) and freshman Brenley Schmidt (21:53.60).
Cheney placed third in the team standings with 94 points, highlighted by junior Abigail Blundell finishing 12th place in a time of 20:11.34. Other team members included senior Addison Bearley (20:44.43), junior Brin Bergkamp (20:58.96), freshman Ella Haar (21:00.25), junior Addisyn Hudson (21:26.92), sophomore Lillie Smith (21:48.22) and sophomore Kortney Berry (22:33.91).
Trinity freshman wins Class 3A girls cross-country title
For a third year in a row, the Class 3A girls state champion comes from Wichita Trinity.
After Emily Hein won the last two individual titles, Trinity freshman Tylee Coleman won the gold medal this season with a winning time of 18:27.06. Hein finished runner-up in 19:28.88 in her senior year.
Those two medalists led Trinity to a second-place team finish in 84 points, 20 behind champion Hesston. Other team members included senior Brecken Howell (20:34.12), freshman Landry Moore (20:43.54), senior Milly Jo Davis (22:43.17), sophomore Jentry Adams (23:02.02) and junior Gracey Lee (25:09.49).
In Class 1A, area medalists included Pretty Prairie’s Amity White (13th, 21:06.94), Wichita Independent’s Lydia Walden (15th, 21:15.87) and McPherson Elyria’s Joy Beck (16th, 21:17.70).
Buhler girls win back-to-back Class 4A cross-country titles
In another close battle, Buhler prevailed in Wamego to come away with the program’s second straight 4A team state championship. The Crusaders captured the team title with 67 points, five ahead of Wamego.
Buhler was led by a pair of top-five finishes by junior Corbin Starkweather (third, 19:14.33) and sophomore Isabella Friesen (fourth, 19:28.16). Other team members included Isabella Rivera (20:48.86), Hannah Dick (21:14.83), Brynlee Adams (21:22.77), Haylee Kinast (22:20.23) and Emma Smith (23:20.36).
Hutchinson Trinity wins Class 2A boys cross-country state title
The Hutchinson Trinity boys won the program’s fourth team state championship and first since 2012 on Saturday in Wamego.
After two straight runner-up finishes, the Celtics finally broke through to win the Class 2A title with a team score of 64 points — barely edging out Kansas City Christian by four points.
Hutchinson Trinity was led by senior Jacob Lindstrom, who won the individual title with a time of 16:26.21. His twin brother, John, finished in fourth place with a time of 16:43.59, while fellow senior Cameron Kiser was also a medalist in 18th place in 17:25.47. Other team members included Ambrose Pennycuff (17:57.15), Sam Pennycuff (18:28.86), Noah Lau (18:32.87) and Sam Madden (18:37.07).
McPherson’s Caleb Muehler wins third straight Class 4A title
McPherson senior Caleb Muehler wrapped up a stellar career with his third straight Class 4A individual championship in Wamego.
Muehler won the race in 15:54.28, barely edging out Wamego’s Peyton Parker (15:55.25) by less than a second.
Other Wichita-area boys cross-country state medalists
In Class 6A, Maize finished in fourth place in the team standings, led by individual medalists in sophomore Isaac Steele (13th, 16:27.87) and senior Jayden Parrent (17th, 16:29.46). Other team members included senior Grady Carlson (16:57.99), junior Jackson Coelho (17:17.95), junior Jacob Slaughter (17:41.33), junior Braxton Singer (17:59.90) and freshman Jojo Murrell (18:23.48).
In Class 4A, Andale finished in second place in the team standings with 99 points. The team was led by a pair of individual medalists in Jack Cutler (ninth, 16:49.96) and Roman Lubbers (17th, 17:10.14). Other team members included Sam Pavelski (17:35.67), Cade Brown (17:52.63), Levi Schmidt (17:58.02), Dustin Buchanan (18:00.96) and Rhett Romero (18:41.97).
Other area medalists in the 4A race included Buhler’s Gavin Lindahl (third, 16:16.11), Augusta’s Jase Thomas (fourth, 16:25.54), Buhler’s Ryan Cherry (14th, 17:04.51), Wellington’s Luke Wylie (18th, 17:12.97) and Mulvane’s Ethan Hakins (20th, 17:18.32).
In Class 3A, Wichita Trinity notched a second-place team finish with 70 points, 13 behind Southeast of Saline. The Knights were led by individual medalists in Zach Patrick (seventh, 16:39.18) and Whit Geoffroy (16th, 16:55.40). Other team members included Asher Carroll (17:10.99), Carter Tran (17:25.45), Philip Reimer (17:35.24), Paul Shannon (17:44.80) and Weston Bradbury (17:50.57).
Other area medalists in the 3A race included Cheney junior Stratton Young (fifth, 16:32.79) and Haven junior Isaiah Doherty (15th, 16:51.54).
In Class 2A, area medalists featured Marion’s Eli Klenda (fifth, 16:54.36), Inman’s Tyler Martisko (eighth, 17:07.29), Berean’s Will Snook (14th, 17:20.68), Inman’s Riley Roots (15th, 17:23.04) and Remington’s Colt Koehn (17th, 17:24.55).
In Class 1A, Goessel sophomore Eli Gaeddert won the individual title by nearly 24 seconds with a time of 16:02.80.
Other Wichita-area girls cross-country state medalists
In Class 6A, Wichita North senior Nelly Puente was the lone area medalist with a career-best eighth-place finish in a time of 19:10.93.
In Class 5A, Bishop Carroll placed second in the team standings with a score of 79 points, 21 behind Kapaun Mt. Carmel and 24 ahead of third-place St. James. The Golden Eagles had two top-10 finishes in senior Sophia Thome (fourth, 18:50.44) and freshman Megan Stephenson (eighth, 19:13.86). Other team members included senior Abigail Meyer (19:35.84), senior Olivia Thome (19:52.22), freshman Nora Thome (20:05.10), sophomore Clare Fouts (20:37.23) and junior Gwendolyn Sattler (20:51.63).
Other area 5A state medalists included Andover senior Madelyn Wallace (third, 18:30.65), Newton junior Brooklyn Treaster (12th, 19:19.98) and Valley Center junior Sophie Ellis (15th, 19:25.45).
In Class 4A, other area medalists included Circle senior Brett Jacobson (ninth, 20:07.54), McPhersonn’s Adeline Kramer (10th, 20:24.19), Augusta’s Ragan Pfeifer (13th, 20:27.37), Augusta’s Rebecca Skov (14th, 20:29.47), Winfield’s Evanni Chalmers (17th, 20:30.49) and Andale’s Ayvah Banda (19th, 20:39.99).
In Class 2A, Berean finished second in the team standings with a team score of 106 points. The Warriors were led by individual medalist Addie Busenitz (18th, 20:36.44) and other team members included Aubrianne Briscoe (21:10.94), Autumn Hirsch (21:23.33), Ivy Busenitz (21:26.99), Aubrey Harder (22:41.76), Addelyn Turpin (22:46.97) and Averil Simkins (23:17.39).
Other area 2A medalists included Bluestem’s Reagan Neal (second, 19:29.63), Eureka’s Rose Buck (third, 19:45.51), Remington’s Chelsea Willour (ninth, 20:11.93), Remington’s Alyssa Klingenberg (10th, 20:13.88), Douglass’ Lauren McCosh (13th, 20:25.87), Hillsboro’s Quinlyn Funk (14th, 20:26.88), Moundridge’s Baylee Schriner (19th, 20:39.21) and Classical’s Anna Dernlan (20th, 20:48.21).
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 5:03 AM.
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