70 degrees is not XC weather😡☀️
and if you think it is, you're wrong
Could you tell it was windy?💨
I had never been to Blue Valley Southwest, and honestly I didn’t even know where it was until I put it into my maps on Thursday afternoon. The Timberwolves were the host of the Eastern Kansas League championships, which took place last Thursday opposed to Saturday, most likely to give its athletes a few extra days of recovery. After having to deal with the winds, I think they enjoyed the weekend off from competition.
I’ve got to give props to St. Thomas Aquinas’ junior frontrunner Sophia Spinello, who led from the gun and didn’t look back. Instead of sitting back with the pack and letting someone else take the wind head on, she decided to take the race into her own hands and gap the field, doing so by seventeen seconds. Spinello ran 19:17 on the dot, which was only a second shy of her PR from the KC XC Classic, leading me to believe she’s got a sub-19 up her sleeve before her junior year is up. Taking second, while also running primarily by herself throughout the race was Blue Valley Northwest’s Laya Erickson, running 19:34 to finish comfortably ahead of Blue Valley Southwest’s Izzy Ross in 19:47. The story of the race undoubtedly has to be the showing from St. James Academy, who had their top five runners finish 5-6-7-8-9, all within nine seconds of one another. Led by Katie Price and her 19:54 performance, the Thunder put up 35 points to take down St. Thomas Aquinas’ 50.
On the boy’s side, it was another Saint who ran their own race, as the fastest man in 5A, Colby King, solo’d a 15:20 on a very windy day, winning by fifty-three seconds. This was King’s first EKL cross country title and his second consecutive victory this season. On their home course in front of a Timberwolf-friendly crowd, the BVSW trio of Thomas Caul (16:13), Micah Paschke (16:13) and Crew Buehler (16:17) did their part and some, to lead their squad to the team title. Finishing as the runner-up was St. Thomas Aquinas, who at one point during the race had me thinking this was going to be a single digit margin between them and Southwest. After the dust settled, the pack time for the home team helped them to a 37-58 victory, and gave them a great win in less than ideal conditions.
A little taste of Rim Rock🌻
I’m not sure how it took me this long, but I finally realized why teams like Olathe West, Olathe North and Shawnee Mission North opt for Griak during the week of Rim Rock.
As it has for a while, the Sunflower League held their championships on the same course some will run again next week for state, but got a preview with some familiar faces. I think it’s more than safe to say that Olathe North junior Anjali Hocker-Singh is back. After being absent for her sophomore track season, the two-time defending state champion made her junior debut at Olathe Twilight, where she ran 18:00, coming in second behind Shawnee Mission South senior Hannah Gibson. This week, the two switched spots as Hocker-Singh put fifteen seconds between her and Gibson. In her second fastest performance of the year, Hocker-Singh covered the course in 18:02, as Gibson crossed the line in 18:17. Lida Padgett of Shawnee Mission East took 3rd, running 18:35 in the process. Just like they’ve done every time they’ve raced in Kansas this season, the Owls of Olathe West combined their depth, pack time, and all-out talent to win their fourth straight league title by a score of 39-111-112 over Olathe North and Mill Valley.
Some may have been feeling a sense of deja vu on Saturday, as Wyatt Haughton of Shawnee Mission East took down Shawnee Mission North’s defending state champion Micah Blomker, 15:18-15:20. With only two weeks remaining in the KSHSAA season, Haughton continues to show his improvement from a year ago, while running under 15:20 for the fourth time this season. Meanwhile for Blomker, it seems that the junior has found his sophomore year form, as he ran 15:20 or faster for the third time this season. While those two battled it out up front, Olathe East’s Carter Stewart was having a day, running 15:42 to claim 3rd. This was Stewart’s second fastest time this year, and his fastest ever race at Rim Rock.
Along with the individual title, the Lancers of Shawnee Mission East took the team title as well, as they put three in the top seven, scoring 72 points to Olathe East’s 84. The Gardner-Edgerton boys showed up and showed out, taking 3rd with 120 points.
One league, four races🏆
Andover freshman Madelyn Wallace added another checkmark to the win column, picking up her first league title of her young career, in a huge PR time of 19:09. Wallace won her first Arkansas Valley Chisholm Trail League (AVCTL) title by half of a minute, seemingly taking control of the race early on and not looking back. Behind her was Valley Center senior Hannah Grover in 19:40 and Derby sophomore Piper Hula in 20:06. With two races within one, Maize South won the AVCTL DI league title, scoring 32 points for a twenty-eight point win over Derby. Maize was 3rd with 69 points. The DII league title went to Wallace and the Andover Trojans, edging out Arkansas City, Valley Center, and Goddard Eisenhower, 44-55-56-57.
Nearly matching his PR set earlier this month, Kaleb Glazier of Maize opted to run the race on his own, finishing the race in 15:40, as the only athlete to run under sixteen. Gabe Onelio of Arkansas City, ran 16:04 for a runner-up finish, with Maize senior Zach Johnson twelve seconds back in 16:16. In the team race, Maize put all five scorers under seventeen, and has made their presence known in what is going to be a very busy 5A boys race at Rim Rock next week. Though, their focus was on the AVCTL title, which they won over Arkansas City and Andover, 41-57-120.
In the Division 3 and 4 races, the two fastest girls in 4A both set lifetime PR’s, while picking up a league title along the way. Only a freshman, Circle’s Brett Jacobson has emerged as a 4A star, and continues to improve in what is only her first season of high school competition. Last weekend, she broke the coveted 19 minute barrier for the first time, running 18:50. For those a little unfamiliar with Jacobson, she’s won three races this year, and has never finished outside of the top three. This is also the fourth time she has PR’d this season, and this time may not be her last. Just over a minute back was Winfield’s Kayli Myers, who also ran on her own for the most part, finishing in 19:53, with McPherson’s Chloe Clevenger running 20:33 for 3rd. The team title went to Myers and Winfield, with Buhler and Circle rounding out the top three teams. The final score was 37-48-67.
While Jacobson set a huge PR, the defending champ and top dog of 4A, Hayley Trotter was not to be outdone. The Clearwater standout won her sixth race of the year, and added her ninth AVCTL title to her collection. Trotter ran an 18:43, which was a ten second PR, and her fifth consecutive time under nineteen this season. After an undefeated track season, Trotter is continuing to show that she can hang with the best of the best, regardless of her classification. As of now, she has the 15th fastest time in the state, and is one of just twenty-two athletes that has broken nineteen this season. In 2nd and 3rd, leading a Rose Hill contingent that saw four Rockets in the top six, Kyrsten Lucent and Kimber Lovell ran 20:54 and 21:08 to snag the final two spots on the podium, while leading their squad to a 27-46 victory over Andale. Wichita Collegiate was 3rd with 76 points.
It was a circle sweep in Division III in terms of individual titles, as Blake Logan came away just barely over Buhler’s Kaden Lohrentz. Both Logan and Lohrentz ran 16:39, and I’d love to know the precise decimal, but the results did not get that precise. Regardless, it must have been Logan edging out the junior from Buhler just enough to get the victory. In 3rd, was another junior from Buhler, Layne Whisler in 16:42. He may have not won the race, but he certainly led his team to victory, as Lohrentz and Buhler took down Winfield 39-49, as Augusta took 3rd with 60 points.
For the third time this year (and second time they took 1st and 2nd), it was a back-to-back Meyer punch, with CJ Meyer and Will Meyer finishing 1st and 2nd in the boys’ race, running 16:22 and 16:35, as the only two to break seventeen. Wellington’s Hunter Lough took 3rd in 17:57. However, it was Wellington who had just enough to overpower the strong 1-2 punch of collegiate, winning 42-54. El Dorado was 3rd with 82 points.
Keep your eyes on Kapaun👀
Maybe I’m simply missing it whenever it’s said, but why is Kapaun Mt. Carmel never talking about them leading up to the season, because year after year, they show up and stake their claim as contenders in the 5A realm. Granted, I’m fully aware that I am one of the people that never considers the Crusaders in August, but I’m making a note to myself now to always keep them in mind, regardless of who they have.
Remember in 2020 when Erik Enriquez “surprised” a lot of us and came out on top against a very fast 5A field? Or more recently in the 1600m on the track this past spring, where Luke Brock made the race his own and won himself a state title? Well, those are just two of many instances where the Crusaders seize the moment and make the most of the opportunity.
Last week, they did just that, winning the Greater Wichita Athletic League title, checking off another goal they probably had for the season. For the first time in his career, Luke Brock was crowned the league champion, running 16:05, as he led his team to a team title. Wichita East’s Ryan Son broke up what had the chance to be a 1-2-3 finish for Kapaun, as the junior ran 16:15 for silver. Will Niederee was 3rd in 16:18, as freshman Daniel Enriquez was 3rd in 16:22. Kapaun took down 5A foe Bishop Carroll 27-43, as Wichita East was 3rd with 83 points.
Thanks to a 1-2-3 sweep from Kapaun’s Taylor Barringer, Addie Curtis and Amelia Hermann, it was an all-around sweep for the team out of Wichita, as they won both individual and team league titles at the varsity level. It was a huge day for Barringer, who on top of winning the first race of her high school career, she also ran an eighteen second PR to do so. Curtis ran her season best, while Hermann was a little over half of a second away from matching her lifetime PR. The team title would belong to Kapaun, as they put five in the top nine, scoring only 22 points to Bishop Carrol’s 40. Wichita East took 3rd with 100 points.
What if league was underground?🧂
The Heart of America League had their annual league meet, hosted by Hutchinson-Trinity Catholic and ran at Prairie Ridge Cross Country Park. Sure, a park is cool and all, and probably much more feasible in terms of logistics and finances, but what if it was hosted in the salt mines? I mean wouldn’t that be pretty cool? Granted, I know little to nothing about the Hutchinson Salt Mine, but enough. I am aware of multiple races that already take place underground, so why not add Hutchinson Salt Mine to it.
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Before I got carried away on racing underground, I was going to highlight the Heart of America League meet, where Sterling’s duo of Julia Kilgore and Faith Ekart went 1-2 in 20:57 and 21:02. In 3rd was Lily Salazar of Ell-Saline, who was the second of six freshmen in the top ten. Though Kilgore and Ekart got out front, Remington’s pack of three in 4th, 5th and 6th made it possible to close the gap on Sterling, doing just that in the team race. Remington’s 34 was more than enough to comfortably finish ahead of Sterling, who scored 48 points in 2nd. Berean Academy was 3rd with 63 points.
We saw another preview of what could ultimately be a similar battle at Wamego in the boys’ 2A race, as Berean Academy took down Trinity Catholic 40-52. Andrew Harder, the fastest man in 2A won the league title, ten seconds ahead of Trinity Catholic’s Jonah Godina in 17:11. Taking 3rd was Ell-Saline’s Garrison Zerger, running 17:15. Berean Academy was able to put four in the top eleven, while Trinity Catholic squeezed five in the top twenty. However, Berean Academy was able to secure the victory by putting their four in front of Trinity’s three. I’m excited for these two teams to race again tomorrow in Cottonwood Falls, then hopefully again next week at Wamego. But now it’s not just them, as contenders like Marion and Central Heights look to join the party.
Different conference, same outcome🙌
Grace Hanson continues to do what Grace Hanson does best, win races. For the fifth time this year (based off of MileSplit), Hanson crossed the finish line before anybody else, this time doing so in 18:41. The Kansas City-Piper senior won her first ever UKC (United Kansas Conference) title, after moving over from the Frontier League this year. I wasn’t there, but from the looks of it, Hanson led from what I can assume was the gun, running her way to a thirty-five second win. Taking second was freshman phenom Ryin Miller of Topeka-Seaman, who has led the Vikings every race this season. Miller was coming off of a huge PR at the Topeka City Championships, where she lowered her previous PR by twenty-two seconds, down to 18:40. Taking 3rd was 2022 5A 800m state champion Bethany Druse, running 20:02. The team race between De Soto and Seaman would end up being close, with just a four point margin between the two teams. Despite De Soto’s trio going 4-5-6, the Vikings front runners were too much, as they came away with the league title, 31-35. Lansing was 3rd with 78 points.
Just like Hanson, Lenny Njoroge has picked up the habit of winning nearly every race he runs, and in dominating fashion. Out of his six wins this season, he’s won by a combined 2:39, which averages out to twenty-six seconds per race. It was nothing new last week, as Njoroge’s 16:04 was more than enough to take down Shawnee Heights junior Jackson Esquibel (16:25) for the second straight week. In the absence of their front man Palmer O’Connor, Joshua Fullmer of De Soto stepped up and led the Wildcats with a 16:28 and 3rd place finish. Despite not having their full squad, De Soto handily won the team title 37-65 over Shawnee Heights, with Seaman coming in 3rd with 79 points.
Instead of being able to go home and relax on a Friday night like most would after winning a league title, Njoroge switched his spikes for cleats (or boots, I know it’s one of the two) and went and played a double overtime game of soccer for Topeka West. I know it’s done by athletes all over, but Njoroge competing at the level he is while dual-sporting is truly incredible. Huge props to you Lenny!
League Champ Winner Board🏆🥇
AVCTL
Division I
Girls Champ — Piper Hula (Derby)
Boys Champ — Kaleb Glazier (Maize)
Girls Team Champ — Maize South
Boys Team Champ — Maize
Division II
Girls Champ — Madelyn Wallace (Andover)
Boys Champ — Gabe Onelio (Arkansas City)
Girls Team Champ — Andover
Boys Team Champ — Arkansas City
Division III
Girls Champ — Brett Jacobson (Towanda-Circle)
Boys Champ — Blake Logan (Towanda-Circle)
Girls Team Champ — Winfield
Boys Team Champ — Buhler
Division IV
Girls Champ — Hayley Trotter (Clearwater)
Boys Champ — CJ Meyer (Wichita Collegiate)
Girls Team Champ — Rose Hill
Boys Team Champ — Wellington
Centennial League
Girls Champ — Payton Fink (Washburn Rural)
Boys Champ — Daghyn True (Emporia)
Girls Team Champ — Washburn Rural
Boys Team Champ — Washburn Rural
Great Wichita Athletic League
Girls Champ — Luke Brock (Kapaun Mt. Carmel)
Boys Champ — Taylor Barringer (Kapaun Mt. Carmel)
Girls Team Champ — Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Boys Team Champ — Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Kaw Valley Conference
Girls Champ — Hannah Thong (Olathe-Heritage Christian)
Boys Champ — Andrew Schumacher (Kansas City Christian)
Girls Team Champ — Olathe-Heritage Christian
Boys Team Champ — Olathe-Heritage Christian
Sunflower League
Girls Champ — Anjali Hocker-Singh (Olathe North)
Boys Champ — Wyatt Haughton (Shawnee Mission East)
Girls Team Champ — Olathe West
Boys Team Champ — Shawnee Mission East
Big 7 League
Girls Champ — Cheyenne Hittle (Royal Valley)
Boys Champ — John Langill (Seneca-Nemaha Central)
Girls Team Champ — Seneca-Nemaha Central
Boys Team Champ — Hiawatha
Central Plains League
Girls Champ — Mary Pearce (Kingman)
Boys Champ — Ian Carroll (Wichita-Trinity Academy)
Girls Team Champ — Cheney
Boys Team Champ — Wichita-Trinity Academy
Central Prairie League
Girls Champ — Destiny Mitchell (Otis-Bison)
Boys Champ — Broxton Gall (Ness City)
Girls Team Champ — Ness City
Boys Team Champ — Ness City
Eastern Kansas League
Girls Champ — Sophia Spinello (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Boys Champ — Colby King (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Girls Team Champ — St. James Academy
Boys Team Champ — Blue Valley Southwest
Flint Hills and Lyon County League
Flint Hills
Girls Champ — Emma Bailey (West Franklin)
Boys Champ — Kodi Downes (Council Grove)
Girls Team Champ — West Franklin
Boys Team Champ — West Franklin
Lyon County
Girls Champ — Lillian Skalsky (Olpe)
Boys Champ — Caleb Durst (Lebo)
Girls Team Champ — N/A
Boys Team Champ — Hartford
Frontier League
Girls Champ — Hanna Keltner (Eudora)
Boys Champ — Eli Gilmore (Tonganoxie)
Girls Team Champ — Eudora
Boys Team Champ — Spring Hill
Great West Activities Conference
Girls Champ — Janae Fugitt (Cimarron)
Boys Champ — Brody Deniston (Holcomb)
Girls Team Champ — Holcomb
Boys Team Champ — Scott Community
Heart of America League
Girls Champ — Julia Kilgore (Sterling)
Boys Champ — Andrew Harder (Berean Academy)
Girls Team Champ — Remington
Boys Team Champ — Berean Academy
Hi-Plains League
Girls Champ — Chesney Peterson (Stanton County)
Boys Champ — Kamryn Golub (Stanton County)
Girls Team Champ — Stanton County
Boys Team Champ — Stanton County
North Central Activities Association
Girls Champ — Jaelyn Rumback (Norton Community)
Boys Champ — Levi Allen (Southeast of Saline)
Girls Team Champ — Southeast of Saline
Boys Team Champ — Southeast of Saline
Mid-East League
Girls Champ — Payton Wurtz (Wabaunsee)
Boys Champ — Owen Miesner (Riley County)
Girls Team Champ — Riley County
Boys Team Champ — Silver Lake
North Central Kansas League
Girls Champ — Lauren Smith (Clay Center Community)
Boys Champ — Silas Miller (Marysville)
Girls Team Champ — Clay Center Community
Boys Team Champ — Wamego
Northeast Kansas League
Girls Champ — Emma Vogel (Oskaloosa)
Boys Champ — Haeden Forbes (Effingham-Atchison County)
Girls Team Champ — Oskaloosa
Boys Team Champ — Jefferson County North
Pioneer League
Girls Champ — Bree Allen (Prairie View)
Boys Champ — Nash McDaniel (Wellsville)
Girls Team Champ — Prairie View
Boys Team Champ — Santa Fe Trail
Southeast Kansas League
Girls Champ — Anna Cantrell (Labette County)
Boys Champ — Trevin Worthing (Fort Scott)
Girls Team Champ — Labette County
Boys Team Champ — Chanute
Tri-Valley League
Girls Champ — Rose Buck (Eureka)
Boys Champ — Peyton Wallace (Humboldt)
Girls Team Champ — Humboldt
Boys Team Champ — Eureka
Twin Valley League
Girls Champ — Claire Cole (Doniphan West)
Boys Champ — Grady Buessing (Axtell)
Girls Team Champ — Doniphan West
Boys Team Champ — Axtell
United Kansas Conference
Girls Champ — Grace Hanson (Kansas City-Piper)
Boys Champ — Lenny Njoroge (Topeka West)
Girls Team Champ — Topeka-Seaman
Boys Team Champ — De Soto
Western Athletic Conference
Girls Champ — Addy Nicholson (Great Bend)
Boys Champ — Devin Chappel (Garden City)
Girls Team Champ — Great Bend
Boys Team Champ — Garden City
Collegiate Ranking Round-Up📈
Division II
Pittsburg State Women — #17
Pittsburg State Men —#19
NAIA
Saint Mary Women — #3
Benedictine Women — #13
Saint Mary Men — #6
Benedictine Men — RV (#26)
Southwestern Men — RV(#33)
NJCAA DI
Women
Hutchinson — #3
Cloud County — #5
Butler — #9
Dodge City — #11
Garden City — #13
Fort Scott — #16
Neosho County — #1
Men
Colby — #1
Northwest Kansas Technical — #5
Butler — #11
Cloud County — #17
Hutchinson — #18
Garden City — #20
Neosho County — #23
NJCAA DII
Women
Cowley — #8
Men
Cowley — #6
Allen — #8
Highlights Around the State🌻
Maryville junior Silas Miller and and Clay Center Community senior Grant Smith both broke fifteen for the first time at the North Central Kansas League meet in Concordia. Miller ran 15:50.9 while Smith crossed in 15:55.7. It was a thirty-one second PR for Miller and a fifteen second PR for Smith.
Wichita State senior Clayton Duchatschek shattered the Shocker school record by nearly twenty seconds, lowering it from 23:54.16 to 23:34.8. Senior Ben Flowers was also under the previous record, running 23:54.4. Both paced the Shockers to a 2nd place team finish at the Bradley Pink Classic, where they finished just two points behind Loyola-Chicago. The Shockers averaged 23:55 for 8k, and jumped up to #6 in the Midwest Region, after beating multiple teams previously ranked ahead of them.
Washburn Rural swept the Centennial League team titles for the first time since 2009. Sophomore Payton Fink won the individual title on the girl’s side in 18:53, leading a 1-2-3 Washburn Rural finish with Maddie Carter and Rylee Ismert running 19:11 and 19:25. This is the second consecutive year the Junior Blues have swept the top three spots.
St. Thomas Aquinas alumni and multiple time state champion Ethan Marshall ran 23:37.0 in the 8k last Friday at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, WI. He was the Falcons’ number three runner, and played a big part in the team’s 4th place finish behind Stanford, BYU, and Northern Arizona, who were ranked 2nd, 1st and 3rd at the time (now 1st, 2nd and 3rd).
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