A busy week for Kansas😤
Kansas kids really can do it all
Baldwin Invitational
One of the larger meets of the past weekend took place at a course that I’m very familiar with, the Baldwin City Golf Course. If you’ve never been to Baldwin, you would know that the course has a couple of long, grinding hills, with some downhill to make up for it at certain spots. Remember, in 2016, Cailie Logue and Molly Born ran 16:45.75 and 17:10.40, proving that fast times are possible.
This year, with it being warmer than most would like in mid-September, conditions were good, but not perfect for the plethora of state contenders that toed the line. On the girls’ side, it looked as if Olathe West senior Charis Robinson was going to pick up her win of the season, but in the second half of the race, it was her teammate Bree Newport that charged back and broke nineteen as she crossed the line first. Newport ran 18:59.65, as Robinson took third in 19:08.51. Breaking up a trio of Owls in the top five, was Shawnee Mission East’s Lida Padgett in second in 19:06.50, and Washburn Rural’s Payton Fink in fourth in 19:09.57. As they have so far every race this season, Olathe West took the team title, ahead of St. James Academy, 38-98.
On the boys side, it was a fast duel between Olathe East senior Carter Stewart and Lenny Njoroge, a senior from Topeka West. Through two miles, it was neck and neck, but with half of a mile to go, Stewart was pulling away. In the end, it was Njoroge who picked up his second win of the year, trekking through the course in 15:52.87. Next up was a Shawnee Mission East duo made up of Blair Ptacek (16:30.31) and Caden Peters (16:31.18), running together as state record holder Wyatt Haughton took the weekend off of racing. After the dust settled, the Firebirds of Lawrence Free State took down a number of 5A and 6A schools in the area, winning 70-86-86 over Olathe East and Shawnee Mission East.
This upcoming weekend🗓
After more of a down week in terms of large-scale meets, following both the Wamego Invitational and Olathe Twilight, it’s back to a very busy weekend across the state. For the near-majority of Kansas high school programs, there are three large-scale meets throughout the region that will most likely draw in schools from all over the state.
For schools that wanted to take it easier and let the competition come to them, they opted for the always fast, always crowded Rim Rock Farm HS Classic, just north of Lawrence, KS. Teams from all four bordering states and more, typically make the drive to compete on one of the more difficult yet beautiful courses in the country.
For those schools that wanted to test their talents outside of the state, and nearly outside the region, they are most likely competing in Minneapolis, MN, later today at the Roy Griak Invitational. Let me tell you this, the Les Bolstad Golf Course is not a fun course to run, and never will be. However, it’s a little fun when it’s pouring rain and everybody is running slowly. In 2021, the Sunflower state showed its strength in Minnesota, as Olathe West won the team title on the girls’ side, and Micah Blomker (SM North) and Anjali Hocker-Singh (Olathe North) both came close to the individual title.
Now honestly, I’m not sure how many Kansas teams are making the trip to Columbia, MO, this weekend, primarily because I haven’t taken the time to memorize each team’s schedule. I want to assume that at least one team from the state is going, but honestly now that I’ve said that I’m probably wrong.
There are other meets going on across the state through the weekend, but the majority of schools will likely be competing at one of the three.
Joplin or Lincoln? You choose!🫵
Most of you may think that I’ve forgotten about our college programs that have been competing for the last couple of weeks, and I’m not going to say you’re right; I’m not going to deny it. In my defense, now that I’m not competing every other weekend, their schedule gets lost in the midst of the consistent and weekly racing of Kansas high schools. Fingers crossed that whatever I write over the next couple of paragraphs makes up for my lack of attention.
This weekend, unless I’m simply a fool, I believe that Kansas programs competed at either the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, MO, or the Woody Greeno/Dirksen Invite in Lincoln, NE.
Up north, it was primarily DI programs, with some DII, NAIA and JUCO programs sprinkled throughout. Four local collegians finished in the top ten of the 300+ athlete race, Kansas’ Lona Latema took fourth in the 5k in 17:27.4. Taking fifth, sixth and seventh was a bombardment of purple, as Kansas State had Sydney Burton (Abilene), Hannah Stewart (Lawrence) and Cailan Steward (Andover Central) place fifth, sixth and tenth, running 17:27.4, 17:45.9. and 17:55.5.
In the women’s team race, Kansas State came out on top, edging out former Big 12 foe Nebraska, 54-59. The next in-state program was Kansas, scoring 118 points to take fourth.
On the men’s side, it was Colby Community College who took down DI programs from across the region, edging out Kansas State, Kansas and Air Force, 72-80-90-94. Despite not having their two-time NJCAA national champion Ricardo Barbosa compete, the Trojans put everybody on notice after putting four in the top nineteen. Led by individual winner Sanele Masondo, who ran the 8k in 23:31.0 to win by almost forty seconds, the Trojans had their top four under 25, and will look to make that five when Barbosa returns.
Joining Masondo in the top ten was runner-up Chandler Gibbens (24:10.08) of Kansas, Kidus Misgina (24:21.6) of Cloud County in third, and Colby teammate Mohammed Baghati (24:25.5) in fourth. Taking seventh and tenth to make it six Kansas athletes in the top ten was Kansas State’s Stephen Kielhofner (24:29.0) in seventh and Colby’s Kgadi Monyebodi (24:32.2) in tenth.
In Joplin, there were two separate divisions for collegiate programs, the College/JUCO division and the University/Open.
College/JUCO
Starting the day off with a bang was Washburn Rural alumni and current Butler CC freshman Khloi Bird, who distanced herself from the field by seventeen seconds, winning in a time of 18:30.8, just missing her lifetime best by less than a second. In third was Tabor’s Danielle Allison, who ran a HUGE PR of 18:47.1. How big of a jump did she make? Well, to be blunt, she knocked nearly a minute off of her lifetime best from TRACK, and over three minutes off of her cross country PR from her freshman year. Allison and her Tabor teammates claimed the team title, over Oklahoma City, who was ranked 15th in the nation heading into last weekend.
It was a Butler sweep, as Bird’s teammate Rodgers Rotich won the men’s race in 23:51.2, seventeen seconds ahead of the runner-up. Allen CC’s Devan Crow was the next Kansas finisher, taking sixth in 25:57.7. Cowley College led the way for in-state programs, as they were runner-ups to Oklahoma City, 37-70.
University/Open
Remember her name now, cause you’ll need to know it in a few minutes. Pittsburg State freshman and former Southeast of Saline Trojan Jentrie Alderson took second on Saturday, running under seventeen for the first time in her career, crossing the line in 16:53.8. Following her teammate closely, Lara Murdock (17:04.7) finished in fourth, as the Pittsburg State women took second as a team behind the University of Arkansas.
On the men’s side, it was Fort Hays State’s Grant Bradley taking third in 24:17.9 to lead the way for Kansas athletes. Two spots behind him was Washburn Ichabod Collen Mclain in 24:23.4. Aided by Mclain’s top five finish, Washburn was the highest in-state team finisher, taking second behind one of the best teams in the country, Missouri Southern.
Last week at Blue Valley Southwest, one of the largest middle school meets in the state took place, as nearly eight-hundred athletes and over twenty-five teams competed in the Blue Valley Southwest Middle School Championship. With six different races taking place throughout the meet; it was the opportunity for hundreds of athletes to get to compete against some they may have never raced against before.
Here’s a little rundown so you can keep up with how fast middle schoolers are getting.
Girls Green (C) — 1600m
🥇Evie Kincaid (6:28.60) — Leawood MS
🥈Francesca Vore — Blue Valley MS
🥉Ella Muskat — Leawood MS
Macie Miller — Pleasant Ridge MS
Mackenzie Dallen — Pleasant Ridge MS
For those curious, I would have taken ninth based off of my 7th grade PR. I guess you could say I’m tough like that.🤷♂️
Girls Black (B) — 3200m
🥇Laney Valleca (15:58.20) — Frontier Trail MS
🥈Daphne Baisden — Leawood MS
🥉Evaline Becker — Prairie Trail MS
Annaleen Franklin — Prairie Star MS
Keira Fraser — Mission Trail MS
Girls Green (Champ) — 3200m
🥇Ella Messner (12:22.80) — Academie Lafayette
🥈Karsyn Hitchcock — Frontier Trail MS
🥉Ciera Lynch — Pioneer Ridge MS
Brooke Carter — Lakewood MS
Katie Schallon — Aubry Bend MS
Boys Green (C) — 1600m
🥇Bradley Stromberg (5:26.60) — Summit Trail MS
🥈Landon Rock — Aubry Bend MS
🥉Andrew Claar — Aubry Bend MS
Britton Howell — Oxford MS
Finnian Kennedy — Pleasant Ridge MS
Boys Black (B) — 3200m
🥇Benjamin Herbst (12:42.30) — Summit Trail MS
🥈Wesley Chang — Lakewood MS
🥉Brody Garlich — Chisholm Trail MS
Sam Strouse — Prairie Star MS
Ander Peck — Mission Trail MS
Boys Gold (Champ) — 3200m
🥇Jacob D’Souza (10:53.00) — Oxford MS
🥈Tyler Palangi — Prairie Star MS
Kai Schallon — Aubry Bend MS
Ryder Sefchick — Prairie Star MS
Gabe Muttai — Monticello Trails MS
After strolling through the results, I’m both happy and somber. Happy because I’m overjoyed at where middle school competition is now, and it seems that there are a good couple of thousand middle schoolers running across the state right now, which bodes well for the future of the sport. I am somber because I would have gotten absolutely embarrassed in these races when I was in seventh grade. However, I do find comfort in the fact that I think I could out kick most middle schoolers in the state. (Gavin Lindahl if you are reading this, I do not mean you).
A Fascinating Transition🦍
Hopefully at least one of you has watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, or else this title is all for not The good thing is you don’t need to be familiar with the show to read this interview, because odds are, you probably already know her name.
Jentrie Alderson graduated in May from Southeast of Saline High School, with six individual state titles to her name, along with three additional state medals. Twice on the grass, two sweeps on the track, Alderson didn’t tend to miss a beat, as she went unbeaten her senior year, going a crisp 24-0. She ended her career racing in purple (and a stint in yellow and green) with three school records and more wins than I wanted to count at 47. One of the most successful runners in the state over the last couple of years, and a menace to both 3A and the state.
Now, Alderson has just begun her career at Pittsburg State, where she has already made an immediate impact on both the team and the region. Her most recent results showed that she was trending towards lowering her times even farther, and she did just that, and some.
Last month, Alderson competed at the Cowboy Up 5k in Abilene, KS, taking third in 17:37. That was already over a forty-second PR from her senior year on the grass, and apparently it still wasn’t enough. A couple of weeks ago at Pittsburg State’s Cross Country Alumni Race, she took first on the women’s side, running 17:12, setting another blistering PR. After taking off over a minute off of her high school PR, Alderson still couldn’t stand being in the 17’s, so she opted to take that into her own hands. This past weekend, at the Missouri Southern Stampede, Alderson took second overall in the University/Open division, running 16:53.8, finishing only behind an athlete from the University of Arkansas. Her exciting debut in the crimson and the gold earned her MIAA Athlete of the Week honors. So obviously, I had to interview her.
How has the transition from competing in high school to competing in DII been for you? I’ve gotta say, based off of your first race, it seems to be going relatively well!
The biggest difference from competing in high school to competing D2 now is having multiple people to push me every single day at practice. I was quite nervous for my first race, just because I knew I would be surrounded by a bunch of great athletes. In high school, I would always race alone, and so having to race with the mentality of not being in front, scared me in a way. My coach had a plan for me and I stuck to it during the race, and it ended up working great.
How is the culture at Pittsburg State? What do you like best?
The culture at Pitt State is very inspiring. Everybody on the team is there for the exact same reason, and every single day we all bring our all.
Being around my teammates that have the same mindset as me is so motivating , our team culture is always positive, and we all support each other on good and bad days.
Over the summer, you trained primarily with Salina-Central sophomore Katelyn Rupe, and you both seemed to thrive off of each other, and so far this Fall, you both have seen quick success and PR’s. Can you give me a little insight on how training with Katelyn helped get you to where you are right now?
Training with Katelyn was a blessing. We never really had anybody to run with, So When Katelyn started training with us, it was the perfect fit. We held each other accountable daily and constantly encourage each other to do better.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your short career as a Gorilla so far?
The most challenging part so far is being away from home. I never thought I would choose somewhere over an hour away from home, so it has definitely been an adjustment, but overall is going very well.
Like I mentioned, you’ve seen pretty quick success with only one official collegiate race under your belt. A runner-up individual finish in a 200+ person field, that displayed a lot of depth. You also claimed MIAA Runner of the Week honors in your first race. How does it feel to be in such a great place in your fitness so early into your season? If there was one thing you could attribute that to, what would it be?
It’s super exciting to see my hard work pay off early in the season, but I know there’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of improvement to be made. I celebrated for a short time but quickly decided that I had to keep an open mindset because I know we still have a lot to do and bigger goals to achieve.
What’s next for Jentrie Alderson? Do you have any goals or aspirations you have for the season and the rest of your freshman year that you’re comfortable sharing?
I have lots of goals for the season, mainly to just give it my all, trust my training and to trust God. My team is aware that we are capable of great things this season. Now we just have to work hard, give it our all, and achieve what we have set out to do.
I mean come on, how could you not cheer for her and her teammates? Jentrie and co. are in competition next at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic in Louisville, KY next Saturday.
Highlights around the state🌻
Hutchinson alumni and former Hornet at Emporia State, Jenna Ramsey won the 6k at the Roadrunners Invitational in 21:31.5, not too bad of a debut at altitude. For her victory, she won national athlete of the week honors and RMAC runner of the week as well.
At the Heartland Classic in Pella, IA, St. Thomas Aquinas senior Colby King took second in the 500+ athlete field, running 15:37.50 on a sloppy course. On the girl’s side, Hannah Gibson of Shawnee Mission East took third in 18:46.30, keeping the momentum from her win at Olathe Twilight. The two highest placing teams from Kansas were St. Thomas Aquinas on the girl’s side who took 4th, and Olathe South on the boy’s side who took 8th.
In the NJCAA DI National Athlete of the Week awards, Colby’s Sanele Masondo and Butler’s Khloi Bird earned the honors, after each notched a victory over the weekend. In NJCAA DII, Allen Community College’s Devan Crow won honors on the men’s side, after his sixth place finish at the Missouri Southern Stampede.
After Mike and Angie Spielman led Baldwin to twenty-five (13 boys & 12 girls) state titles throughout his career, the Baldwin Golf Association re-named the cross country course in Baldwin City the Spielman Cross Country Course, in honor of the legendary coach. Congratulations to both Mike and Angie Spielman!
Also, this happened literally this morning, but Lawrence Free State graduate and multiple time state champion Emily Venters won the Roy Griak Invitational this morning, in a time of 20:33.2.
The Winner Board 🥇
Wellsville Invite
Bree Allen — Prairie View
Nash McDaniel — Wellsville
St. John Invitational
Byron Johnson — Ellsworth
Faith Ekart — Sterling
DeSoto Invitational
Grace Hanson — KC-Piper
Logan Beckman — Spring Hill
Clay Center Invitational
Lauren Smith — Clay Center
Brady Stegman — Wamego
Chaparral Invitational
Mary Pearce — Kingman
Natanael Chavez — Pratt
Buhler Invitational
Ashley Prochazka — Southeast of Saline
Kaiden Esfeld — Great Bend
Wichita Southeast Invitational
Madelyn Wallace — Andover
Gabriel Onelio — Arkansas City
Missouri Southern Stampede
Hanna Keltner (16th) — Eudora
Tanner Ulbrich (2nd) — Girard
Hugoton Invitational
Chesney Peterson — Stanton County
M.J. Foster — Liberal
Circle Invitational
Hayley Trotter — Clearwater
Landen O’Neil — Andover Central
Bonner Springs Invitational
Brenna Murphy — Shawnee Mission North
Micah Blomker — Shawnee Mission North
Baldwin Invitational
Bree Newport — Olathe West
Lenny Njoroge — Topeka West
Heartland Classic
Hannah Gibson (3rd) — Shawnee Mission South
Colby King (2nd)— St. Thomas Aquinas
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