Cross country is coming⚔️
6A Girls cross country 👀
We’ve reached that magical point in the summer where we can officially say that the cross country season begins next month. I used to dread this point in the summer where the overwhelming presence of the school year crept closer as the weeks went by, but now that I’m not a student, the thought is a little less daunting. Nonetheless, the cross country season is just around the corner and boy are we in for a good couple of months. Since there isn’t too much track & field happening, I thought I’d give myself plenty of time to preview the upcoming season. With that being said, we’ll start with the state’s biggest class and work our way down over the next few weeks. As always, ladies first.
It’s Olathe West’s world and we’re just living in it🦉
Two newsletters ago, I had the chance to interview Olathe West head coach Kelsey Carbajo and familiarize myself with the culture, mindset, and aspirations of the young program. If you haven’t already, I recommend you swing on over and give it a read. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I think it’s a pretty good piece.
Coming into the 2022 season, the Owls are riding quite the hot streak. They’re the defending back-to-back state champions and had an undefeated cross country season, including a win at the Roy Griak Invitational. Most recently, Kate Miller, Bree Newport, Paige Baker and Charis Robinson set the state record in the 4x800m at the Shawnee Mission North Relays in early May, notching a time of 9:17.40, beating St. James’ previous mark by nearly six seconds. Last month at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, Newport, Baker, Robinson and Kalyn Willingham set a new mark of 9:17.01, now owning the two fastest times in the history of the state. Long story short, the Owls have a TON of momentum, and it’s going to be tough for anyone to de-throne this team. When I think of West, there is one aspect of this team that impresses me the most, and that’s their pack time. Last year at state, they had their top five runners across the line within forty-one seconds of one-another, and if you include their sixth, they’d still all be finished in under sixty seconds. This year, their lineup of Newport (17:56.55), Miller (18:03.80), Robinson (18:16.00), Baker (18:55.50) and Elizabeth Blackman (19:06.30) would hypothetically be across the line within seventy seconds of one another. The icing on the cake is that as of now, Olathe West is unofficially ranked 20th heading into the season based off of MileSplit’s trusty XC Team Score feature.
There are four dangerous teams (and more) that are chasing West down and jockeying for spots on a podium that only holds three teams. It will be exciting as fans to see how the team race develops through the course of the season.
Two spots, but four teams🥈🥉❌❌
Manhattan, Washburn Rural, Olathe North and Shawnee Mission East are four teams that all have the capability of landing on the podium. That’s no dig at any of the teams I didn’t mention, it’s just that the four I named are very close to one another and are very difficult to predict. Might as well give it my best effort though.
Manhattan High School 🟥 🟦
Manhattan finished 5th last year and lost two out of their top five runners from state, so how are they on this list? Let me bring you up to speed. After the Centennial League meet last fall, one of their scorers Amelia Knopp (19:48.90) did not compete at regionals or state, leaving them without one of their key pieces of the puzzle. The rest of the team still performed incredibly well even in Knopp’s absence, and is gearing up for a big season. Though they lost Rachel Corn and Morgan Turner, who were 40th and 54th at state in 2021, a very strong freshman class is ready to embrace the challenge. Leading the way for Susan Melgares’ squad is sophomore Rebekah Pickering (19:25.50), coming off of a state medal a year ago, with junior Haley Henningson (19:39.78) right behind her and the the second of three girls who own a sub-20 PR. Knopp is their third runner under twenty, followed by sophomore sisters Malea (20:01.20) and Jalissa Jobity (20:30.40). With a young core and veteran experience and leadership, who knows exactly what this team can do when the time comes. The last time this team left the state meet with a trophy was 2018, and they’ve got a great shot at adding to their trophy case this time around.
Washburn Rural 🟦 ⬜️
Last year, Washburn Rural was just nine points out of a podium finish, taking fourth behind Olathe West, Olathe North, and Blue Valley Northwest. This year, the Jr. Blues return their 1-2 punch of Maddie Carter and Payton Fink, their two returning state medalists. Both girls are coming off strong track campaigns, and are looking to translate that success back onto the grass. Carter is sporting a PR of 18:14.90, with Fink’s best of 18:42.30 coming at the Topeka City Championships. Rounding out Rural’s top five are Sydney Laster (19:55.30), Rylee Ismert (20:01.70), and Christine Gutierrez (20:58.80), an assortment of a junior, sophomore and a senior. The biggest Rural loss was that of senior Khloi Bird, an 18:29.10 runner and 2021 state medalist. As of now, Matt Swedlund’s squad is dangerous as it is, but if they can bring their 3-5 runners within ninety seconds of Carter, they’ll be even more lethal. After just missing out last year, I can imagine there is a certain type of ambition throughout the program, and I bet that Carter is looking to end her high school career on the podium with her team.
Olathe North 🟦 🟥
The ladies of Olathe North are returning their own 1-2 punch, led by three-time state champion Anjali Hocker Singh and sophomore sensation Shea Johnson. Hocker-Singh didn’t compete this track season, but ended her second season with a 17:10.74 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships, after just barely missing out on qualifying for the Eastbay National Championships. Johnson made a name for herself on the state’s biggest stage, lowering her PR from 18:41.78 to 18:11.60 at the state meet, making her the 8th fastest athlete of the season and the 4th fastest returner in the state this year. Similar to Rural, Olathe North has a bit of separation between their top five, but that can be expected when your top athlete is just seconds away from running under 17. Cora Katzenberger (19:56.27), Niah Blachly (20:35.30) and Ava French (21:09.80) are the remaining Eagle scorers, giving the reigning state runner-ups a near four-minute pack time. Similar to Rural, the Eagles are clearly still in a good position to make the podium, but will increase their chances even more if they can lower their pack time. Don’t by any means leave this team out of the conversation.
Shawnee Mission East ⬛️ ⬜️
You would think after losing your number one runner in Grace Meyer to graduation that it may take a year or two to bounce back, but that’s not the case for the Shawnee Mission East Lancers. Lida Padgett (19:32.90), Scarlett Pearlman (19:41.70), and Jade Achen (19:47.00) have a good amount of experience in their repertoire, along with a strong possibility of a state medal for all three. Lauren Gahgagan (21:01.40) and Adelaide Ecton (21:27.10) close out the first five for the Lancers. You’re probably tired of reading this, but the point stands true for Shawnee Mission East as well. Just like Olathe North and Washburn Rural, if they can close the gap between Padgett and Ecton, this team can get that much closer to a top three finish in a few months.
If I’m being honest, Olathe North’s Hocker Singh is the clear favorite for the individual title, simply because she’s left no doubt on the grass, but with her fall plans uncertain after sitting out this spring, the title could potentially be up for grabs for a number of athletes. Here are five athletes not named Anjali that could cross the line first in October.
Bree Newport🦉 (Olathe West)
The top returner for the defending champs broke eighteen for the first time in her career at Garmin RunningLane. She kept up that momentum this past spring, being a part of the state record 4x800 squad and winning a state title in that same event. Just a junior, Newport is only getting faster.
Kate Miller🦉 (Olathe West)
Also a junior, Miller was right behind Newport throughout last season, ending with a season best of 18:03.80 coming at NXR Heartland. She was one of five Olathe West medalists a year ago, and can be even more successful with a strong summer. If it comes down to a sprint finish, Miller will be a factor.
Shea Johnson🦅 (Olathe North)
Johnson trains with the best in the state every day, so that itself is a pretty huge advantage. Johnson may lack experience since she’s only raced on the grass for two seasons, but she more than makes up for it with her speed and endurance, and obviously her talent. The 2021 runner-up is a prime contender.
Paige Mullen🐯 (Shawnee Mission Northwest)
One of the dark horses for an individual title is none-other than the 3200m state champion. Mullen threw down a nasty last lap at Cessna in May, clocking a state best of 10:39.99, the 10th fastest 3200m time in state history. I think Mullen is due for a big season, and who knows what that means in term for her state finish.
Maddie Carter 🎩 (Washburn Rural)
Carter is no stranger to winning; in fact, she had a four race win streak stretching over the Seaman Invitational, the Topeka City Championships, the Centennial League Championship and the Junction City Regional. The senior sports a PR of 18:14.90 and will have a strong shot at breaking eighteen in the coming months.
Honorable Mention
Charis Robinson (Olathe West)
Senior — 2021 PR: 18:16.00
Payton Fink (Washburn Rural)
Sophomore — 2021 PR: 18:42.30
Hannah Gibson (Shawnee Mission South)
Senior — 2021 PR: 18:43.20
Paige Baker (Olathe West)
Senior — 2021 PR: 18:55.50
Gatorade Player(s) of the Year🏆
Stanton County’s Chesney Peterson and Madison’s Casey Helm claimed the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year honors for the 2022 track season. Peterson most likely solidified her award by winning four individual state titles (400m-3200m) in May, along with remaining undefeated all season. This was her fifth state individual state title of her junior year, and her ninth in her career. Helm, himself, had a pretty darn good senior year as well, winning two more state titles to make it four total, along with a state record in the discus, and the best high school mark in the event in the nation. These two well-deserving athletes have bright futures ahead of them. Peterson is entering her senior year, and Helm is heading to Princeton in the fall.
The Kassidy Johnson era lives on 🟪 → 🟥
Back in March after she finished 4th in the Women’s 800m at the NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships, we interviewed Kansas State’s Kassidy Johnson and gained a much better understanding of the Kansas State school record holder’s mindset and attitude. At the time, she informed us that she had planned on hanging up the spikes at the end of the year as she planned on beginning “graduate school and supervised practice at Rutgers University for Dietetics in the fall.” An opportunity arose for Johnson to use her remaining eligibility as a Scarlett Knight, giving her the chance to see even more success. Congratulations and good luck to a very deserving athlete!
Just a heads up for all of you, next week KSXCT&F is going to shift into “World Championship” mode, and cover as much as we can. We’re know CITIUS MAG, but we’ll give it a go. Of course, we’ll cover the Kansas athletes first, but don’t be surprised if you see some Ryan Crouser or Grant Holloway content. This is going to a Team USA fan page for a good ten days! I highly recommend that you keep up with the championships if you can, it’s going to be crazy! As always, have a great weekend and go watch some track & field for us.
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