With the cross country season officially less than a month away, I took some notes from The Lap Count’s Kyle Merber and his mailbag idea, in order to let you guys decide what I wrote about this week! Last week, I took to our Instagram and put out a poll to see what kind of topics NEEDED to be talked about as we all collectively count down the days to the best time of the year. For those who took some time and answered the poll, thank you! It makes this a lot easier (and a lot more fun) when I’m not the only one thinking what to write about! Let’s deliver the goods!
** Disclaimer: Some submissions were re-worded or combined with similar/relevant topics to make this a little easier on me.
What will Clay Shively produce in his final high school cross country season?
An excellent question, and the one that was asked the most (five times to be exact). If you spent the most recent track season under a rock, you may have missed the sensation that was Trinity Academy senior Clay Shively. Besides winning another pair of state titles (1600m & 800m), he ran 8:50 for the 3200m, along with a 1:51 800m and a blistering 4:01 mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles in June. Now, the second-fastest miler in state history is increasing his race distance to 5000m, which he ran in 14:47 last September at the Olathe Twilight. But the question was, how fast? Honestly, the sky is barely the limit, and I think for the third straight season, the boys’ state record is not just going to be broken, but shattered. I don’t think for a minute that sub-14:30 is out of the picture, and I would wager a good chunk of change on him running even faster by the time the season comes to an end. To sum it up, if you weren’t already going to keep tabs on him over the next few months, you need to!
How is the 6A boys team race going to play out?
Oof, a very good but difficult question to answer. There are a handful of programs that on paper that look they could end up on top at the end of October. Statistically, Olathe West is the front-runner coming into the season. Despite being the first team out at regionals last year, the Owls return all five scorers and six out of their top seven, and are one of just two teams with a full squad under seventeen minutes. Lead-man Gunnar Hornung (15:42) and company are looking for revenge, and surely more than just a regional plaque. Lawrence Free State, Garden City and Gardner-Edgerton all have a say in this as well, as all three have a veteran front-runner (or two) leading the way, with Jake Loos (16:06), brothers Josiah (15:59) and Kailyn (16:04) Munoz and Parker Walion (15:24)3 leading their respective program in 2023. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t include the defending champs Shawnee Mission East, who despite losing their top three, have a pack-time of 25 seconds and are all 17:00 or faster. Let’s just say, the 6A team race is going to be fun, and it is way too early for me to even attempt to predict who is going to make it out of this battle royale on top.
Will the Boys of Baker win their third Heart of America title in five years?
I shouldn’t be biased but I am, and I sure hope they do. I’d be a pretty crappy alum if I didn’t root for my alma mater, so I’ll leave it at that. Since 2015, four different programs have won multiple conference titles, and no program since Lindenwood (2007-2009) has won more than two consecutive titles. What does that mean? It means this conference is not for the faint of heart. Based off the small amount of research I did, things are going to look pretty different than they did a year ago. For starters, the two-time defending champs return zero of their scorers from a year ago, so I’d wager a good amount of money that there will be a new conference champion. But, it’s going to be a battle between the two programs that have won multiple titles in the last eight years, Benedictine and Baker. There could very well be more teams that are contending, but I don’t know too much about the rest of the HAAC. Cut me some slack; I’ve only got a select amount of inside sources.
Who is going to be the next 5A Boys Individual Champ?
Despite one of the fastest boys in state history, Colby King, graduating in May, there are still plenty of names that could easily win gold in a few months. There are five runners from the top ten that are coming back for another go, and either of them (plus a ton more) has proven that they might just have that dog in them. Maize’ Kaleb Glazier was the 2022 runner-up, and he flaunts a 15:36 PR and plenty of experience. Blue Valley Southwest’s Thomas Caul has run 15:37. and finished just behind Glazier in 3rd. Spring Hill junior Logan Beckman ran 16:01 for 6th at state last fall, and surely will be a factor at Rim Rock Farm. Shawnee Heights senior Jackson Esquibel may be one of the favorites, because he had a heck of a state track meet, winning the 3200m (9:18) and taking 2nd in the 1600m (4:15). I don’t know how that will translate to a 5k on the grass, but I feel he’s got the confidence and experience to be leading the charge. Though he’s only raced nine times since last September, DeSoto’s Palmer O’Connor (15:28) has shown he’s a threat when he’s healthy, and after a summer to get his legs back under him, don’t count out the Wildcat.
How good will the 2A boys be?
2A is always a relatively loaded classification, and that is no different this fall. Three of the top six teams from last October return all five scoring runners (Meade, Central Heights, Hoxie), with the two more returning three out of their five scorers (Berean Academy, Trinity Catholic). Here’s a quick snippet of each program and what their biggest strength is as they head into the 2023 season.
Central Heights
The duo of Cody Hammond and Connor Burkdoll will be the driving force behind this team. Both have a lot of experience and success, and are the pre-season favorites for the 2A title. The main thing standing in their way is their 2:07 pack time, which just leaves the door open for a good chunk of athletes to break them up.
Meade
Logan Keith. Easy as that. He’ll be fighting for his first cross country state title, and his superb state track meet should only raise his confidence, and the confidence of everyone watching. Similar to Central Heights, Meade has a pack time of 2:12, which again, can open the door for danger.
Berean Academy
Despite losing Andrew Harder, one of the most successful programs in 2A in recent memory is still very much in the fight. Trevor Nusz, Elias Simkins, Jeremiah Briscoe are arguably the best trio in 2A, but just like the two teams ahead of them, their pack time of 2:18 has the potential to be a “make or break” scenario.
Trinity Catholic
Front-man Cameron Kiser is setting the stopwatch off, as Trinity Catholic brings a 52 second pack time to the table, and the closer their 2-5 can get to Kiser, the more dangerous they become.
Hoxie
The best pack time in 2A belongs to the boys of Hoxie, who are one of the programs returning each of their. five scoring athletes from last year’s state championship. Connor Diercks and Kane Epp lead the charge, and just half a minute back are three athletes between 18:22 and 18:24. If they can put all five under eighteen, big things are possible.
Adjusting to racing without Chesney Peterson
Since her freshman year, 2023 graduate and one of the best runners in state history Chesney Peterson has simply dominated 2A, and the landscape of 2A girls cross country is immediately changing. For the first time since 2019, a school not called Stanton County will hoist the team trophy up, and there are already two programs that have distanced themselves from the field. Salina-Sacred Heart and Remington are the top-two preseason favorites, and both have what it takes to edge out the other. For starters, the Knights have a dangerous trio made up of Eva Matteucci, Gracy Dorzweiler and Caroline Stone, who all rank 8th or higher in returning athletes. Their 4-5 both come in in the top thirty returners, giving them a pack time of 1:33. Remington, on the other hand, has Ava Klaassen and Chelsea Wilour leading the charge (3rd & 5th), along with the 18th, 25th and 32nd fastest returners. Head-to-head (on paper), Sacred Heart would hold off Remington 74-83, but as we all know, the only thing that matters when it comes to race day is who is on the starting line. Anything can happen, and I’m confident both of these two squads are going to provide a very entertaining cross country season.
Sunflower State Highlights🌻
Kingman High School graduate and current Oklahoma Christian athlete Owen Pearce announced via Instagram that he is transferring to Lee University as a Graduate Transfer to finish out his final two years of eligibility. Pearce owns PR’s of 23:55 in the 8k and 8:18 in the 3k.
Wichita-Trinity phenom in and incoming senior Clay Shively was selected to be apart of the Nike Elite Program, and is one of forty athletes selected for this opportunity. You can read more about the program here.
Lawrence Free State graduate and three-time All-American this past year at the University of Utah, Emily Venters, has turned professional and joined the Union Athletics Club, coached by Pete Julian. The UAC has produced some of the best athletes in the country, most recently Sinclaire Johnson, the US Women’s 1500m national champion.
Hesston incoming sophomore Ashley Lehman ran 2:14.12 in the 800m at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, the 6th fastest time in the state this outdoor season, and the fastest in 3A.
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