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TopSports.news' 2025 Shawnee County boys cross country runners to watch
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brody Anderson, Seaman
BRODY ANDERSON, Seaman
Anderson, a senior, earned All-Shawnee County first-team recognition for the second straight season after winning city and United Kansas Conference individual titles and finishing second in Class 5A regional competition and ninth in the 5A state meet. Anderson broke his own school record with a five-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 17 seconds. Anderson was also an all-county pick in track, finishing third in the 5A 800 meters in the 2025 state meet.
Connor Baldwin, Hayden
CONNOR BALDWIN, Hayden
A senior, Baldwin was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last fall after posting a ninth-place individual finish in the city meet, a 13th-place showing in the Centennial League and a fifth-place finish in Class 4A regional competition. Baldwin capped his junior season with a 28th-place finish in the 4A state championships.
CONNER BLOOM, Seaman
A junior, Bloom received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall. Bloom finished 19th in the city meet, 15th in the United Kansas Conference and 20th in a Class 5A regional as the Vikings earned a team berth for the 5A state meet. Bloom finished 62nd at state.
EASTON DAVIS, Topeka High
Davis, a sophomore, received All-Shawnee County honorable mention as a freshman. Davis finished 15th in the city meet, 22nd in the Centennial League and 31st in Class 6A regional competition.
MAX ESQUIBEL, Shawnee Heights
A senior, Esquibel was a first-team All-Shawnee County selection last fall after finishing 11th in the city meet and 11th in the United Kansas Conference. Esquibel posted a 28th-place finish in Class 5A regional competition.
Georgia native Jakobe Harmon finds a home in Topeka with Ichabod football
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University junior football standout Jakobe Harmon is a long ways from home ... 741 miles to be exact.
But after three-plus years with the Ichabods, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive center now feels like he has two homes -- Lithonia, Ga. (a suburb of Atlanta) and Topeka.
Junior Jakobe Harmon (63) returns to anchor Washburn's offensive line this fall after earning third-team All-MIAA honors in 2024. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Obviously, Harmon could have picked a school in or near Georgia to launch his college career, but Harmon, a third-team All-MIAA pick last season, said coming to Washburn was a pretty easy choice.
"It was honestly the atmosphere and the people that talked to me when they first recruited me here,'' said Harmon, one of 20 Georgia natives on the WU roster. "Between the players that talked to me on my visit and the coaches that talked to me, they made it feel like a family and just home.
"Topeka is a home and it's always going to be a home for me at this point. I've been here for four years now and I love it.''
After a redshirt season in 2022, Harmon has become a stalwart on the offensive line for the Ichabods over the past two seasons, seeing action in 18 games with 16 starts. Harmon started eight straight games for WU last season before missing the final three games due to injury.
TopSports.news' 2025 Shawnee County girls cross country runners to watch
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ali Gerber, Silver Lake
ALI GERBER, Silver Lake
Gerber, a junior, earned All-Shawnee County honorable mention last fall after posting a sixth-place finish in Class 3A regional competition and narrowly missing a 3A state medal with a 23rd-place finish in the state meet. Gerber medaled in seven meets last season and ranks No. 9 on Silver Lake's all-time list. Gerber was a first-team all-county pick in track this past spring.
Emily Graf, Washburn Rural
EMILY GRAF, Washburn Rural
Graf, a senior, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last fall after helping Washburn Rural sweep city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before Rural tied for the 6A team title and finished second on a tiebreaker. Graf posted a fourth-place finish in the city meet, a fifth-place showing in the Centennial League and 6A regional meets and a 14th-place finish at state, earning her second straight state medal. Graf was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick in track this past spring, running on Rural's second-place 6A 4x800 relay.
Sofia Harper, Hayden
SOFIA HARPER, Hayden
A junior, Harper has a career-best five-kilometer time of 20:01 and received All-Shawnee County honors for the second straight season. Harper earned a fifth-place finish in the Wamego Invitational and placed 10th in the city meet before battling illness late in the season. As a freshman Harper posted a second-place finish in Class 3A regional competition and finished 32nd at the 3A state meet.
Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural
KENZIE MADDOX, Washburn Rural
Maddox, a senior, was a first-team All-Shawnee County pick last fall after helping Washburn Rural sweep city, Centennial League and Class 6A regional team championships before Rural tied for the 6A team title and finished second on a tiebreaker. Maddox finished ninth in the city meet, placed 12th in the Centennial League, 29th at regionals and 51st at state. Maddox had a season-best five-kilometer time of 19:41. Maddox was also a first-team all-county pick in track this past spring.
Ryin Miller, Seaman
RYIN MILLER, Seaman
A senior, Miller was named the Gatorade Kansas Cross Country runner of the year after sweeping city, United Kansas Conference and Class 5A regional individual championships and posting a runnerup finish at state. A three-time state placer, Miller ran the fastest five-kilometer time in Kansas history at 16 minutes, 32.62 seconds. Miller, who has orally committed to Arkansas, is the reigning two-time Gatorade Kansas Runner of the Year in track, winning the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 in the 2025 state meet.
