By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
The KSHSAA state Class 6A, 5A, 3A cross country meets were contested at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday on a cloudy and wet day. Hayden and Rossville competed in the 4A and 2A state meets at Wamego Country Club.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished second in Saturday's Class 5A state cross country meet in Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 5A Girls
Last season, Seaman junior Ryin Miller finished third place behind the Salina Central duo of Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz. This year, the same three competed for the state title and Miller was able to improve on her finish from last season, but came in second to three-time champion, Rupe. Rupe finished first in a five-kilometer time of 17 minutes, 09.77 seconds, followed by Miller in 17:26.36 and Shultz in 18:13.67.
Along with Miller, Seaman had two other state medalists in the 5A race, with senior Stella Applehanz finishing her final race in 17th place with a time of 19:40.39. Sophomore Brynn Spencer finished right behind Appelhanz in eighteenth place with a time of 19:40.68. The Vikings finished sixth as a team.
Final Team Standings: St. James Academy 77, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 93, Blue Valley Southwest 97, Wichita Bishop Carroll 112, St. Thomas Aquinas 117, Seaman 147.
Seaman: Ryin Miller (17:26.36, 2nd); Stella Applehanz (19:40.39, 17th); Brynn Spencer (19:40.68, 18th); Kinley Robinson (21:20.54, 58th); Avery Villines (22:23.06, 82nd); Hannah Wempe (22:35.89, 85th); Emma Gonzalez (25:16.09, 93rd).
Class 5A Boys
The Seaman boys were the lone local team to qualify for the 5A state meet, but two other local schools qualified individuals for the race. Topeka West had two runners -- seniors Adrian Lehman and Mark Wilkie - while Shawnee Heights had senior Evan Carter.
Two local runners finished as medalists as West’s Lehman finished in seventh place with a time of 15:49.59 and Seaman junior Brody Anderson finished in ninth place with a time of 15:56.52.
Final Team Standings: Spring Hill 35, Blue Valley Southwest 40, Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel 74, Wichita Bishop Carroll 133, St. James Academy 163, Seaman 223 (8th place).
Seaman: Brody Anderson (15:56.52, 9th); Corbin Murrow (17:29.22, 56th); Conner Bloom (17:33.57, 62nd); Alex Newell (17:55.57, 71st); Drake Spurlock (18:16, 81st); Caleb King (18:44.79, 90th); and Maddox Moore (19:15.15, 95th).
Shawnee Heights: Evan Carter (16:52.97, 31st).
Topeka West : Adrian Lehman (15:49.59, 7th); Mark Wilkie (17:32.28, 60th).
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert finished third in Class 6A Saturday as the Junior Blues tied for the team title and finished second on a tiebreaker. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink posted a top-five Class 6A cross country finish for the second straight season Saturday at Rim Rock Farm. [Photo by Charles Spurlock/Special to TSN]
Class 6A Girls
In the closest possible finish in a cross country race, the Olathe West Owls and the Washburn Rural Junior Blues tied with 80 points, but Olathe West won their fifth straight state championship based on the finish of each team’s sixth runner.
The Junior Blues were led by senior medalists Rylee Ismert, who finished third in a time of 18:41.30, and senior Payton Fink, who finished fifth in a time of 18:48.82, while junior Emily Graf finished in 14th with a time of 19:26.24.
Final Team Standings: Olathe West 80, Washburn Rural 80, SM East 84, Mill Valley 112, Olathe North 129.
Washburn Rural: Rylee Ismert (18:41.30, 3rd); Peyton Fink (18:48.82, 5th); Emily Graf (19:26.24, 14th); Brooklyn Nolte (20:10.83, 31st); Kenzie Maddox (20:57.15, 51st); Kate Muir (22:51.61, 91st); Reese Beardslee (23:37.64, 97th).
Class 6A Boys
The Washburn Rural boys finished sixth as a team, with freshman Henry Laubach finishing as a medalist in 14th place with a time of 16:24.80.
Brooks Kehoe finished with a time of 16:42 (25th); Clayton Fink finished in 17:16.53 (49th); Bodie King finished in 17:21.37 (55th); Connor Olsen finished 64th with a time of 17:34.11; Chris Quarles finished in 17:43.49 (74th); and Duke Graf finished in 97th with a time of 18:28.39.
Final Team Standings: Garden City 66, Junction City 101, SM South 104, Mill Valley 112, Olathe West 112, Washburn Rural 143.
Washburn Rural: Henry Laubach (16:24.80, 14th); Brooks Kehoe (16:42, 25th); Clayton Fink (17:16.53, 49th); Bodie King (17:21.37, 55th); Connor Olsen (17:34.11, 64th); Chris Quarles (17:43.49, 74th); Duke Graf (18:28.39, 97th).
3A Girls Results
Silver Lake: Alessandra Gerber (20:38.92, 23rd); Tessa Gerber (21:12.87, 30th).
Class 3A Boys Results
Silver Lake: Hunter Rooks (17:55.63, 52nd); Aemon Coffman (18:18.18, 62nd).
Class 4A Girls Results
Hayden senior Elliot Wrench, competing as an individual, posted a sixth-place finish in 20:11.94.
Class 4A Boys Results
Hayden finished 10th as a team with 228 points, led by Connor Baldwin's 28th-place finish in 18:15.48.
Nick Newkirk was 48th (18:54.57), Jonah Stewart 54th (19:01.79), Luke Franklin 78th (19:56.72), Derek Ahlstedt 83rd (20:05.07), Matthew Farmer 92nd (20:39.68) and Ethan Rochford 98th (21:31.70).
Class 2A Girls Results
Rossville's Madelyn Wonnell placed 70th in 24:38.52.
Class 2A Boys Results
Rossville finished 11th with 293 points.
Dalton Verschelden placed 61st (19:55.29), Torin Culbertson was 77th (20:53.75), Karson Weissend 88th (21:47.13), Logan Kufahl 91st (21:50.88), Drake Robb 101st (22:49.83), Nate Fund 104th (23:35.19) and Lochlan Culbertson 108th (24:13.53).
