By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Defending Class 6A boys state cross country champion Washburn Rural is off and running again, including a team title in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic at Rural.
Junior Clayton Fink (510) posted a fifth-place individual finish to lead Washburn Rural to the boys team title in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural sophomore Alyson Hinck turned in a fourth-place girls individual finish in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic as Rural finished third as a team. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The Junior Blues put three runners in the top nine spots on the way to a decisive 50-77 victory over Blue Valley Northwest while Rural's girls also turned in a banner day, with three runners placing in the top eight individually en route to a third-place team finish behind Shawnee Mission East and Mill Valley.
"Both the boys and girls teams ran great,'' Rural coach Matt Swedlund said. "It's always fun to host and show off our beautiful home course.''
Saturday's meet is named in honor of former longtime Washburn Rural coach Scott Shufelberger, who Swedlund ran for in high school.
Junior Clayton Fink paced Rural's boys in Saturday's meet with a fifth-place individual finish among 99 runners in a five-kilometer time of 16 minutes, 29.50 seconds.
Junior Duke Graf (511) placed seventh in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic for the team-champion Washburn Rural boys. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural, which captured the 2025 6A team championship by a single point, also got a seventh-place finish from Duke Graf (16:48.40) and a ninth-place showing from junior Jaxson Adams (16:53.30) while sophomore Julius Wood-Nichols placed 13th (17:04.90) and senior Cohen Thiessen 16th (17:13.90) to round out the Junior Blues' top five.
"The boys ran solid and are progressing nicely,'' Swedlund said.
Seaman finished ninth as a team with 186 points, led by sophomore Trindon Jones, who placed 14th (17:09.00).
Shawnee Heights got a 29th-place finish from sophomore Miles Hadley (17:40.40) on the way to an 11th-place team finish while Topeka West finished 12th as a team, getting a team-high 66th-place finish from senior Ezra Phelps (18:40.10).
Washburn Rural junior Reese Beardslee (547) finished sixth in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Sophomore Alyson Hinck led Washburn Rural's girls with a fourth-place individual finish among 85 competitors in 19:26.40 while junior Reese Beardslee was two spots back in sixth place (19:31.20) and sophomore Morgan Munson finished eighth (19:41.80).
Sophomore Quinn Nolte finished 29th (21:05.10) and freshman Kenadee Booher 34th (21:21.30) to round out Rural's scoring runners as Rural finished with 81 points to finish third behind SM East (58) and Mill Valley (68).
Seaman senior Brynn Spencer (496) finished ninth in Saturday's Shufelberger Top City Classic. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seaman senior Brynn Spencer, a returning 5A state medalist, placed ninth (19:43.00) for the seventh-place Vikings.
SHUFELBERGER TOP CITY CLASSIC
GIRLS
Team scores
Shawnee Mission East 58, Mill Valley 68, Washburn Rural 81, Olathe North 101, Olathe West 105, Gardner-Edgerton 177, Seaman 185, Olathe South 197, Blue Valley Northwest 206, Junction City 225.
Individual results
1. Charlotte Hardy, SM East, 18:11.80; 2. Audrey Howard, Mill Valley, 18:22.10; 3. Lyla Speicher, SM East, 18:52.20; 4. Alyson Hinck, Washburn Rural, 19:26.40; 5. Hailey Hanna, Mill Valley, 19:30.20; 6. Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural, 19:31.20; 7. Molly DeGregorio, Olathe West, 19:34.90; 8. Morgan Munson, Washburn Rural, 19:41.80; 9. Brynn Spencer, sr., Seaman, 19:43.00; 10. Karsyn Hitchcock, Olathe North, 19:43.60.
Other Washburn Rural -- 29. Quinn Nolte, 21:05.10; 34. Kenadee Booher, 21:21.30; 47. Avery Kennedy, 22:35.20; 69. Clara Dillon, 23:38.30;
Other Seaman -- 33. Morgan Ranson, 21:18.90; 40. Kinley Robinson, 21:56.10; 48. Brinley Cochran, 22:39.90; 64. Hannah Wempe, 23:27.30; 78. Jaydin Frickey, Seaman, 24:44.70; 80. Avery Villines, 25:07.20.
Shawnee Heights -- 79. Claudia Memmet, 24:51.40; 84. Hazel Rondash, 25:51.20; 85. Piper Geil, 28:05.60.
BOYS
Team scores
Washburn Rural 50, Blue Valley Northwest 77, Shawnee Mission East 84, Mill Valley 113, Olathe West 156, Gardner-Edgerton 158, Olathe South 163, Shawnee Mission West 172, Seaman 186, Junction City 214, Shawnee Heights 302, Topeka West 338.
Individual results
1. Jacob D'souza, Blue Valley Northwest, 15:35.20; 2. Graham Anderson, Mill Valley, 15:58.20; 3. Kallan Horveath, SM West, 16:14.60; 4. Anthony Testa, Junction City, 16:15.90; 5. Clayton Fink, Washburn Rural, 16:29.50; 6. George Clifford, SM East, 16:30.30; 7. Duke Graf, Washburn Rural, 16:48.40; 8. Andrew Kennedy, Blue Valley Northwest, 16:51.40; 9. Jaxson Adams, Washburn Rural, 16:53.30; 10. Asher Yager, Mill Valley, 16:54.50.
Other Washburn Rural -- 13. Julius Wood-Nichols, 17:04.90; 16. Cohen Thiessen, 17:13.90; 24. Bennett Wells, 17:33.50
Seaman -- 14. Trindon Jones, 17:09.00; 31. Conner Bloom, 17:41.50; 41. Emmanuel Armstead, 17:53.70; 57. Maddox Moore, 18:15.80; 62. Tate Oliva, 18:33.10; 74. Camden Dutton, 19:06.30; 78. Cody Miller, 19:10.80; 82. Nick Horton, 19:24.80; 97. Weston Kennedy, 21:14.00.
Shawnee Heights -- 29. Miles Hadley, 17:40.40; 67. Andrew Schulte, 18:41.50; 83. Deyton Coufal, 19:29.00; 95. Carter Vincent, 20:49.30; 99. Marcus Folger, 21:19.20.
Hayden -- 32. Nick Newkirk, 17:42.50.
Topeka West -- 66. Ezra Phelps, 18:40.10; 85. Westin Soto, 19:31.80; 89. Cameron Parrett, 19:43.20; 91. Rhys Green, 19:49.00; 94. Elijah Hernandez, 20:30.40; 98. Mason Gore, 21:15.70.
Gerber, Kraus pace Eagles at Hiawatha
Silver Lake senior girls standout Alessandra Gerber placed eighth individually among 64 runners in Thursday's Hiawatha Invitational, leading the Eagles to a sixth-place team finish.
Gerber clocked a five-kilometer time of 22:25.89 while Silver Lake also got a top-20 finish from freshman JessiLyn Mohler (23:59.35).
Silver Lake junior Cason Kraus placed 10th individually in the boys race (19:32.70), leading the Eagles to a runnerup team finish behind Nemaha Central (29-85).
The Eagles also got a 16th-place finish from senior Lane Ray (20:03.52) and a 19th-place showing from freshman Dayton Uhl (20:08.36).
Dawg trio posts top-20 finishes at Wabaunsee meet
Rossville seniors Payton Shaddux and Madelyn Wonnell and freshman Raiden Pollock posted top-20 individual finishes in Saturday's Jason McKinney Memorial meet, hosted by Wabaunsee.
Shaddux (25:08.79) placed 12th and Wonnell 14th (25:21.90) in the girls race while Pollock (21:40.92) finished 17th in the boys race as Rossville finished fifth as a team.
Trojans' Davis top 10 at Baldwin
Topeka High junior Easton Davis placed ninth among 66 runners in Saturday's Baldwin Invitational.
Davis clocked a time of 17:56.53 to lead the Trojans to a sixth-place team finish.
