by Tony Bozarth
This is the Final Ballot Cross Country Coaches
Rankings. You will find the
teams ranked according to the voting of the coaches
and who they believe are
the top contenders for the individual state title
in each classification. I
might note that on the individual contenders, they
will be noted in
alphabetical order AND only those athletes with at least three
votes will be
listed. If you have questions you may contact Garry Sigle at
Riley County
High School. 1-2A Boys
1. Kansas City Christian
(70)
2. Hutch-Trinity (56)
3. South Gray (40)
4. Osborne (25)
5. Wakefield
(24)
6. Deerfield (15)
7. Sacred Heart (8)
8. Meade (7)
Others: Berean
Academy 5, Pike Valley 1 Individual Contenders (alphabetical order)
Phillip
Brandon - KC Christian
Corey Entriken - Sedgwick
Jose Martinez - Deerfield
Christian
Smith - Pawnee Heights 1-2A Girls
1. Hutch-Trinity (68)
2. Osborne
(65)
3. Olpe (58)
4. Wakefield (17)
5. Lebo (16)
6. St. John (15)
Lincoln (15)
8. Stanton County (11)
Others: McLouth 4, Northern Valley 2,
Dighton 1 Individual Contenders (alphabetical order):
Maggie Foss - Hutch
Trinity
Jolene Mick - Osborne
Michelle Stueve - Olpe 3A Boys
1.
Hillsboro (57)
Riley County (57)
3. Holcomb (46)
4. Wellsville (27)
5.
Belleville (24)
6. Hesston (9)
7. Central Heights (7)
8. Ellsworth (3)
Others:
Lakin 1 Individual Contenders:
Garett Frank - Northern Heights
Peter
Richert - Hillsboro
Keen Umbehr - Wabaunsee
Adam Willis - Hoisington 3A
Girls
1. Northern Heights (46)
2. Sabetha (43)
3. Halstead (39)
4.
Southwestern Heights (29)
5. Wakeeney (21)
6. Beloit (3)
Royal Valley
(3)
8. Osage City (2)
Leon-Bluestem (2)
Others: None Individual
Contenders:
Rachel Boyd - Medicine Lodge
Stacy Kentzler - Mt. St. Scholastica
Erin
Locke - Wakeeney
Erin Mortimer - Riley County
Amy VanGundy - Northern Heights 4A
Boys
1. Baldwin (95)
2. Wamego (74)
3. Tongonoxie (47)
4. Clay Center
(36)
5. Clearwater (32)
6. Hugoton (29)
7. Chapman (7)
8. El Dorado
(3)
Anderson County (3)
Others: Concordia 2 Individual Contenders:
Griffin
Lee - Mill Valley
Joe Moore - Clay Center
Matt Noonan - Baldwin
Daniel
Simon - Andale 4A Girls
1. Andover (82)
2. El Dorado (66)
3. Baldwin
(58)
4. Clay Center (57)
5. Wamego (22)
6. Hayden (19)
7. Hugoton
(17)
8. Clearwater (7)
Others: Colby 1, Concordia 1 Individual Contenders:
Mallory
Champa - Clearwater
Brittany Hill - Hugoton
Mica Land - Andover
Lisa
Morrisey - Ottawa
Kristi Parry - Clay Center
Erica Ogle - Baldwin 5A
Boys
1. Great Bend (59)
2. Bishop Carroll (38)
3. Liberal (37)
4.
Hays (36)
5. Topeka Seaman (14)
6. Buhler (12)
7. Blue Valley West (10)
8.
Shawnee Heights (2)
Others: Gardner-Edgerton 1 Individual Contenders:
Justin
Alexander - Liberal
Paul Hefferon - Blue Valley West
Tanner Marshall - Great
Bend
Lance Reichenberger - Bishop Carroll 5A Girls
1. Great Bend (53)
2.
Bishop Carroll (37)
3. Bishop Miege (24)
4. Shawnee Heights (19)
5. Kapaun
Mt. Carmel (18)
6. Blue Valley West (12)
7. Buhler (9)
8. Goddard (7)
Others:
Topeka Seaman 3, Hays 3, McPherson 2 Individual Contenders:
Ashley Kimble
- Mulvane
Trisha Nickoley - Shawnee Heights
Pam Weber - Hays
Amy Zeller
- Bishop Carroll 6A Boys
1. Lawrence (47)
2. Shawnee Mission Northwest
(40)
3. Lawrence Free State (30)
4. Washburn Rural (19)
5. Shawnee Mission
East (12)
Wichita West (12)
7. Emporia (5)
8. Shawnee Mission South
(2)
Derby (2)
Others: Olathe East 1 Individual Contenders:
Ryan
Hopper - SM Northwest
Dylan McClain - Lawrence
Justin Riley - Lawrence
Ryan
Wilson - Wichita Heights 6A Girls
1. Shawnee Mission Northwest (48)
2.
Blue Valley Northwest (37)
3. Olathe South (31)
4. Shawnee Mission East
(25)
5. Emporia (14)
6. Lawrence Free State (6)
Aquinas (6)
8. Lawrence
(1)
Others: None Individual Contenders:
Morgan Bonds - Hutchison
Alysha
Galbrath - Olathe South
Amy Hastings - Leavenworth ANALYSIS2A-1A
Boys: Kansas City Christian and Hutchinson Trinity have both been running fine
races all season long and easily won their regionals. Phillip Brandon (KC Christian)
has been running well in eastern Kansas races, while Corey Entriken (Sedgwick)
as turned fast times in the south-central region. Christian Smith (Pawnee Heights)
placed fifth at the revised Lawrence meet against some of the best Kansas and
Missouri had to offer. 2A-1A Girls: Hutchinson Trinity has been led by a
strong pack philosophy all year, while Osborne comes off a tremendous performance
in last year's state track meet. Olpe is a traditional power from the Emporia
region. Extremely close racing should probably be expected, both among the team
contenders and from Maggie Foss (Hutchinson Trinity), Jolene Mick (Osborne) and
Michelle Stueve (Olpe) from the leading teams. 3A Boys: Hillsboro, Riley
County and Holcomb should all duel for the team title. The individual race appears
wide open with Keen Umbehr (Alma-Wabuansee) and Adam Willis (Hoisington) running
very well at regionals, with Garett Frank (Northern Heights) and Peter Richert
(Hillsboro) also in the hunt. 3A Girls: Another close team race is in the
offing with traditional powers Northern Heights and Sabetha ranked 1-2. Halstead
from south central Kansas also has a lot of coaches's support. Individually this
class has a number of standouts, with Erin Mortimer (Riley County) a strong favorite
to defend her state crown. But Amy VanGundy (Northern Heights), Rachel Boyd (Medicine
Lodge) and Stacy Kentzler (Atchison-Mt.St. Scholastica) would be state contenders
in any class. Erin Locke (Wakeeney) has been running very well in northwest Kansas
meets. 4A Boys: Three time defending champion Baldwin, led by undefeated
Matt Noonan, is the team favorite. Wamego, Tonganoxie and Clay Center were all
within three points at the Topeka Hayden regional, with Clearwater leading southern
Kansas teams. Joe Moore (Clay Center) has challenged Noonan in the past, while
Griffin Lee (DeSoto-Mill Valley) and Daniel Simon (Andale) coming in after winning
major meets this year. 4A Girls: Andover, moving down from 5A after splitting
schools this year, is the coaches favorite. El Dorado, Baldwin and Clay Center
appear to be in the fight for team trophies, and could win the title if Andover
slips. Individually, the race appears open to an interesting mix of young talent
and proven vets, with no clear favorite. Mallory Champa (Clearwater) and Mica
Land (Andover) have raced hard in the Wichita region. Lisa Morrisey (Ottawa) has
fine closing speed. Brittany Hill (Hugoton) is undefeated. Erca Ogle (Baldwin)
and Kristi Parry (Clay Center) lead team contenders. 5A Boys: Great Bend
returns to defend it's state title, and is a clear favorite of the coaches's poll.
A dogfight among traditional powers Wichita Bishop Carroll, Topeka Seaman, and
western Kansas rivals Hays and Liberal will decide the trophies. Rivals Justin
Alexander (Liberal) and Tanner Marshall (Great Bend) have raced often and hard
this year. Paul Hefferon (Blue Valley West) and Lance Reichenberger (Wichita Carroll)
enter as regional champs. 5A Girls: The Great Bend girls also hope to defend
their title here, with Wichita Carroll challengeing. One dark-horse threat appears
to be #6 Blue Valley West, which edged #3 Bishop Miege for the regional title.
West's team is made up of many of the runner's who ran for Blue Valley High's
state power last year. Shawnee Heights is led by defending champion Trisa Nickoley.
Nickloley edged Hay's Pam Weber by one second at last week's regional. Ashley
Kimble of Mulvane and Amy Zeller (Wichita Carroll) are powers in the Wichita region.
Elle Pishney (Blue Valley West) won the Shawnee Mission regional and was an All-Stater
last year in 6A for Blue Valley High. 6A Boys: Sunflower League schools
continue their season long rivalry at the Rimrock Farm. Lawrence edged SM Northwest
by 2 points at the League meet two weeks ago, then both schools won their regional
titles. SM Northwest has won the last seven 6A titles. Lawrence Free State, ranked
#3, also has a win over SMNW at the Millard South Invitational in Nebraska early
this season. Topeka Washburn Rural, SM East, Wichita West and Emporia, have all
run close and consistently this year.
Individually, the race appears open
with Justin Riley and Dylan McClain (Lawrence) having scored a 1-2 over SMNW's
Ryan Hopper and Will Polk at the Sunflower meet. Both set's of runners four went
1-2 at their respective regionals. Washburn Rural is led by Matt Swedlund and
Joe Zimmer, while Wichita rivals Ryan Wilson (Wichita Heights) and David Williams
(Wichita West) also contend. 6A Girls: An exciting contrast of styles between
the team packing of Shawnee Mission Northwest and Shawnee Mission East vs. the
front-running of Blue Valley Northwest and Olathe South. Northwest has only averaged
about a 20 second spread in it's top five over the last couple of weeks, and won
the Sunflower League and regional title over the other three contenders. Emporia
won the Manhattan regional, while Lawrence edged rival Lawrence Free State in
the same meet in close team scoring. One factor may be how the eastern Kansas
teams recover from an intense regional at Shawnee Mission Park that saw six ranked
teams duel for four state berths. (Aquinas still ranking #6 after be being beaten
by one point by #4 SM East for the final qualifying spot).
Amy Hastings of
Leavenworth is undefeated this season, winning the Sunflower League and blowing
under 11:20 at the Manhattan regional. Defending state champion Alysha Galbraith
and fellow All-Stater Amy Gouchnour lead Olathe South, while Taryn May leads Blue
Valley Northwest. Morgan Bonds of Hutchinson as run very well in central Kansas
and easily won her regional. Bonds placed second last year. Mallory Richardson
(Lawrence Free State) and Harper McConnell (Manhattan) have also raced strongly
this year.
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