2022 Boys Cross Country Preview
 
 

 
CLASS 6A
 
2021 State Champion: Olathe South
 
2021 State Runner-up: Manhattan
 
2021 Individual Champion: Micah Blomker, Shawnee Mission North
 
2021 Review: After graduating its only top-20 finisher from the 2020 state tournament, not many might have pegged Olathe South as a top contender for the 6A title in 2021. But the Falcons progressed as the season went along and came on strong at the right time, and wound up taking the state title by 30 points over runner-up Manhattan. Seniors Matthew Tolman (6^th) and Rhys Allen (20^th) sandwiched their All-State efforts around a 16^th from junior Tyler Burns and the Falcons also got top-30 showings from Bennett Meoli (24^th) and Cole Burkholder (28^th) to claim the first state title in boys’ program history. Manhattan held off Olathe East by 20 points for second place, led by a ninth from senior Ben Mosier and 14^th from senior Max Bowyer. Runner-up in Class 4A in 2020 when he spent his freshman season at Bishop Miege, Shawnee Mission North’s Micah Blomker proved his talent transcended classifications in 2021. Moving up to 6A, Blomker posted the fastest time of any state champion, winning by 15 seconds over Shawnee Mission East’s Wyatt Haughton.  
 
2022 Contenders: Even with the loss of Tolman and Allen to graduation, Olathe South appears well-equipped to defend its title in 2022. Burns, Meoli and Burkholder give the Falcons a strong trio at the top and two others from the state team also return looking to fill the voids left by last year’s senior duo. Manhattan will miss its front-running duo, but returns four from last year’s runner-up squad led by sophomore Landon Knopp, who was 26^th at state as a freshman. Olathe East was third as a team last year and has a strong No. 1 in senior Carter Stewart, who was third individually last year, just nine seconds behind East’s Haughton. Free State won the 2020 state title before dropping to fourth last year. The Firebirds will have to replace Ben Shryock and their second state finisher, but return everyone else. If Shawnee Mission North and Shawnee Mission East can find enough to go with Blomker and Haughton, they also could jump into the mix. Blomker has shown no signs of letting up as he starts his quest for a second straight state title. During the offseason, he clocked a blistering 14:49.30 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships, bettering his state-best time from last fall of 14:57.00 at the Olathe Twilight Invitational. Stewart, Haughton, Garden City’s Devin Chappel (4^th) and Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Henry Born (5^th) make if 5-for-5 on returners from last year’s top 5 and Blue Valley Northwest’s Sam Hurley (7^th) adds another returner from the top 10.
 
 

 
CLASS 5A
 
2021 State Champion: St. Thomas Aquinas
 
2021 State Runner-up: Blue Valley Southwest
 
2021 Individual Champion: Logan Seger, St. Thomas Aquinas
 
2021 Review: St. Thomas Aquinas has become the latest state dynasty in cross country, joining the likes of Shawnee Mission Northwest and Baldwin in putting together impressive championship runs. Last year’s 5A crown was the eighth straight for the Saints, a streak that began in 2014 after Bishop Carroll had won five straight from 2009-13. The title was the 10^th overall for the boys’ program and was one of the Saints’ more dominant top-end showings. Seniors Logan Seger and Ashton Higgerson went 1-2 individually with Seger claiming his first state championship in 15:39.20, 12 seconds ahead of his teammate. Colby King gave the Saints three runners in the top five, taking fifth and that was more than enough to help the Saints top Blue Valley Southwest by 14 points for the crown. The Timberwolves put five placers in the top 30 – one more than Aquinas had – and were led by a seventh-place finish from junior Micah Paschke.
 
2022 Contenders: At some point, Aquinas’ streak will end. Whether it happens this season or not remains to be seen. Seger and Higgerson have graduated after each earned All-State honors all four seasons. King takes over as the team leader this year as a senior and will be backed by classmates Charlie Heap and Alex Waldie, who will look to make big strides this year after not cracking the top 40 at state last year. Veteran coach Justin Wrigley has filled holes more than capably in the past and will have to do so again this year for the Saints to stay on top and claim their ninth straight crown and try to pursue SM Northwest’s state record of 14 straight (1194-2007). If there is an opening, Blue Valley Southwest is poised to take advantage. Not only does Paschke return for the Timberwolves, but so do juniors Thomas Caul and Crew Buehler, who were in the top 27 last year. Bishop Carroll was a distant third last year, just ahead of St. James Academy, but graduated both of its All-State runners, including fourth-place finisher Carson McEachern. St. James Academy also lost its top-two finishers from last year, but returns senior Andrew Hartegan, who was 14^th. Senior Thomas Martin is Carroll’s top returner from state, taking 29^th. With Seger and Higgerson gone, Great Bend’s Kaiden Esfeld is the top returning individual placer. The Panther senior was third last year, just three seconds behind Higgerson and joins King as the lone returners from the top five. Paschke will figure into the mix this year, as could Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Luke Brock (7^th), Mill Valley’s Angesom Vega (12^th) and the Shawnee Heights duo of Jackson Esquibel (13^th) and Kory Sutton (20^th).
 
 

 
CLASS 4A
 
2021 State Champion: Buhler
 
2021 State Runner-up: Wamego
 
2021 Individual Champion: Sawyer Schmidt, Augusta
 
2021 Review: While Buhler was the heavy favorite to capture a fourth straight state championship as a team, the individual race for the title held plenty of intrigue. The field was flat-out loaded with 2018 champion Tanner Lindahl of Buhler, 2020 champion Tanner Newkirk of Hayden and Augusta’s Sawyer Schmidt leading the pack. Indeed, that trio waged a thrilling battle for the title with Schmidt joining his rivals as a state champion for the first time, winning by 11 seconds over Lindahl in 15:54.50 with Newkirk third. Lindahl’s runner-up showing was the fourth top-three state finish of his career and helped lead the Crusaders to their fourth straight 4A crown as they scored 51 points to beat runner-up Wamego by 16 for the title – the second time in three years the Red Raiders finished second to the Crusaders. Buhler also got an 11^th from Kaden Lohrentz and had seven runners in the top 25 overall with Hayden Keller (16^th) and Austin Lindhahl (17^th) also earning All-State honors. Led by Schmidt, Augusta was a distant third, finishing 63 points behind Wamego, which was led by a seventh from Noah Morenz.
 
2022 Contenders: Buhler’s title streak is the longest in 4A boys since Baldwin won eight straight from 1998-2005. With Tanner Lindahl graduating, the Crusaders will be looking for a new front-runner this season to keep the streak alive. Lohrentz could be that guy. He showed flashes last year with three sub-17 races, including a career-best of 16:34.30 at the Sterling Invitational. Austin Lindahl may also be ready to step into his brother’s void after a strong freshman season last year, also posting his career-best at Sterling last year with his only sub-17. He was one of three freshmen on Buhler’s title team last year along with Henry Trumpp (23^rd) and Cody Bunce (25^th). Senior Wyatt Bunce (21^st) also returns. Who is capable of dethroning the Crusaders? Well, it could be Wamego, which loses Morenz but returns the rest of last year’s state squad. Emery Wolfe (10^th), Harrison Cutting (14^th) and Brady Stegman (20^th) all finished in the top 20 at state. Augusta returns five of its seven state runners, but doesn’t have Schmidt, who was the lone Oriole in the top 30. Eudora was fifth as a team last year and returns five state runners including sixth-place Zach Arnold. Individually, things appear to be wide open with Schmidt, Lindahl and Newkirk all taking their titles to the next level. Tonganoxie senior Eli Gilmore is the top returning placer from last year, placing fifth in 16:42.60, 10 seconds ahead of Eudora’s Arnold. Gilmore won four races last year and has placed fifth or better each of the past three seasons at state, including a fourth in 2020.
 
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
2021 State Champion: Wichita Trinity Academy
 
2021 State Runner-up: Southeast of Saline
 
2021 Individual Champion: Dylan Sprecker, Southeast of Saline
 
2021 Review: Southeast of Saline and Wichita Trinity Academy spent the entire season dueling to see who the best in 3A was last year. And while each took their turns making their claim, it was Trinity Academy with the final say. Boosted by five placers in the top 17, the Knights scored 35 points at the state meet to beat Southeast – which had three in the top 10 – by 16 points. Trinity’s title ended the Trojans’ three-year reign atop Class 3A and was the first state championship in program history. While the Trojans lost the overall war, they won the individual battle as Dylan Sprecker returned to his championship form to capture his second state title in three years. The 2019 champion, Sprecker saw an injury relegate him to a fourth-place finish in 2020. Healthy again in 2022, Sprecker left the field in his wake, capping a season that saw him win eight of his nine races – his only loss coming at the Wamego Invitational to the top-three finishers in Class 4A last fall. Sprecker’s state time of 16:09.30 was more than 17 seconds faster than Trinity’s Clay Shively, who just edged Council Grove’s Kodi Downes for the runner-up spot.
 
2022 Contenders: Wichita Trinity played the role of hunter well last year. But how will the Knights handle being the team everyone is gunning for this year? Certainly they appeared to be well-equipped to capture a second straight title. Not only is Shively back after a runner-up individual finish last year, but he’s got plenty of company as every member of last year’s championship team is back this fall. Junior Jacob Hobson finished sixth at state while junior Sam Ferguson was 13^th, sophomore Caleb Toftland was 15^th and senior Ian Carroll was 17^th. Despite the loss of state champ Sprecker and one other senior from its state team, Southeast of Saline isn’t going anywhere. Senior Damion Jackson and junior Levi Allen both placed in the top 10 individually last year and Nakari Morrical-Palmer took 29^th. Smoky Valley was a distant third in the team standings last year, scoring 85 points to finish 34 points behind Southeast of Saline. The Vikings graduated three of their top five scorers from last year’s team and will be led by senior Tytus Reed, who was the top finisher at state in 18^th place. Marysville finished fourth and has individual title contender Silas Miller back to lead the way this season, Miller finished fourth individually, just eight seconds behind Shively’s runner-up time. The Bulldogs lost two seniors who were the next finishers behind Miller, but return everyone else. Sixth-place West Franklin returns its top-four finishers at state with sophomore Hunter Bailey leading the team last year as a freshman. Shively will have his hands full in going after the individual title as he beat Council Grove’s Downes by just .10 seconds last year. Downes was also state runner-up in 2020. But the depth in the class goes well beyond that duo as 12 of last year’s top-13 state finishers all were underclassmen chasing the now-departed Sprecker with Wichita Collegiate’s CJ Meyer (4^th), Marysville’s Miller (5^th), Trinity’s Hobson (6^th), Girard’s Tanner Ulbrich (7^th), Southeast’s Jackson (8^th), Lakin’s Lawson Beymer (9^th) and Southeast’s Allen (10^th) rounding out the top 10 a year ago.
 
 

 
CLASS 2A
 
2021 State Champion: Stanton County
 
2021 State Runner-up: Berean Academy
 
2021 Individual Champion: Kamryn Golub, Stanton County
 
2021 Review: After seeing Berean Academy deny it a repeat championship in 2020, Stanton County returned to the pinnacle in Class 2A in 2021. Once again it was a duel between the Trojans and Warriors, but this time Stanton County had too much and won by whopping 47 points for its second championship in three years and 11^th overall in program history. The Trojans placed three in the top 10 and had the individual champion in junior Kamryn Golub, who topped Mission Valley’s AJ Rubio by 20 seconds for the title. Senior Spencer Schmidt added a fourth-place finish and senior Ryan Wenman took 10^th. Berean Academy didn’t have a top-10 finisher but got an 11^th from senior Eli Nord and 12^th from junior Andrew Harder. McLouth finished a distant third as a team, led by a 15^th from senior Jared Plake. Golub moved up from a third-place finish at state as a sophomore and finished the season with six wins in eight races, his only losses coming to 1A state champion Corbin Ricke of Spearville and Lawson Beymer of Lakin.
 
2022 Contenders: Even with Golub set to make a run at a second straight individual title, Stanton County will have to reload in a big way after losing four seniors who were the next four scoring runners for the Trojans at state. No other Trojan was in the top 60 at state, so a big offseason improvement will be necessary for Stanton County to win its second consecutive championship and third in four years. Berean Academy loses Nord and two other seniors from its state roster, but Harder is capable of challenging for the individual title and will lead a strong cast of returners. The Warriors had four underclassmen in the top 54 last year, the most of any team in 2A, and is looking for its third title in four years as well, winning the 1A title in 2019. McLouth returns all but two from its third-place team a year ago with senior Henry Cloyd leading the way after taking 18^th last year. Kansas City Christian was only four points away from third place last year and could be right in the mix for the title this season with three of its top four back. Junior Spencer Mumford was seventh last year, while fellow juniors Andrew Schumacher (19^th) and Nathan Coneally (24^th) were also in the top 25, giving the Panthers a strong trio at the top and the most returners from last year’s top 25. Central Heights won a state title in 2018 and was led by a pair of freshmen last year in taking sixth. Connor Burkdoll took 13^th for the Vikings and Cody Hammond was 26^th. Heights didn’t have a senior on last year’s team. Hutchinson Trinity finished fifth as a team and returns two runners who were top 10 last year – seniors Jonah Godina (5^th) and Brendan Kiser (8^th). Like Central Heights, Trinity didn’t have a senior on last year’s team. Individually, only two seniors graduated from last year’s top 10 – Stanton County’s Schmidt and Wenman. Rubio has finished top six at state the past two years and was a strong runner-up to Golub last fall. Sacred Heart sophomore Brady Wells was third as a freshman last year, while Trinity’s Godina and Kiser, Northern Heights junior Cooper Hamlin (6^th), KC Christian’s Mumford and Ellinwood senior Asher Miller (9^th) also return from the top 10. Seven others from 11-20 also are back.

 
 

 
CLASS 1A
 
2021 State Champion: Meade
 
2021 State Runner-up: Quinter
 
2021 Individual Champion: Corbin Ricke, Spearville
 
2021 Review: Meade knew it was going to get a serious challenge from Quinter in its bid to repeat as Class 1A state champions. The Buffaloes saw it first hand when Quinter knocked them off for the regional title the week before state. But Meade rose to the occasion in Victoria, putting all four scoring runners in the top 25 to finish with 31 points to edge Quinter by nine points for the title. Sophomore Logan Keith led the way for the Buffaloes, finishing fifth individually. Freshman Jobjosiah Muthiani added a 17^th, sophomore Brock Keith was 21s and freshman Anthony Godrey took 25^th. Quinter, which was third in 2020 as a team, placed three in the top 25 with senior Eli Gruenbacher (9^th) and junior Matthew Elder (20^th) earning state medals. Spearville’s Corbin Ricke capped a senior season that saw him win seven of eight races and take his first state title. He finished in 16:26.60 to beat Canton-Galva senior Christian Darrah by 15 seconds. Ricke’s season also included a win over 2A state champion Kamryn Golub of Stanton County and his only loss came in the season-opening Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State against out-of-state competition.
 
2022 Contenders: With Meade’s state roster made up mostly of sophomores and freshmen last year, 2021 might have been the year to get the Buffaloes. The only senior on the team was an alternate for the state meet, so Meade returns everyone. Kody Henson was the lone junior on last year’s state team, taking 58^th, and the junior tandem of the Keiths and sophomores Muthiani and Godrey gives the Buffaloes everything they need to make it three straight – and potentially more to come. Quinter will lose Gruenbacher and one other senior off last year’s state team so the Bulldogs are equipped to hang among the top of the pack in 1A. Senior Elder, sophomore Stewart Bowman (22^nd) and junior Micah Simon (31^st) are a solid lead trio but only one other Bulldog returns from the top 50. Wichita Classical was a distant third in the team standings last season but graduated two of its top-three runners. Ingalls was fourth and returns its top two runners led by 11^th-place finisher Brenden Ellis. With Ricke and Darrah both graduating after last year’s 1-2 finish, the individual title will be up for grabs. Hutchinson Central Christian junior Blake Yoder was third last year as a sophomore and was just seven seconds behind Darrah for second place. Meade’s Logan Keith is the next returner and was nine seconds behind Yoder, while Stockton junior Jonathan Hamel (7^th), Pretty Prairie junior James White (8^th) and Axtell junior Grady Buessing (10^th) also return from the top 10. Ingalls’ Ellis leads seven returners from the group that finished 11^th to 20^th.