40 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS TO WATCH IN 2023
 

 
LEVI ALLEN, SOUTHEAST OF SALINE
 
A key performer for Southeast’s 2021 Class 3A state championship team as a sophomore, Allen spent most of his junior season as Southeast’s No. 1 runner, ceding the spot on only a handful of occasions, usually to now-departed teammate Damion Jackson. Allen opened last season with a win at the Abilene Invitational and proceeded to add four more titles as the season went on, all four coming consecutively at the Southeast of Saline, Halstead, Riley County and Lakeside Invitationals. Allen finished runner-up at his 3A regional before taking sixth at the Class 3A state meet, a spot behind Jackson, in helping the Trojans to a runner-up team finish to Wichita Trinity Academy. Allen is one of five returners from the state team as the Trojans look to challenge Trinity for the title this year and posted a career-best time in November at the Team Heartland Regional Championships.
 

KALEB ARNOLD, OLPE
 
Olpe has a long list of standout harriers and Arnold is on his way to adding his name to that group. Last year as a freshman, he finished no worse than 13^th at any of his nine meets and was in the top 10 eight times and top five six times. Arnold claimed victories at the Wabaunsee and Eureka Invitationals and took second at the Lyon County League meet with a career-best of 17:43.70. After a third-place regional finish, Arnold capped his strong freshman season with an eighth-place showing at the Class 1A state meet.
 

 
ZACH ARNOLD, EUDORA
 
Arnold was not quite able to keep up with 4A state champion Eli Gilmore of Tonganoxie last year, but he outran everybody else in that meet. Arnold pulled away from the pack chasing for second-place, finishing with a time of 16:31.61 to clinch state runner-up. As a sophomore in 2021, Arnold also finished one spot behind Gilmore in the state meet, although it was sixth place. With Gilmore graduated, Arnold enters this season as the frontrunner to win the state title.
 

 
HUNTER BAILEY, WEST FRANKLIN
 
Bailey followed up a solid freshman campaign in 2021 with a strong sophomore season last fall. He won the Silver Lake Invitational to start the season for the second straight year and later added a second win at the Central Heights Invitational, part of seven top-10 finishes overall, which included a runner-up finish at the Flint Hills League meet where he posted a career-best time of 16:42.30, which set the school record and led the Falcons to their third straight team league title. After earning a state medal as a freshman, Bailey finished just outside the top 20 at the Class 3A state meet last year, taking 24^th.
 

DIEGO BARRON, OLATHE EAST
 
Barron lifted himself into the top tier of cross country runners in Kansas last year. After finishing 47th at state in 2021, he went from posting times in the low-17s to consistently earning times around 16:30 as a junior. He pushed himself even further during the state meet as he posted a 16:00.39. Barron will see if he can carry over the momentum from last year, including a third-place state finish in the 800-meter during track season.
 

 
LOGAN BECKMAN, SPRING HILL
 
Beckman pushed himself into the conversation of top 5A boys cross country runners with his performances as sophomore last season. A year after finishing 32nd in his first state outing, Beckman took sixth in 5A last year by setting his PR with a time of 16:01.27. He also duplicated that sixth-place result with his state performance in the 3200-meter during the track season in the spring.
 

 
MICAH BLOMKER, SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH
 
Blomker put himself at the front of the pack of the cross country state meet in each of the last three years. He turned that into an individual state championship by winning the 6A state meet in 2021 with the year before and the year after ending in state runner-up finishes. But it was not a step back for Blomker in performance last year. The result had more to do with Wyatt Haughton of SM East pushing himself to a sub-15 minute time. Blomker actually improved his year-over-year state time by 12 seconds with a 15:12.00.
 

 GRADY BUESSING, AXTELL
 
A dual-sport fall athlete who has also helped Axtell to two straight Eight-Player Division II state championships, Buessing has successfully moonlighted on the cross country course as well. After placing 10^th at the Class 1A state meet as a freshman in 2021, Buessing followed with a 14^th-place state finish last fall. That came after a season that saw him win the Twin Valley League title and a 1A regional crown in back-to-back weeks and open the season with a career-best time of 17:21.94 in a runner-up finish at the Marysville Invitational. Buessing will continue to star on the course and gridiron for the Eagles this fall and look to challenge for a top-five individual state finish in cross country.
  

 
THOMAS CAUL, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST
 
Caul helped lead the Timberwolves to a state championship last year, dethroning eight-time reigning champ Aquinas and becoming the first public school to win the 5A boys title since 2007. He used a strong kick to push himself into third with a time of 15:51.82. As a sophomore in 2021, Caul finished 18th at state.
 

 
HARRISON CUTTING, WAMEGO
 
One of four Red Raiders to finish in the top 11 at last year’s Class 4A state meet, Cutting was an integral part of Wamego capturing its first team state championship since 2012 as the Red Raiders dethroned four-time reigning champion Buhler by eight points. Cutting spent the bulk of the season as the Red Raiders’ No. 2 runner behind senior Brady Stegman and finished right on his heels at state, placing fifth overall. He was a regional runner-up to Clay Center’s Grant Smith and also posted four other top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the Manhattan Invitational to start the season. Cutting, whose best time of 16:25.4 ranks ninth in school history, will team with sophomore Peyton Parker as the lone returners from last year’s title team with Parker placing 11^th at state as a freshman. Cutting also is coming off a big track season last spring where he set the school’s 800 record and was on two record-setting relays, including the state champion 3,200 relay.
 

 
HANS DEATON, QUINTER

A newcomer to the program last year, Deaton emerged as one of the top runners for a deep Quinter team. He turned in his best time at the state meet with a 17:55.33, good for ninth-place in Class 1A. That effort helped the Quinter boys claim a state title for the first time in 26 years. Other highlights for Deaton including second-place showings at the Northwest Kansas League meet and the Hoxie Invitational and a fourth-place effort at regionals. Deaton played football his freshman year before a successful track season prompted to join the cross country team. “Hans exemplifies the true essence of sportsmanship,” Quinter coach Ed Mense said. “Win or lose, Hans wants to inspire his teammates. He loves the process, and his passion and perseverance are second to none.”

 

LAKODDAH DOWNES, COUNCIL GROVE
 
Downes has been one of the state’s most consistent winners since his arrival as a freshman in 2020. The Brave standout has won at least six races each of his first three seasons, collecting seven titles last year as a junior. Overall, Downes has won 19 of his 27 meets and is a three-time Flint Hills League champion. He picked up his first regional title last year, but then battled an illness at the Class 3A state meet and finished just 12^thafter taking runner-up in 3A as a freshman and third as a sophomore.
 

CALEB DURST, LEBO
 
It hasn’t taken Durst long to stake his claim as arguably the top distance runner in Lebo history. After posting four top-10 finishes as a freshman in 2021, Durst nearly doubled that to seven last fall with his only non-top 10s coming against stacked fields at the Wamego and Rim Rock Invitationals. Durst’s lone win came at the Lyon County League meet after a runner-up finish there as a freshman. He broke the school’s 5K record at the Osage City Invitational with a 17:16.83 and finished off his season with a runner-up regional finish and fifth-place showing at the Class 1A state meet. Durst also ranks No. 2 on the Wolves’ 1,600 and 3,200 charts in track.
 

 
DREW ELLIOTT, CHAPMAN
 
The North Central Kansas League was loaded with top-notch boys talent – six top-11 state placers in 4A, one in 3A – and Elliott more than held his own in that group. Following a freshman season where he had six top 10s and took 13^th at the 4A state meet, Elliott never finished lower than eighth as a sophomore last fall. He won the Ellsworth Invitational in early October, even with a time that ranked as his second-slowest of the season. Elliott placed fourth at the NCKL meet and regionals and then took eighth at state.
 

 
JACKSON ESQUIBEL, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS
 
Esquibel has been a top-10 machine throughout his first three seasons in the Heights program, posting 23 top 10s in 26 meets. That included all nine races last season in which he ripped off a string of four straight runner-up finishes at the Seaman Invitational, Topeka City Championships, United Kansas Conference Meet and his Class 5A regional – all four to Topeka West rival Lenny Njoroge. Esquibel had a career-best time of 15:47.09 at regionals and finished his season with an eighth at the Class 5A state meet. He got some additional momentum for this fall during track, capturing the 5A state title in the 3,200.
 

 
SAMUEL FERGUSON, WICHITA TRINITY ACADEMY

On most teams, Ferguson easily would occupy the No. 1 spot as its lead runner. On a loaded Wichita Trinity Academy team, Ferguson was relegated to mostly the No. 3 position behind 2022 state champion Clay Shively and 2022 state runner-up Jacob Hobson. He beat Hobson on a handful of occasions a year ago, including his season-high finish when he took second at the Knights’ home Wild Wind XC Festival. Ferguson had a career-best time of 15:32.00 at the speedy Olathe Twilight Invitational and clocked a 15:42.33 at the Wild Wind Festival. After taking seventh at regionals, Ferguson finished eighth at the Class 3A state meet to help the Knights to the team state championship. Ferguson took 13^th at state as a sophomore and has 12 top-10 finishes in his career.
 

 
CARSON FOUARD, ELL-SALINE

Fouard has won a pair of races each of the past two seasons, taking titles at the Wamego and Bennington Invitationals as a sophomore and then at the Tescott and Beloit Invitationals last season. His winning time at Tescott was a career-best 16:44.13. The biggest difference between his sophomore and junior seasons, however, was the resume Fouard constructed around his victories. After getting only three other top 10s as a sophomore, Fouard never finished lower than fifth last season. One of those came at the Heart of America League meet and another came at the Class 2A state meet where he finished in 17:06.43. Fouard teams with junior Garrison Zenger to give the Cardinals a strong 1-2 punch.
 

 
BROXTON GALL, NESS CITY

Gall closed an impressive freshman season with a runner-up showing at the Class 1A state meet in Wamego. He ran a 17:32.97, finishing 42 seconds behind state champion Brendan Ellis from Ingalls. With the graduation of Ellis, Gall figures to be one of the top contenders in 1A. He owns a personal best of 17:09, which came at the Larned meet. He was also the Central Prairie League champion. Gall underwent knee surgery early in basketball season last winter, forcing him to miss the track season last spring. “He is healthy now and has trained hard this summer,” Ness City coach Patrick Younger said.  


 

 
KALEB GLAZIER, MAIZE
 
Talk about your dynamic debuts. Glazier didn’t go out for cross country his first two seasons at Maize despite being a strong distance runner in middle school track. When he finally joined the team last year, he was an instant success. Glazier won his very first high school meet at the JK Gold Classic and followed with a win at the Emporia Invitational. Glazier won five of his first six meets overall with his only non-victory coming at the prestigious Rim Rock Classic. Glazier capped his breakout season with a runner-up finish at the Class 5A state meet, posting a time of 15:48.48 to finish 30 seconds behind champion Colby King of St. Thomas Aquinas.
 

JONNY HAMEL, OSBORNE

Hamel capped his junior season with a 10th-place showing at the Class 1A meet in Wamego, running an 18:02.17. His personal best is 17:18.15, which came at the Tescott Invitational. Hamel was the regional runner-up and won the Osborne Invitational early last season. He is also a standout basketball player for the Bulldogs.
 

 
CODY HAMMOND, CENTRAL HEIGHTS
 
Coming off a solid freshman season in 2021 in which he had eight top-10 finishes, Hammond was even better as a sophomore last year with top-seven showings in all seven meets he competed in. Hammond’s lone win came in the Vikings’ Class 2A regional meet, a week after he posted a career-best time with a 17:03.75 in taking fifth at a loaded Flint Hills League meet. Hammond was 26^th at state as a freshman but moved into the top 10 last year with a seventh-place showing, leading Heights to a fourth-place team finish. Hammond will team with fellow junior and state placer Cody Burkdoll (17^th at state) to give Heights a strong 1-2 punch for a team that returns its top six runners from state last year.
  

JACOB HOBSON, WICHITA TRINITY ACADEMY

Hobson came on strong over the last half of his sophomore season in 2021 and carried that over to enjoy a successful junior season last fall. After posting top-10 finishes in his final four meets of 2021, including a sixth-place showing at the Class 3A state meet, Hobson recorded four top 10s in six races in 2022 with his only non-top 10s coming against large-school competition at the Olathe Twilight and Roy Griak Invitationals. He had a career-best time of 15:34.90 at the Olathe Twilight and wasn’t far off that time on the far-tougher Rim Rock Course at the Class 3A state meet where he finished runner-up to teammate Clay Shively in 15:41.26. Hobson was one of four Knights in the top 10 as Wichita Trinity Academy won the 3A state championship for the second straight year.
 

 
LOGAN KEITH, MEADE

Keith has established himself as one of the top distance runners in western Kansas and will look to go out with a bang as a senior. He has been a part of three state-championship teams – two in cross country and one in track. The cross country titles came at the 1A level in 2020 and 2021 before Meade moved up to 2A last year, finishing runner-up to Berean. Keith is a seven-time event champion in track, winning the 800 and 3,200 titles last year. He’s medaled every year in cross country and was runner-up last year to now-graduated Kamryn Golub from Stanton County with a 17:01. His personal-best time is 16:35.

 

  
JOHN LANGILL, NEMAHA CENTRAL
 
Nemaha Central doesn't have established school records in cross country, but if they did, Langill likely would have rewritten them during his junior season after enjoying reasonable success through his first two seasons. After being a top-10 finisher 10 times in his first two seasons, Langill never finished outside the top 10 last season. He opened the year with a win at the Marysville Invitational with a career-best time of 16:17.33. He lowered it two meets later in winning the Centralia Invitational with a 16:07.96. Langill won his first Big Seven League title for his third win of the year and then took second at regionals and got his first state medal with a 10^th-place finish at the Class 3A state meet.
 

 
JONAS LETOURNEAU, BELOIT-ST. JOHN’S

Letourneau will look to build off a sixth-place showing at the Class 1A meet last year in which he ran a career best 17:47.25. Other highlights from Letourneau’s sophomore year included a runner-up showing at the Northern Plains League meet and a third-place effort at the Washington County regional. Beloit-St. John’s returns most of the team that captured second place last year at state.
 

BLAKE LOGAN, CIRCLE

Logan was one of the breakout runners in the state and certainly in Class 4A last season. After recording only one top-10 finish throughout his first two seasons at Circle, Logan lived in the top 10 last year. He had seven top 10s in nine races, the two he didn’t coming at the JK Gold and Rim Rock Classics. Logan got his first career win at the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail III meet, edging Buhler’s Kaden Lohrentz in a photo finish. After a third place at regionals where he turned in a career-best time of 16:29.94, Logan capped his breakout campaign with a seventh-place finish at the Class 4A state meet with a time of 16:47.90.
 

KADEN LOHRENTZ, BUHLER

Lohrentz has carved out his own place in Buhler’s rich cross country history, earning his third straight Class 4A state medal last season in leading the Crusaders to a runner-up team finish after they had won four straight crowns. After taking 17^th and 11^th at state as a freshman and sophomore, Lohrentz moved into the top 10 last year, placing sixth in 16:45.57. That came on the heels of a regional victory and a runner-up finish at the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail III meet where he and Circle’s Blake Logan finished in almost a dead heat. Lohrentz had seven top 10s overall and posted a career-best time of 16:11.70 in taking second at the Sterling Invitational. Lohrentz is one of six returning Crusaders off last year’s runner-up team, including ninth-place finisher Layne Whisler, as Buhler looks to get back its 4A crown.
 

 
ALEX LUCE, LAKIN

Luce barely missed out on a top-10 finish at the Class 3A meet last year, placing 11th with a 16:29.18, which was a personal best. he finished in the top five in every other race last season as a sophomore. He was the regional champion in Goodland and also captured first in the Goodland Invitational. Luce was runner-up in meets at Greeley County, Larned and Syracuse.
 

 
SAM MARTINEZ, KIOWA COUNTY

After battling through adversity as a middle schooler, Martinez showed his potential as a freshman. He capped his debut high school season with a third-place effort at the state meet, finishing in 17:38.17. Martinez started running cross country in sixth grade but broke his femur in late fall of that year and was confined to a wheelchair for months. He started his comeback in the spring of 2020 and came back strong in 2021. Martinez never finished outside the top 10 last year and won the St. John Invitational. His personal best time is 17:16.21.
 

 
WILL MEYER, WICHITA COLLEGIATE

The younger brother of recent Collegiate graduate CJ Meyer, who placed third at last year’s state meet, Will has been right on CJ’s heels the past two seasons and is ready to make a name for himself this season. He’s finished in the top 10 in all but two of his 15 high school races, including four runner-up finishes. Two of those have come at the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail IV meet to CJ. His career-best time came last year at the Olathe Twilight Invitational with a 16:00.60 and he didn’t finish lower than fourth at any meet the rest of the season. He capped his sophomore season with a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state meet in 16:04.49, just eight seconds behind CJ.
 

 
SILAS MILLER, MARYSVILLE
 
One of the top returning 3A runners a year ago after a fifth-place state finish in 2021, Miller did nothing to diminish that standing throughout the 2022 season. Miller missed the Bulldogs’ season-opening home meet but hit the ground running after that, winning five of his next six races with the lone non-win a third-place finish at the prestigious Rim Rock Invitational. Included in the winning stretch was Miller’s third straight North Central Kansas League title, one he won with a career-best time of 15:50.90 that also set Marysville’s school record. After winning his regional for the second straight year, Miller fell short of contending for the individual 3A title and took seventh.
 

 
SPENCER MUMFORD, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN
 
Mumford and classmate Andrew Schumacher were as good of a 1-2 tandem as there was in Class 2A boys last year, each placing in the top 10 at state. Mumford led the way with a third-place finish, coming in just two seconds behind runner-up Logan Keith of Meade and less than seven seconds behind champion Kamryn Golub of Stanton County. He finished sixth or better in every meet except for the Rim Rock Invitational and had a career-best time of 16:45.27 at the MIssouri Southern Stampede. Mumford’s highest placings were a pair of seconds at the Basehor-Linwood and Maranatha Invitationals. He also had a big track season as he and Schumacher broke the school records in the 1,600 and 3,200 with Mumford finishing as the record-holder in the 3,200. Both are top five on the school's cross country all-time list.
 

 
JOSIAH MUNOZ, GARDEN CITY

Munoz came through with a personal-best performance at the 6A meet, finishing in 16:04.60 to finish just outside of the top 10. He was the regional runner-up at the Wichita East regional. Munoz won the Swather Classic at Hesston early in the year and was second at the Dodge City Invitational. 
 

 
EVAN PEARCE, WALLACE COUNTY

Pearce notched a top-five finish at the Class 1A meet with a fourth-place showing in 17:44.49. That effort came a week after Pearce turned in a personal-best 17:31 at the regional in Ness City to take second place. Other highlights from Pearce’s junior season included victories at the Hoxie Invitational and the Northwest Kansas League meet. He was third at the Greeley County Invitational. Pearce is coming off an outstanding track season that saw him capture the 3,200 state title at the 1A meet. 
 

 
ANDREW SCHUMACHER, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN
 
Schumacher spent most of last season as a strong complement to the Panthers’ top runner, classmate Spencer Mumford. Schumacher closed the gap late in the season, however, and beat Mumford on his way to winning the Maranatha Invitational with a season-best time of 16:51.62. Schumacher also topped Mumford in taking second at regionals, but then took sixth to Mumford’s third at the Class 2A state meet. Schumacher had a huge PR in November at the Team Heartland Regional Championships with a 16:30.50, setting himself up for a big senior season this fall. Both Schumacher and Mumford broke school track records in the 1,600 and 3,200 with Schumacher owning the 1,600 record. Both are top five on the school cross country list.
 

 
CLAY SHIVELY, WICHITA TRINITY ACADEMY

Shively became a household name as one of the top runners in Kansas last year, especially when he turned in the second-fastest mile in state history over the winter. That came on the heels of a stellar junior cross country season when he captured the Class 3A state championship. Runner-up in 2021 at the state meet, Shively beat teammate Jacob Hobson by 15 seconds for the state title last fall, finishing in 15:26.11. His only faster time last year came at the fast Olathe Twilight Invitational where he finished thid against a largely 6A and 5A field in 14:47.40. Shively never finished lower than sixth all season and then had a monster track season in which he swept the 800 and 1,600 titles at the Class 3A state meet and then ran a sub-4 minute 1,600 at the HOKA Festival of Miles with a 3:59.87. Shively will look to become the state’s first sub-4-minute miler since Jim Ryun of Wichita East this year after his bid to defend his state cross country title and lead Wichita Trinity to a third straight team championship as well.
 

 
CALEB TOFTELAND, WICHITA TRINITY ACADEMY

Wichita Trinity’s depth has been second to none the past two seasons as the Knights have won two straight Class 3A state championships. Tofteland certainly has been a part of that. He ws a key addition to Trinity’s 2021 state championship team, taking 15^th at state as a freshman that season. Last year, he moved into the top 10, placing ninth with a career-best time of 16:23.77, giving the Knights four finishers in the top 10 overall – all of whom return this season. Tofteland added two more top 10s a year ago and will look to challenge his teammates for a higher state finish this season.
 

 
DAGHYN TRUE, EMPORIA
 
True got stronger and stronger as his sophomore season went on last fall. After cracking 17 minutes just once in his first four meets, True was under 16:30 for each of his final four races. He captured the Centennial League title with a then-career-best 16:20.30 and after taking fifth at his Class 5A regional, True clocked a career-best time of 16:12.82 at the Class 5A state meet to finish 10^th. He had five top-10 placings overall and was the second-highest sophomore placer at state behind Spring Hill’s Logan Beckman, who took sixth.
 

 
PARKER WALION, GARDNER-EDGERTON
 
Walion returns for his senior year looking to build off a top-5 state finish last season. Walion finished with a time of 15:49.96 to take fifth in 6A. He’s one of just two 6A returners, along with Shawnee Mission North’s Micah Blomker, who earned a sub-16 minute time in that state meet. He’ll lead a Trailblazers team looking for a team trophy after just missing out with a fourth-place finish last year.
 

 
JAMES WHITE, PRETTY PRAIRIE

The Class 1A state field was loaded with underclassmen in the top 10 behind now-graduated state champion Brenden Ellis of Ingalls, making this year’s chase for the title a wide-open one with White one of the top contenders. White has finished in the top 10 at state each of the past two seasons, taking eighth as a sophomore in 2021 before moving up one spot to seventh last fall. White finished top seven in all but one race last year and won a regional title. His season best of 17:23.53 was just off his career best from the 2021 state meet where he ran a 17:19.10. White was withing 19 seconds of the top returning 1A runner at last year’s state meet and if he can get back down to his sophomore state time, he’ll be right in the mix for the title this fall.