EMPORIA — Before the sun rose over Emporia Golf Course on Monday, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior Natalee Runyan wasn’t warming up on the range or mapping out the greens. She was in the emergency room. 

By 8 a.m., she was driving straight from the hospital to the course. By Tuesday afternoon, she was standing alongside her teammates celebrating another state championship — the Crusaders’ sixth consecutive Class 5A title. 

“I was scared, but golf is a priority for me,” Runyan said. “I wanted to be here and I wanted to be with my team. Even when I wasn’t completely on my A-game, I was still able to push through and had a great round.” 

Runyan, who is recovered from her trip to the ER, tied for fifth overall with a two-day total of 161 (78-83), one of four Kapaun golfers to finish inside the top 10. Led by junior Ximena Sarinana’s runner-up finish, the Crusaders rolled to another dominant state victory, shooting a 647 to win by a staggering 45 strokes over runner-up Andover (692). St. James Academy took third at 700. 

The win ties Kapaun with St. Thomas Aquinas (2007–12) for the most consecutive state girls golf championships in Kansas history. 

“It’s almost expected at this point, but this never gets old,” Kapaun coach Marie Thomas said. “You never want to assume anything, but as much time and work as the girls put in all year long — this is what we do it for.” 
 

Despite windy conditions that saw gusts hit 30 miles per hour across both days, Sarinana — the two-time defending state champion — battled to a second-place finish with a 148 (75-73). 

“These were probably the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in,” Sarinana said. “The wind was blowing pretty hard out there. You had to adjust every shot. I didn’t take it individually this year, but you can’t win them all. I’m just so happy we won as a team.” 

Andover’s Regan Dusenbery captured the individual title with a stellar 139 (68-71), ending Sarinana’s reign and capping her own season with her first state championship. 

“This course just fit Regan really well,” Kapaun assistant coach Corey Novascone said. “She gained so many strokes off the tee with how long she hits it. She played fantastic. 

“Ximena had kind of a tough year this year and junior year is kind of a tough year for everyone. She wasn’t playing well three weeks ago, but she put all the hard work in to get to where she was to finish second. She did a fantastic job.” 
 

Kapaun’s depth once again separated it from the rest of the field. Along with Sarinana’s second-place finish and Runyan’s tie for fifth, Reese Christenson took eighth with a 167 (84-83), and Remi Hartley placed 10th with a 171 (84-87). 

Emma Nguyen added a 183 (92-91) for 19th, while Avery Hamilton rounded out the team with a 213 (102-111). 

“Our girls just persevered through all the elements,” Novascone said. “The wind, the greens, the pin placements — they were brutal. It was great to see the girls push through all that. And what’s even better, they’re just great people.  

“Our sixth golfer, Avery Hamilton, has barely played golf before this year and just played basketball. Ximena was was a 2-time state champion and that is kind of the gamete we are working with and everything in-between. The best part is they are a bunch of great girls and that definitely helps.” 
 

Kapaun has now won every tournament it’s entered this season, continuing a streak of excellence that has defined the program under Thomas. 

“We tell the girls at the beginning of the season that we know what we want to do,” Thomas said. “Our program has set a precedent for itself, and if you’re going to play for Kapaun golf, you know what the ultimate goal is.” 

For Runyan, who capped her senior year with another team championship despite a rocky start to the week, the ending couldn’t have been better. 

“Every year is different, but this one was the most fun for me,” Runyan said. “Our team just put in the work, and it was great to see everyone come together. To finish my last year like this — it means everything.” 
 

CLASS 5A STATE GOLF 

At Emporia Golf Course 

TEAM SCORES 

Kapaun Mt. Carmel 647, Andover 692, St. James Academy 700, Bishop Carroll 722, Blue Valley Southwest 724, Topeka Seaman 724