The Norton cross country teams celebrated a clean sweep at the Oberlin Invitational on Sept. 30.
The Bluejays won the girls' and boys' team titles and Emma Collins and Ayston Kats were the individual champions.
“This is the first time in five years that both the boys and girls teams were the champions at Oberlin and the first time in a very long time that both race individual winners were from Norton,” Norton coach George Rossi said.
Collins won the girls race with a 19:34. It was Collins’ fourth win of the season. The Bluejays finished with 37 points, placing six in the top 20 – Collins, Kaison Miller (fifth), Kassidy McClain (seventh), Savana Rumback (15th), Lorelei Granberry (16th) and Danika Frick (18th).
The Norton boys cross country team. [Photo courtesy Dana Miller]
The Norton girls cross country team. [Photo courtesy Dana Miller]
Kats took the boys’ race in 16:39, for his second win of the season. Norton’s Derek Clydesdale and Elvis Green placed eighth and ninth, respectively, to help the Bluejays win the meet with 29 points.
The Bluejays also got top-20 finishes from Kacen Bailey (11th), Max Carter (12th), Jace Bailey (13th) and Brogan McClain (19th).
The Ellsworth girls have won three meets this season.
ELLSWORTH GIRLS ENJOYING TEAM SUCCESS
The Ellsworth girls team is in the midst of a strong season.
The Bearcats won their third meet on Sept. 30 at the Lyons Invitational. Their other meet wins came at the TMP-Marian and the Republic County invitationals.
Ellsworth is coming off a third-place finish at their home meet on Tuesday.
The Bearcats are led by junior Molly Ehrlich. She won the Lyons Invitational in 21:16 after placing second in each of the previous three meets. Ehrlich placed third at the Ellsworth Invitational.
Ellsworth's Molly Ehrlich
Sophomore Lakyn Beckman has been the Bearcats No. 2 runner. She took second at the Lyons Invitational after taking third at Republic County last week. Ehrlich was fifth at the Ellsworth meet.
Senior Addison Thomas, sophomores Sage Gray and Brooklynn Marston freshman Maisy Hulse have been taking turns scoring as the Bearcats third, fourth and fifth runners. Senior Kate Rathbun completes the Bearcat varsity team.
On the boys side, Ellsworth is led by freshman Octavio Rodriguez. His personal best time this season is a 17:59 at the Republic County Invitational, where he took second.
NESS CITY’S GALL FLOURISHING IN SENIOR SEASON
Ness City’s Broxton Gall is working on a stellar senior campaign.
Gall set a personal-best at Ness City’s meet on Oct. 2, running a 16:23.70 to win his third meet of the season. He ranks second on the 1A leaderboard behind Quinter’s Elliot Churchwell’s 16:23.47.
Gall has finished second, third and second the past three seasons and will be looking for a state title this season.
"Broxton has been on a mission ever since state track last spring to have the best cross country season he possibly can,” Ness City coach Patrick Younger said. “He put in a fantastic summer of training and hasn't let up since the season started."
OTHER WESTERN KANSAS CROSS COUNTRY STANDOUTS
GIRLS
– Greeley County’s Jailyn Brandl won the Northwest Kansas League meet in Quinter with a 19:17.57.
– Reigning 1A state champion Avery Boydson of Ellis remained undefeated on the season with a 19:15 at the Ness City Invitational. Freshman Taryn Boydston was second at the meet. The Boydston sisters have the top two times in 1A this year with Avery running an 18:49.68 and Taryn an 18:57.59.
– Sylvan-Lucas junior Codie Huehl is having a standout season. She has finished in the top three in all meets she’s attended and won the Osborne Invitational. She ran a personal-best 19:38 at the Beloit Invitational. “She goes above and beyond every day and her work ethic and talent is combining for an amazing season,” Sylvan-Lucas coach Mary Hlad said.
– Plainville sophomore Brilynn Trumpp has been in the top five in all her races this season with a season-best 19:42.40 at Beloit.
Ellsworth's Codie Huehl [Photo Courtesy Megan Huehl]
Plainville's Brilynn Trumpp
BOYS
– Thaydon Macias broke the South Central record with an 18:25 and then re-broke the record with an 18:10 at the Pratt Invitational. The previous record was Xavier Frazier’s 18:28 that was set in 2017.
– Quinter’s Elliot Churchwell, Carter Pennington and Kendrik Selensky placed 1-2-3 at the Northwest Kansas League meet in Quinter. Churchwell’s 16:23.47 sent him to the top of the 1A leaderboard.