LAWRENCE — As they charged up the infamous Cemetery Hill at Rim Rock Farm, Washburn Rural senior Brooks Kehoe and sophomore Clayton Fink weren’t thinking about medals. They were thinking about each other — and the teammates chasing behind them. 

“I watched Clayton encourage Brooks as they charged up Cemetery Hill,” Washburn Rural coach Matthew Swedlund said. “That’s who they are — everything they do is for the team.” 

That moment captured exactly how the Junior Blues won the Class 6A boys state cross country championship on Saturday — together. 

In a race where they didn’t have a single top-20 finisher, Washburn Rural used pack running to edge Blue Valley by a single point, 100 to 101, and capture the program’s first state title since 2019. 

Sophomore Henry Laubach led the Junior Blues in 22nd with a time of 16:40.66. Kehoe finished 25th in 16:42.83, followed closely by Fink (26th, 16:46.46), Duke Graf (28th, 16:47), and Jaxson Adams (42nd, 17:01.90). Rounding out the scoring were Wyatt Shorb (52nd, 17:11.27) and Brady Meek (84th, 17:48). 
 

“It truly was a team victory,” Swedlund said. “These guys have a ton of fight in them. We preach ‘team’ all the time, and they take that to heart. Every single one of those guys would trade all of their individual medals for a team trophy.” 

Swedlund said the race was nerve-racking to watch unfold. With so many strong teams in contention, he wasn’t sure where the Junior Blues stood until the final results were posted. 

“My count had us around 145 points without individuals, which made me think we’d be right around 100,” he said. “I figured we’d have a good shot at a podium, but I didn’t know where we’d land. Once they finally announced it, it was pure elation. I was so happy for our guys.” 

For the seven runners who made up Washburn Rural’s lineup — a mix of five sophomores and two seniors — the win was the culmination of a season-long belief in one another. 
 

“This win was huge for us,” Swedlund said. “Brooks started talking about winning a state title last spring during track season. From day one of summer training, these guys knew that was the goal. Things didn’t always go perfectly, but they never strayed from it.” 

Shorb, one of the team’s two seniors, said the celebration after the race is something he’ll never forget. 

“I remember after the race I was resting at our team tent when I saw our coaches running toward us, cheering and yelling that we’d won,” Shorb said. “Everybody was just ecstatic. It was incredibly emotional for me — that was my last race, and to win state by one point meant everything.” 

Kehoe, the team’s other senior, said the victory validated a season of hard work and belief. 

“I’ve been telling people for months that I believed we were the favorites to win it, even if some of my teammates weren't as confident,” Kehoe said. “I am very proud of my whole team and their perseverance through difficulty to still get the job done. Even with all the small injuries and setbacks we had, the guys worked so hard for this exact moment and honestly it's just unreal.” 

He said the team’s chemistry — built through months of training and time spent together — was what carried them through when it mattered most. 

“I think the uniqueness of our team is how tight our bond is,” Kehoe said. “We don’t necessarily go into races planning to pack run, but none of us are willing to let the others down, so we just stick together. Our trust in each other as people leads us to trust each other in the race.” 
 

That trust was never more evident than on Cemetery Hill, when Fink surged ahead and called to Kehoe to stay with him. 

“Clayton passes me up Cemetery Hill with less than 800 meters to go and he says, ‘Come on Brooks,’ and that’s all I need,” Kehoe said. “If I hadn’t stuck with him, we might’ve been just a point away from winning.” 

In the end, that one point made all the difference — and it was earned shoulder to shoulder, stride for stride, together. 

Class 6A Boys State Meet 

At Rim Rock Farm 

Team Scores 

Washburn Rural 100, Blue Valley 101, Olathe West 111, Maize 147, Free State 150, Garden City 159, Manhattan 166, Gardner-Edgerton 169, Blue Valley West 177, Olathe Northwest 184, Shawnee Mission West 194, Dodge City 224