WAMEGO – As the Buhler girls cross country team huddled around coach Curtis Morgan, the level of excitement was already a bit palpable.
 
The defending champions in Class 4A, the Crusaders were hoping they’d done enough to fight off what was expected and turned out to be strong challenges from the likes of Baldwin, Wamego and Eudora.
 
When Morgan announced they had indeed done just enough to keep the title, edging Wamego by a mere five points for the crown, the Crusaders began to celebrate. But there was still one question on their minds, in particular that of freshman Brynlee Adams.
 
What was the point total.
 
And wouldn’t you know, it was one that sent the Crusaders into the viral trend that has engulfed the nation. 
 
‘6, 7!”
 
Yep, Buhler landed right on that number with Adams’ three-second margin in placing 35th for the final points in the Crusaders’ total allowing them to land on that mark.
 
“It wasn’t something that was a goal in mind,” Buhler junior Corbin Starkweather said. “But it’s something our team’s really clung to that 6, 7 thing and constantly do it.”
 
Buhler also clung onto the Class 4A team trophy it won a year ago, successfully defending the title. After beating three-time reigning champion Eudora by 11 points for last year’s title for the program’s first championship since 2019, the Crusaders knew winning this year would be even tougher this season.
 
“We knew it was a dogfight,” Morgan said. “Those four teams, that’s what we talked about in last night’s meeting with the team. I’m emotional because I just love these kids. They worked their tails off all year.
 
“Every team does trying to reach the pinnacle. For those girls to celebrate like they did just there, that pulls at the heart strings.”
 
Buhler came into the season as the favorite in Class 4A after losing only one senior off last year’s title team, Ava Koster, who placed 19th individually. But the makeup of the team took on a much different look this season with the arrival of a talented freshman class and emergence of some returning underclassmen.
 
When the Crusaders took to the starting line on Saturday in Wamego, only three of them – Starkweather, Isabella Friesen and Haylee Kinast – had been in that spot last year.
 
“We had a really good freshman crew come in, actually had three freshmen run today as part of our top seven,” Morgan said. “And we had a sophomore who was an alternate last year step up and be our No. 3 all year long. So it just goes to speak to the hard work they put in all summer to make this happen.”
 

 
Starkweather and Friesen led the way for the 2024 title team and did so again on Saturday. Going in with the top time in 4A this season, Starkweather couldn’t quite challenge for the individual title as Baldwin’s Irelyn Kennedy – last year’s runner-up – pulled away from the field midway through the race and won by 25 seconds over Paola’s Ella Needham with a time of 18:57.08.
 
But Starkweather was right on Needham’s heels and finished third in 19:14.33, just a second and a half behind Needham’s 19:12.96. Friesen, meanwhile, pulled away from the next pack and came in fourth in 19:28.16.
 
Even though she came up short of the individual title, Starkweather said pulling off the repeat meant the most to her.
 
“It’s a really special thing to go back-to-back and we knew we had a chance even with a young team,” Starkweather said. “It’s such a hard thing to do and that makes it so special.”
 

 
No other Crusader managed to finish in the top 20 and earn a medal, the remaining three scorers did their part. Sophomore Isabella Rivera just missed the medal stand, taking 21st in 20:48.86, while freshman Hannah Dick was 32nd and Adams was 35th.
 
That was just enough to hold off host Wamego, which placed three in the top 12 as Shayne Pittenger-Reed took sixth, Elsie Rickstrew finished eighth and Colleen Murphy was 12th. The Red Raiders added a 33rd from Caroline Brethour and 38th from Kayla Balver to finish with 72 points, beating out Baldwin for the runner-up spot by 18 points.
 
Eudora was fourth with 99 points.
 
Buhler is the only non-Frontier League program to win a girls’ 4A title over the past nine years as Baldwin claimed titles in 2017, 2018 and 2020 and before Eudora won three straight from 2021-23. The Crusaders now have matched those programs with three in that span.
 
“They’re each different in their own way and each one gets maybe a little sweeter,” Morgan said. “The competition in 4A is amazing, especially on the girls side from the Frontier League. Baldwin, Eudora – those are the standards and any time you can take an opportunity and beat them like we’ve done the past couple of years, ‘Wow.’ Lots of respect to those programs and what they do and Wamego this year came on strong at the end.
 
“But I’m just really proud of these gals.”

Buhler likely will be the favorite for a three-peat next year with all seven runners on this year's team back next fall.
 

 
CLASS 4A GIRLS
 
TEAM SCORES
 
Buhler 67, Wamego 72, Baldwin 89, Eudora 99, Augusta 147, Clay Center 151, Pratt 176, Winfield 196, Louisburg 202, Paola 224, Rose Hill 241, Fort Scott 314.