CLASS 1A BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS TO WATCH IN 2025
 

 
KALEB ARNOLD, OLPE
 
Arnold has finished in the top 10 at the Class 1A state meet each of his first three seasons and could be poised to break through for his first championship this fall. He placed eighth at state as a freshman, then sixth as a sophomore before crossing in fifth last fall, finishing in 17:28.33. That was nearly a full second slower than the career-best 16:29.22 Arnold ran at his regional a year ago where he finished third behind South Barber’s Joshua MacKinney and Gossel’s Eli Gaeddert, both of whom return this year as well. Arnold finished right behind Gaeddert at state with underclassmen Broxton Gall of Ness City and Elliot Churchwell going 2-3 behind two-time champion Caleb Durst of Lebo, who topped Arnold for the Lyon County League title in 2022 and 2023. Arnold topped them all at state track last year, winning the 1A 3,200 title, which should give him a huge boost of confidence this fall.
 

 
JAMES BRAUN, CENTRAL-BURDEN
 
Braun, a senior, has been part of three state-qualifying teams for the Raiders. He earned his first individual state medal in the rain at Wamego last November, finishing 20^th in Class 1A in 18:15.88. That helped Central-Burden finish sixth in the team race, its best showing during Braun’s career. Braun ran his personal-best 5K at last year’s Wichita regional, finishing 13^th in 18:05.46. He finished 43^rd and 46^th in his first two state appearances, and was part of the Raiders’ state-qualifying 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams last spring.
 

 
ELLIOT CHURCHWELL, QUINTER

Churchwell has been a major factor in Quinter’s run of three consecutive state titles. A three-time state placer, he led the Bulldogs with a third-place individual finish at the 1A meet in Wamego last year, clocking a 17:21.93. He ran a career-best 16:36.76 in Great Bend a week earlier at the regional meet. Quinter’s school record is 16:31. The senior will look to lead another strong Bulldog squad that is aiming for a four-peat.
 

 
TITUS COBB, BLUE VALLEY-RANDOLPH
 
Cobb’s evolution from his freshman to sophomore season was a significant one last fall. After only breaking 19 minutes once as a freshman with an 18:48.52 at the Twin Valley League meet, Cobb started the 2024 season with an 18:08.68 and proceeded to spend the rest of the season breaking his career-best over and over. He broke 18 minutes on his way to a third-place finish at the Nemaha Central Invitational the next meet and had two more thirds before taking runner-up at the Riley County Invitational and TVL meets before a second-place finish at his 1A regional, where he posted a career-best time of 17:23.50 to finish behind only eventual two-time state champion Caleb Durst of Lebo. Cobb capped a stellar sophomore season with a sixth-place finish at the 1A state meet in 17:29.70.
 

 
ELI GAEDDERT, GOESSEL
 
Coming off a strong freshman season, Gaeddert not only avoided a sophomore slump but was even better as a sophomore last fall. His best time as a freshman was a 17:21.60 in a seventh-place finish at the Class 1A state meet to end the season and Gaeddert nearly equaled that in his first meet of the season last year with a 17:22.10 in posting the first victory of his career at the Swather Special. Gaeddert turned in a career-best 17:04.00 at Marion the following week and then blew that mark away in his runner-up finish at regionals with a 16:28.24. Gaeddert broke into the top five at the 1A state meet, placing fourth in 17:23.02. He’s one of a host of returning underclassmen from the top 10 who will be looking to claim the crown vacated by two-time champion Caleb Durst of Lebo, who has graduated.
 

 
BROXTON GALL, NESS CITY

Gall was in the hunt for an individual state title last year, ultimately finishing second with a 17:08.61, about 15 seconds behind now-graduated two-time champion Caleb Durst from Lebo. Gall has finished in the top three at the state meet in each of the last three years. He won five races last year and was the Central Prairie League champion for the third straight season. Gall set his personal record of 16:33 at the regional meet in Great Bend, coming within 10 seconds of Ness City’s school record. He is the reigning Class 1A 1,600-meter champion in track. Ness City coach Patrick Younger also expects a solid year out of the Eagles' No. 2 runner, Wyatt Sutton.
 
 

 
KYSON HENLEY, CENTRAL-BURDEN
 
Henley, a junior, led the Raiders to a sixth-place finish at the Class 1A state meet last November. After running a personal-best 16:47.23 in a fourth-place finish at the Wichita regional, Henley took 13^th at state to pace Central-Burden. He led the Raiders to a perfect score with his victory at the South Central Border League meet, marking the team’s fifth consecutive league title, and added another win at the Eureka Invitational. A state track meet qualifier in three events, Henley set a school record with his time of 10:20.71 in the 1A 3,200 meters. 
 

 
EVAN MARTINEZ, SPEARVILLE

Martinez set the tone for an impressive freshman season by winning the South Gray Invitational last year. He capped his debut high school season as a state medalist, finishing 10th in Wamego with a 17:50.44. Martinez’s personal record is a 17:00.20 he ran at the Sterling Invitational. He placed fifth at the SPIAA meet.
 

 
SAM MARTINEZ, KIOWA COUNTY

Martinez has been a fixture on the state medal stand for the Mavericks, earning top-15 finishes in each of the past three years. He took 15th last year at the 1A meet with a 17:57.28 after placing ninth as a sophomore and third as a freshman. Martinez posted his personal record of 17:11.63 at the regional meet in Great Bend last year. He was the runner-up at the SPIAA meet in Meade.

 
ELY ROBINSON, PRATT-SKYLINE
 
One of two individual state medalists last fall for Skyline along with now-graduated Jude Nelson, Robinson helped the Thunderbirds climb from fourth place in Class 1A in 2023 to second behind Quinter. Robinson’s time of 18:02.88 was good for 17^th and contributed to Skyline’s 7-point cushion over third-place Meade. Robinson, who finished 47^th at state as a freshman, preceded last year’s 1A meet with a seventh-place finish at the Wichita regional, running a personal-best 17:29.26. It marked Robinson’s first sub-18 minute time.
 

GABRIEL RODERICK, BELOIT-ST. JOHN’S

Roderick became a first-time state medalist by placing 14th (17:55.48) at the 1A meet last year as a junior, a nine-spot improvement from his sophomore year at state. He ran a personal-best 17:53.20 at the Beloit Invitational. Roderick had two top-five showings last season, taking fifth at the regional meet in Sabetha and third at the Smith Center Invitational.
 

 
KENDRIK SELENSKY, QUINTER

Selensky did his part in helping the Bulldogs capture a third straight title last year, placing 12th at the state meet with a 17:51.79. His personal-best run came a week earlier at the regional meet when he clocked a 16:59.5. Quinter coach Ed Mense said Selensky has eclipsed that mark a few times this summer and is poised for a strong senior year. Selensky also medaled as a sophomore in 2023, taking 17th.
 

JOEL VALADEZ, STAFFORD
 
Valadez finished eighth as Stafford’s lone boys competitor at last year’s Class 1A state meet, posting a time of 17:37.00 at Wamego Country Club. It was Valadez’s second individual state medal after his 16^th-place finish as a freshman. A top-10 finisher in all of his races last fall, Valadez ran a personal-best 17:17.31 in a seventh-place finish at the Great Bend regional. He finished second at the Lyons Invitational, four-tenths of a second behind winner Isaiah Doherty of Haven. Valadez continued his success into track season, running a personal-best 10:01.86 to finish seventh in the 1A 3,200 meters. 

 

RYKER VIEUX, MEADE 

Vieux looked primed for a strong state meet last year after he clocked a personal-best 16:21.76 to win a regional title. Unfortunately, he battled a sickness that started the day after regionals and persisted into state. He still managed to finish 21st, narrowly missing a second straight state medal after he took 10th as a sophomore. Vieux also battled a hip and glute injury during track season but finished strong. He’ll be looking to chase Meade’s school record and contend in 1A.
 

 
MASON WESELOH, KIOWA COUNTY
 
Weseloh has secured a state medal in each of his first two high school seasons. He took 19th in 18:11.83 at the 1A meet last year after placing 13th as a freshman. Weseloh’s personal record came at the regional meet last year when he posted a 17:20.91. He had two top-five finishes in 2024, taking third at the SPIAA meet and fifth at the Cheney Invitational.
 
NOTE: Classifications for the 2025-26 school year had not been released at the time of publication. Runners featured could potentially fall into a different classification once those have been determined.