CLASS 2A GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS TO WATCH IN 2025
 

 
ROSE BUCK, EUREKA
 
Buck is entering her senior cross country season healthy, a change from last year when shin splints hindered the start of her 2024 campaign. Still, Buck was able to win three times after a runner-up finish to Prairie View’s Bree Allen at the Central Heights Invitational. Buck won her third Tri-Valley League title, then ran a season-best 19:25.25 to win the Marion regional, her second straight regional crown. She finished a distant third at the Class 2A state meet behind Smith Center’s Madison Howland and Wabaunsee’s Payton Wurtz, but it was her best state finish after taking ninth as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore. Buck, who finished second to Howland in the 2A 1,600 at the state track meet in May, ran her personal-best 5K of 19:06.94 in her 2023 regional victory.
 

 
QUINLYN FUNK, HILLSBORO
 
Part of three state-qualifying teams, Funk has finished 11^th or better in Class 2A each time, including a career-best seventh last year at Wamego. The Trojans have finished eighth, ninth and 10^th in 2A the last three years with Funk leading the way. After taking ninth at state as a freshman and 11^th as a sophomore, Funk posted a time of 21:00.80 in last year’s meet at Wamego. That completed a season of all-top-10 finishes for Funk, who established a new 5K PR of 20:11.90 with her fifth-place finish at the Sterling Invitational. Funk notched her first career varsity cross country victory last September at the Marion Invitational, and took eighth in the 2A 3,200 meters at the state track meet in May.
 

 
MIA HAMILTON, SACRED HEART
 
Hamilton missed a month early in her freshman season, but came back strong and helped lead Sacred Heart to the Class 2A team championship in 2023. She finished 14th as the Knights’ top finisher on the title team. Hamilton missed a few early meets last year as a sophomore, but still competed in eight races overall and finished top 10 in five of them. She ran a career-best time of 20:13.90 at the Salina Invitational and then finished fourth at her 2A regional two weeks later. While Hamilton and the Knights couldn’t make it two straight team championships, Hamilton did earn her second straight state medal with an 11th-place finish.
 

 
LILLY HOFFMAN, UDALL
 
Hoffman, a junior, reflected the quality of the Class 2A regional at Marion last year. She ran a 5K personal-best 20:46.94 there to finish 13^th, then earned her first individual state medal with a 19^th-place finish at Wamego Country Club. It was the second 2A state cross country appearance for Hoffman, who finished 45^th as a freshman after taking seventh at the Wichita Trinity regional. Hoffman is the reigning South Central Border League 800-meter champion, and finished second at league in the 1,600 and 3,200.
 

 
MADISON HOWLAND, SMITH CENTER

Howland is only halfway through what has already been a spectacular distance running high school career. She is the two-time reigning Class 2A cross country champion and has won all but one race in her high school career, taking second to Seaman’s Ryin Miller in the Rim Rock Classic as a freshman. Howland capped her undefeated sophomore season with an 18:50.76 at the state meet in Wamego, winning by 33 seconds over runner-up Payton Wurtz from Wabaunsee. Her personal best and school-record is the 17:52.45 she ran at the regional meet in Norton last season. Howland has been equally impressive in track, already owning five first-place medals after sweeping the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 last spring. 
 

 
ELEANOR JOINER, ELLINWOOD

Joiner left Wamego with a 15th-place state medal to put the finishing touches on a promising freshman season in 2024. Another highlight came at the regional meet in Norton when she ran a personal-best 20:05.84. It was one of four top-five performances for Joiner. Her top finish was a runner-up showing at the Larned  Abby Trapp-Prescott Classic.
 

 
ALYSSA KLINGENBERG, REMINGTON
 
The diminutive Klingenberg was a force for the Broncos as a newcomer in cross country and track, helping Remington win its first Class 2A cross country title last November with her 10^th-place finish. One of three freshmen in the Broncos’ cross country lineup, Klingenberg complemented team frontrunner Chelsea Willour, who finished fourth, and helped Remington edge Heart of America League rival Berean Academy in a tiebreaker after both finished with 108 points. Klingenberg ran her season-best 5K of 20:05.60 at the Marion regional, then fought through the rain and mud at state to finish in 21:17.37. No. 4 on the Broncos’ 5K all-time list, Klingenberg added a fifth-place finish in the 2A 3,200 in her first state track meet. 
 

 
TAEGAN LINDENMAN, HOXIE

Lindenman has earned top-10 finishes in all three of her state meet appearances. She took sixth last year as a junior after taking eighth in both her sophomore and freshman seasons. She’ll be eyeing a new personal record, which currently stands at 20:13.50 from her sophomore season at the state meet. Lindenman placed in the top five in six of her eight total races last season. Her top finish was a runner-up showing at the Quinter Invitational.
 

 
JOLEIGH MAZANEC, WICHITA COUNTY

Mazanec is a two-time state qualifier and secured her first state medal last November in Wamego. She took 17th with a 21:39.75. Mazanec set her personal record in the regional meet in Norton with a 21:18.28, placing sixth. She garnered third place in the Hi-Plains League meet and also had top-five showings at two other meets.
 

 
BRITTA MONGEAU, EUREKA

Mongeau, a senior, developed into a strong No. 2 runner for the Tornadoes last season behind three-time state cross country medalist Rose Buck. After finishing 44^th at the 2A state meet as a sophomore, Mongeau soared to 13^th last fall at Wamego with her time of 21:27:04. Mongeau had two second-place finishes in 2024 and added a third place at the Tri-Valley League meet before setting a PR of 20:27.78 at the Marion regional, where she finished seventh. Mongeau’s solid year carried over to the track, where she finished fifth in the 2A 1,600 with a personal best of 5:26.41.
 

 
REAGAN NEAL, BLUESTEM
 
Neal was one of the top freshmen in Class 2A last season, finishing 12^th in her first state cross country meet. Only Remington’s Alyssa Klingenberg, who was 10^th, finished higher among first-year runners. Neal joined the parade of PRs at the Marion regional, finishing eighth in 20:30.94. She also took third at the Eureka Invitational and second to Eureka’s Rose Buck in her Tri-Valley League meet debut. The Lion standout qualified for the state track meet in the 1,600, finishing ninth in 2A.
 

 
RILEY RICHERT, HILLSBORO
 
Richert, a junior, has teamed with three-time state medalist Quinlyn Funk to give Hillsboro a strong 1-2 punch. After finishing 22^nd at the Class 2A state cross country meet as a freshman, Richert moved up two spots to 20^th at last year’s meet, earning the final individual state medal. Richert mixed in six top-4 finishes during her sophomore campaign, and ran a personal-best 5K of 19:44.20 in a second-place finish to Buhler’s Corbin Starkweather at the Sterling Invitational. Richert and Funk led the Trojans to a third consecutive state appearance last season. Richert also qualified for the state track meet in the 1,600 in May, finishing 11^th in 2A. 
 

 
KALLAN ROTHCHILD, WAKEENEY

After placing 35th in each of her first two state meets, Rothchild made a big jump in Wamego last year, moving up 21 spots to secure a 14th-place state medal. She set a personal best at the regional meet in Norton a week earlier with a 20:47.23 to take fifth place. Rothchild also earned top-five finishes at Hoxie and Quinter.
 

JOSEPHINE WILLHITE, KANSAS CITY CHRISTIAN
 
After having just two top-10 finishes as a freshman, Willhite had a breakout sophomore season last fall for the Panthers. She was top 10 at all but the Olathe Twilight and Rim Rock Invitationals, though her performance at Olathe was then a career-best time. She won the title at the Maranatha Invitational and then finished runner-up to 3A state placer Julianna Parr of Heritage Christian for the Kaw Valley Conference title. Willhite won her 2A regional in a career-best time of 19:59.27 and then earned her second straight state medal. After placing 18th as a freshman at state, she moved up to a ninth-place finish last fall.
 

 
CHELSEA WILLOUR, REMINGTON
 
After leading Remington to its first girls state cross country title last fall by the narrowest of margins, Willour enters her senior season trying to lead the Broncos to a repeat. For the third straight year, Willour paced the Broncos in the Class 2A state meet, finishing a career-best fourth in 20:45.12. She was one of two top-10 finishers for Remington, joined by rising sophomore Alyssa Klingenberg. Willour climbed to No. 2 on the Broncos’ all-time 5K list last season when she ran 19:50.74 – 2 seconds shy of the school record – in a runner-up finish at the Marion regional. She also won the Heart of America League individual title to go with victories at the Goessel and Berean Academy invitationals. Willour finished 12^th and ninth in her first two state cross country meets, and set a school record in the 3,200 meters (11:56.59) in May when she finished fourth at the 2A state meet, her third career state medal in the event. 

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.