2025 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW 
 

CLASS 6A 

2024 State champion: Garden City 

2024 State runner-up: Junction City

2024 Individual champion: Braxton Theel, Olathe West 

2024 Review: Garden City navigated through a rain-soaked and muddy Rim Rock Course to capture the program’s first team state title. Perhaps a dark horse contender heading into the meet, the Buffaloes got top-10 finishes from leaders Hayden Nemechek and Trevor Fry and relied on its depth to separate itself from runner-up Junction City. Nemechek and Fry rounded out the top 10 in ninth and 10th, respectively, while Taran Castro also earned a medal with an 18th-place effort. Jayden Smith just missed the medal stand in 21st for the Buffaloes, with Elmer Argueta adding a 30th-place showing. Garden City scored 66 points to Junction City’s 101. The Bluejays had a pair of top-20 medalists in Ethan Fontaine (16th) and Anthony Testa (20th). Third-place Shawnee Mission South was paced by Max Larson’s fifth-place showing. Olathe West senior Braxton Theel clocked the fastest time across all three of the boys state races at Rim Rock, winning the 6A individual title in 15:20.11. Olathe South’s Dylan Plath took second in 15:36.39. 

2025 Contenders: Reigning champion Garden City returns its top state finisher from last year in Trevor Fry (ninth), despite graduating two other medalists in Hayden Nemechek (10th) and Taran Castro (18th). Jayden Smith is back after narrowly missing the medal stand as a sophomore, taking 21st, and Elmer Argueta also returns after placing 30th last year. Junction City was runner-up last year but lost four seniors including 16th-place finisher Ethan Fontaine. Junior Anthony Testa leads the Bluejays’ returners after taking 20th last year. Shawnee Mission South, which took third last year, also was hit hard by graduation, losing five seniors including two top-15 placers in Max Larson (fifth) and Liam Kirkpatrick (13th). Mill Valley and Olathe West tied for fifth at state last year. Top-six finishers Carter Cline (third) and Dalamar Read (sixth) were both seniors last year for Mill Valley. Jordan Schierbaum and Gus Malone, now seniors, placed 38th and 40th, respectively, for the Jaguars. Olathe West had the 2025 individual champion in now-graduated Braxton Theel. Fourth-place finisher Gunnar Hornung was also a senior for the Owls, whose next best finisher was Hayden Renoux, who took 41st to close out his junior season. The top six placers from last year were all seniors. Olathe South’s Luke Swearengin is the top returning finisher from last year after taking seventh. Other top-20 returners Olathe East’s Caleb Thompson (11th), Washburn Rural’s Henry Laubach (14th), Blue Valley Northwest’s Jacob D'souza (15th), Lawrence’s Oliver Schwartz (17th) and Gardner Edgerton’s Cade Halton (19th). Rural’s Brooks Kehoe is another runner to keep an eye on. Kehoe battled through an injury to finish 25th at state last year.
 

CLASS 5A 

2024 State champion: Spring Hill 

2024 State runner-up: Blue Valley Southwest 

2024 Individual champion: Logan Beckman, Spring Hill 

2024 Review: Spring Hill swept the 5A championships at Rim Rock, with senior Logan Beckman taking the individual title and the Broncos edging out two-time defending champion Blue Valley Southwest for the team title. After finishing 13 points behind Southwest in 2023, Spring Hill returned every runner from the runner-up team and picked up a huge addition in Daghyn True, who transferred in from Emporia. The Broncos took advantage of the experienced lineup, posting a team score of 35 to capture the program’s first championship. Beckman crossed first in 15:23.04, about six seconds ahead of runner-up Vance Krudwig of De Soto. The Broncos had four other top-20 medalists – Calen George (third), True (fifth), Zachary Anderson (14th) and Dylan Estes (16th). Blue Valley Southwest finished with 40 points and produced six medalists – Elijah Chavez (fourth), Alex Roberts (sixth), Canyon Buehler (eighth), Cameron Paschke (11th), Andrew Claar (15th) and Wyatt McCulley (20th). Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s third-place showing was paced by Daniel Enriquez, who took 10th. The Crusaders also got top-20 finishes from Will Niederee (12th), Cole Reintjes (17th) and Andrew Guyer (19th). 

2025 Contenders: Spring Hill relied on senior leadership to secure its breakthrough championship a year ago. The Broncos graduated three top-five finishers in champion Logan Beckman, Calen George and Daghyn True. They return two state medalists in seniors Zachary Anderson and Dylan Estes, who took 14th and 16th, respectively. After narrowly missing out on a three-peat, Blue Valley Southwest figures to be back in the title conversation again, likely the favorite. The Timberwolves lost two key seniors in Elijah Chavez and Canyon Buehler, but return four other top-20 state placers in seniors Alex Roberts, Cameron Paschke and Wyatt McCulley and sophomore Andrew Claar. Roberts is the top returning state finisher from last year after taking sixth. Third a year ago, Kapaun Mt. Carmel graduated two medalists in Will Niederee and Andrew Guyer but seniors Daniel Enriquez and Cole Reintjes are back after placing 10th and 17th, respectively. Despite not placing any runners in the top 20 at state, Bishop Carroll and St. James Academy earned top-five team finishes last year. Landon Englert took 27th at state for Carroll last year as a junior while Max Brown, now a senior, was St. James’ top performer in 30th. De Soto took sixth year and lost just one senior in individual runner-up Vance Krudwig. St. Thomas Aquinas, which won eight straight state titles from 2014-2021, also lost just one runner to graduation from its seventh-place team in 2024. Lucas Richardson was the Saints’ top finisher last year, taking 33rd as a junior. 
 

CLASS 4A 

2024 State champion: Wamego 

2024 State runner-up: Buhler 

2024 Individual champion: Caleb Muehler, McPherson 

2024 Review: Wamego, led by junior Peyton Parker’s fourth-place finish, sloshed its way to a 14-point victory over 2023 Class 4A champion Buhler at Wamego Country Club to win its second title in the last three seasons. Isaac Ibendahl (eighth), Breckin Musyoki (13th), Logyn Evans (14th) and Braxton Williams (16th) joined Parker as individual medalists for the Red Raiders, who posted a 52, topping Buhler by 14 points. It was their 10th state title in program history and eighth under coach Rick Patton. Buhler was led by the trio of Gavin Lindahl, Henry Trumpp and Kai Mendenhall, with those Crusaders claiming the fifth through seventh spots. McPherson used a 1-3 individual finish from Caleb Muehler and Ethan Elder to take third in the team race with 119 points. It was Muehler’s second consecutive individual title. Muehler, who opened up a 9-second lead by the 2-mile mark, finished in 16:33.40, about four seconds ahead of runner-up Drew Elliott from Chapman. 

2025 Contenders: Wamego is loaded again, bringing back four of its five 2024 state medalists. Peyton Parker led the way with a fourth-place showing in 16:49.94 and was joined in the top 10 by Isaac Ibendahl, who took eighth. Breckin Musyoki placed 13th in his final cross country meet for the Red Raiders, followed by teammates Logyn Evans and Braxton Williams, who took 14th and 16th, respectively. Parker and Ibendahl are seniors this year while Evans and Williams are both juniors. James Bearman added a 30th-place showing last year as a junior for the Red Raiders. Wamego and Buhler have combined to win the last seven team titles in 4A. Buhler won four straight from 2018 to 2021 before Wamego ended that reign in 2022. The Crusaders went back on top in 2023 and then finished runner-up last year. Buhler's trio of Gavin Lindahl, Henry Trumpp and Kai Mendenhall claimed the fifth, sixth and seventh spots at last year’s state meet, but Trumpp and Mendenhall were both seniors. Lindahl, a junior, is back after two straight top-10 finishes. Ryan Cherry finished one spot off the top-20 podium for the Crusaders last year as a freshman. Two-time reigning individual champion Caleb Muehler is back to lead McPherson, which placed third as a team last year. Muehler clocked a 16:33.40 at state last year after winning with a 15:58.80 as a sophomore in 2023. Augusta had a pair of top-10 medalists in Dawson Schmidt (ninth) and Jase Thomas (10th) to finish fourth last year. Schmidt graduated but Thomas is back for his senior season. Tonganoxie took fifth, led by 15th-place finisher Parker Welsh, now a junior. Chapman had two medalists last year, led by now-graduated Drew Elliott, who was the individual runner-up. Dereck Klukas was 11th last year for the Fighting Irish but Klukas is not competing this year. Griffin Bloemker, now a junior, took 12th for Bishop Miege last year. Other returning medalists from the top 20 include Pratt’s Carlito Lara (17th)  and Wellington’s Luke Wylie (19th). 
 

CLASS 3A 

2024 State champion: Holcomb

2024 State runner-up: Southeast of Saline 

2024 Individual champion: Caleb Tofteland, Wichita Trinity 

2024 Review: Holcomb captured the program’s fourth state title, finishing with 58 points to top second-place Southeast of Saline by 21 points. Multi-sport star Brody Deniston paced the Longhorns with a runner-up showing and was joined on the top-20 podium by teammates Landen Leonard (eighth), Jeb Stoppel (13th) and Weston Baker (18th). Southeast of Saline’s runner-up showing was fueled by three medalists – Brayden Walker (12th), Jacob Bircher (15th) and Jacob Tonne (19th). Wichita Trinity Academy, which entered as three-time defending champions, took third place. The Knights’ Caleb Tofteland capped his high school career with an individual state title, clocking a 15:36.8 to win by about 16 seconds over Deniston. Tofteland had previously doubled up in the fall by playing soccer but reaped the rewards from concentrating on cross country last year. Whitt Geoffroy added a 16th-place medal for Trinity in his freshman season. 

2025 Contenders: Holcomb has developed into a distance-running powerhouse over the past couple years. The Longhorns are the reigning cross country state champs, and have two straight track and field state titles, largely thanks to its standout distance runners. Holcomb’s bid for a repeat this fall will be led by senior Brody Deniston, who has finished in the top three at state in each of the last two seasons. He took runner-up last year to Caleb Tofteland from Wichita Trinity. The Longhorns lost two key seniors in Landen Leonard and Weston Baker, but Jeb Stoppel is back for his senior season after taking 13th at state last year. Southeast of Saline will look to factor into the title race after returning two state medalists in senior Brayden Walker (12th) and Jacob Bircher (15th) with Walker going undefeated until the state meet. The Trojans did graduate another top-20 placer in Jacob Tonne (19th). After seeing its three-year championship reign end last season with a third-place team showing, Wichita Trinity Academy will have to replace an individual champion in Tofteland. Whit Geoffroy will look to build off a strong freshman campaign that ended with a 16th-place state showing for the Knights. West Franklin took fourth as a team last year but lost leader Hunter Bailey, who placed fourth as a senior. Lakin, fifth a year ago, also graduated its top runners in Alex Luce and Austin Ritsema after they took fourth and sixth, respectively, as seniors. Deniston could be a heavy favorite for the individual title. He’s the only returner from last season’s top 10. Santa Fe Trail’s Bryce Roberts (11th), Hoisington’s Brody Rossman (14th), Riley County’s Jeter Adams (17th) and Scott City’s Michael Hermosillo (20th) are among the other returning medalists. Nemaha Central junior Harry Langill is also back after missing the medal stand by one spot last year. Caney Valley’s Simeon Sanchez is another runner to pay attention to, owning a school record with a 15:26.27 he ran at the Girard meet last year. 
 

CLASS 2A 

2024 State champion: Central Heights

2024 State runner-up: Hutchinson-Trinity 

2024 Individual champion: Cody Hammond, Central Heights 

2024 Review: Central Heights successfully defended its 2023 state crown in dominating fashion, claiming three of the top four individual spots at the 2A state meet in Wamego. It was a championship sweep for the Vikings, with Cody Hammond winning the individual title in 16:35.82, about 17 seconds ahead of teammate Connor Burkdoll’s second-place effort. Heights’ team score of 34 points outpaced runner-up Hutchinson Trinity’s 66 and eclipsed the 2A meet record of 40 points set by Stanton County in 2019. Owen Miller added a fourth-place showing for the Vikings, who also saw Josiah Meyer (21st) and Stetson Miller (22nd) just miss the podium. Hutchinson Trinity’s Jacob Lindstrom led the Celtics with a third-place individual effort and was joined by teammates Cameron Kiser (13th) and John Lindstrom (20th) as medalists. Jeremiah Briscoe finished eighth (17:35.37) to lead Berean Academy to a third-place finish in the team race with 119 points. 

2025 Contenders: Central Heights will have to replace its leading trio from last year but the cupboard isn’t completely bare for the two-time reigning champs. The Vikings graduated the 2024 individual champion in Hammond, as well as runner-up Connor Burkdoll and fourth-place finisher Owen Miller. However, Heights brings back two runners who narrowly missed the medal stand last year in Josiah Meyer and Stetson Miller, finishing 21st and 22nd, respectively. Hutchinson Trinity could be the team title favorite after returning three medalists from last year’s runner-up team in Jacob Lindstrom, Cameron Kiser and John Lindstrom. Jacob Lindstrom took third individually while Kiser was 13th and John Lindstrom claimed the last medalist spot in 20th. Berean Academy, which has won three state team titles over the last six years, graduated lone medalist Jeremiah Briscoe off last year’s third-place team. Will Snook and Luke Friesen took 31st and 33nd, respectively, last year as sophomores for the Warriors. Hoxie had a strong season last year, capped with a fourth-place showing at state. The Indians returned their top state finisher in Michael Haffner (ninth) but graduated their other medalist in Aaron Keith (12th). Kansas City Christian didn’t have any state medalists but the Panthers did have three non-seniors crack the top-30 in Caleb Warner (23rd), Anderson Minnich (24th) and Hudson Humphrey (30th). Including Lindstrom and Haffner, four of last year’s top 10 return this year. Inman senior Tyler Martisko took sixth last year and Wichita Central Christian junior Levi Sturm was 10th in 2024. Other returners from last year’s top-20 include Jefferson County North’s Lucas Meredith (11th), St. Mary’s Colgan's Colton Smithhisler (15th) and Smith Center’s Gavin Hickert (17th). 
 

CLASS 1A 

2024 State champion: Quinter

2024 State runner-up: Pratt-Sykline

2024 Individual champion: Caleb Durst, Lebo

2024 Review: Lebo’s Caleb Durst and the Quinter Bulldogs added to their state championship collections last November in Wamego. Durst hit the accelerator in the mud and rain, and opened up a sizable advantage. He went on to cross the finish line in 16:53.20 – more than 15 seconds ahead of runner-up Broxton Gall of Ness City – to defend his individual state title. Third-place finisher Elliot Churchwell of Quinter led the Bulldogs to their third consecutive state team title and fourth overall. Senior Hans Deaton and junior Kendrik Selensky also finished in the top 12 for the Bulldogs, whose four-runner score of 29 easily outpaced runner-up Pratt-Skyline’s 56. Meade earned the last spot on the team podium, taking third. Alex Zortman led the Buffaloes with an 18th-place showing while Ryker Vieux took 21st. 

2025 Contenders: Three-time reigning champion Quinter is the 1A favorite once again. The Bulldogs will have strong senior leadership in Elliot Churchwell and Kendrik Selensky. Churchwell paced the Bulldogs with a third-place showing (17:21.93) at state last year while Selensky took 12th. Quinter did lose Hans Deaton to graduation, but the 2024 seventh-place state finisher was one of only two seniors on that team. Carter Pennington cracked the top 30 at state last year as a freshman. Pratt-Sykline lost two key seniors off last year’s runner-up team. Jude Nelson took seventh in his final meet for the Thunderbirds and then-senior Ethan Robinson was 24th. Junior Ely Robinson is Skyline’s top returning state finisher after earning a 17th-place medal. Before Quinter’s 3-peat, Meade won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021. The Buffaloes, third last year, will be led by Ryker Vieux, who missed out on a medal by one spot last year after placing 10th as a sophomore in 2023. Meade graduated a 12th-place finisher in Alex Zortman but should have solid depth again this year. Junior Saul Mendoza and sophomore Jordy Padgett took 30th and 31st for the Buffaloes at state last year, respectively. Ness City’s Broxton Gall is on the short list for individual title contenders after taking runner-up to Lebo’s Caleb Durst, who capped his high school career with a second straight championship. Gall ran a 17:08.61 at state last year to finish about 15 seconds behind Durst. Gall, a 1,600-meter run champion in track, led the Eagles to a fourth-place finish in cross country last year. The next five runners behind Durst at last year’s state meet are back this year in Gall, Churchwell, Goessel’s Eli Gaeddert, Olpe’s Kaleb Arnold and Blue Valley-Randolph’s Titus Cobb. Other returning medalists include Stafford’s Joel Valadez (eighth), Spearville’s Evan Martinez (10th), Central-Burden’s Kyson Henley (13th) and James Braun (20th), and Kiowa County’s Sam Martinez (15th) and Mason Weseloh (19th). 

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.