To kick
things off, we have a returning champion in Emma Weiner. The Junior out of Golden
Plains was one of the favorites going into last year's state meet, and she left
no doubt on the course, winning by 25 seconds. The kicker? She did it with a
broken leg. It's safe to say that Weiner, healthy or not, is the favorite to
win once more.
Beloit-St
John's Jane Letourneau is the #2 returner on time this year. The Bluejay Senior
ran 20:19 last year, but finished a distant 29th at state. She'll be
looking for redemption this year, and she's certainly capable of it. The second
returner from the state podium is Macksville's Madison Butler, who finished 5th
in 21:01. Meade's Maya Doney (6th last year) is another returner
with potential at 21:04. Doney was the top freshman last year in a senior-heavy
race. South Haven's Alivia Bacon is another returner with top-10 state experience.
Incoming
freshmen are always a factor on the girls side, so you might want to put Olpe's
Lillian Skalsky and Osborne's Ryah Bertuccelli on your radar. Skalsky ran 13:18
at The Orchard to win the Lyon County MS League last year, and Bertuccelli ran
13:45 en route to the Pike Trail MS League title on the track.
On the
boys side, a slew of returning juniors are eyeing the state crown. Blake Yoder
of Hutch-Central Christian was 3rd last year in 16:48, and is the
top returner this time around. Meade's Logan Keith, Stockton's Jonathan Hamel, Pretty
Prairie's James White, and Axtell's Grady Buessing are all juniors who were
top-10 at state last year. Expect that group to lead the way. Don't count out Ingalls
Senior Brenden Ellis or Osborne's Graham Bales, though. As we saw with Corbin
Ricke last year, being a senior can create a sense of urgency and bring out a
whole new runner.
Team-wise,
the boys crown is currently carried by the Meade Buffaloes. That group returns
all 7 runners and adds a couple good middle schoolers. With Quinter losing
their top runner to graduation, there may not be a team with enough firepower
to challenge Meade. Classical School of Wichita had three promising freshmen
last season, but also graduated 3 seniors. LaCrosse has 3 state-caliber returners,
but needs a 4th runner to join the team and score well for them. Osborne,
Axtell, and Beloit-St Johns have had solid programs in recent years, so they
could filter towards the top again as well.
On the
girls side, Quinter needs a replacement for 4th runner Jessa Borger,
who graduated in May. If they can find another piece, they'll have a good
chance to defend their title. Doniphan West will be looking to take back their
stolen crown, though, with 3 returning seniors leading the way for the Mustangs.
Speaking of seniors, Pretty Prairie is ALL seniors, so expect them to impress
on their farewell tour. Osborne should be brining in a good crew as well, adding
a few middle schoolers to an already solid roster. Lastly, keep an eye on Kiowa
County, as they could shake things up this year if they get the right girls
out.
1A is
easily the most difficult division to predict, so expect the unexpected as this
season unfolds. New faces will emerge, and as we saw last year, everything can
change in the blink of an eye.
