A smiling Eli Gilmore during a previous 4A State race, running ahead of Micah Blomker (Miege, now of SM North),
Tanner Newkirk (Hayden), Tanner Lindahl (Buhler), and Sawyer Schmidt (Augusta).
All 5 runners have won state XC titles.
After last year, a void was left behind in 4A Boys. The graduation of 4-year superstars Tanner Lindahl, Tanner Newkirk, and Sawyer Schmidt left the door open for a new champion in Class 4A.
That man: Eli Gilmore. He was made for this role. He had rolled with the big guns before, playing unique strategies in years past to try (and sometimes succeed) to beat one of the elites. He took a major step forward at the Rim Rock Classic, proving once again that he's a sound tactician. Those tactics would come in handy at Wamego on Saturday, as he had to do what was necessary to keep the chase pack at arms-length. Ultimately, Gilmore would come away with a 13-second victory at 16:18, a solid time to finish the Senior's career at Tonganoxie. Emerging from the chase pack to claim the silver medal was Eudora's Zachary Arnold. Arnold was second to Gilmore at regionals by 38 seconds, and was a bit of an underdog in the individual race for second. It was quite a feat to knock off Clay Center's Grant Smith (3rd in 16:35) and Wamego's Brady Stegman (4th, 16:38), both seniors. Behind Stegman to round out the top-5 was his Wamego teammate Harrison Cutting in 16:44.
Putting two in the top-5 proved to be critical for the Red Raiders. The pairing of Emery Wolfe and Peyton Parker at 10th and 11th at 17:00 was a big deal as well. Buhler put up a huge fight, scoring 4 medalists of their own, with their 5th runner just outside at 21st overall. Kaden Lohrentz led the Crusaders' effort in 6th place, while Layne Whisler was 9th. Coach Patton for Wamego may have gotten a little nervous after Buhler's 6th man came in ahead of his #5, but Alec Hupe came through in a respectable 28th overall to seal it for Wamego. Red Raiders 48, Crusaders 56. Thus ends Buhler's 4-year streak atop Class 4A. They'll return their entire top-5 for next year, though, while Wamego graduates 5 of their top 7. Add in a solid middle school class, and Buhler will be back in no time.
Hoisting the third place trophy was Augusta. The Orioles finished third a year ago, and captured it once again, this time on the backs of medalists Dawson Schmidt (15th) and Michael Johnson (16th). With a name like that, medals probably come naturally for Johnson.
Just like the boys, the girls' team race had similar contenders to last year. Eudora's Sydney Owens and Hanna Keltner took 2nd and 3rd to set the tone for their team. Typically, Keltner is the lead runner for Eudora, but Owens seems to come in clutch for big races. She was their top runner in exactly 3 races this year: the Wamego Invite, Rim Rock, and 4A State... their 3 biggest meets of the year. Owens' 19:51 wasn't a PR, but it was her best time on the Wamego course in 6 attempts.
Beating both Eudora girls was Clearwater's Hayley Trotter. The Senior standout broke away early and stormed her way to a 34-second victory in 19:17. Rounding out the top-5 individuals were Labette County's Anna Cantrell and Clay Center's Lauren Smith, both Sophomores. Cantrell crossed in 20:16, with Smith two seconds behind in 20:18.
Team wise, the remainder of Eudora's roster finished the job, sealing another victory over Baldwin, 51-84. Senior Phoebe Fletcher was an additional medalist for the Cardinals in 15th. Baldwin did their best behind freshman Irelyn Kennedy (7th overall). They packed well, but couldn't match Eudora's firepower up front. The Bulldogs do return their top-5 for next year, so a runner-up finish isn't so bad for a "rebuilding year". The 2-3-4 pack was enough to keep Winfield at bay, though, as the Vikings otherwise matched Baldwin pound-for-pound. They finished 3 points behind in 3rd with 87. Winfield was led by Senior Kayli Myers, who went out with a solid individual finish in 6th.
As the beautiful afternoon continued on, the State Meet in Wamego drew to a close, and with it, the 2022 Kansas XC season. If there was a theme for this meet, it was seniors going out in style. They were present in 1A, 2A, and 4A, but Gilmore and Trotter were the epitome of senior style, each putting together beautiful races in their own right to take home gold.