Here is our second edition of our Power Rankings.These are intended for fun and extra motivation as the season rolls along. Think someone should be ranked? Either comment or send an email to DEverett@Milesplit.Com
Kansas Milesplit Power Rankings
Top 15 Girls
#1) Alli Cash, Shawnee Mission West, SR - Cash keeps climbing the national rankings, now ranked 15th after a strong performance at the Roy Griak Invitational. She placed second behind Minnesota Native Maria Hauger. The week before she demonstrated how strong she is, winning the Rim Rock Classic under 14 minutes, setting a new course record.
#2) Kaelyn Balch, Bishop Carroll, SR - Balch added a fourth place finish at Rim Rock behind Cash and two runners from other states. Her time of 14:54.50 is over 15 seconds faster than her time from last year. Until she loses to another runner besides Cash she will stay at the number two spot.
#3) Morgan Wedekind, Valley Center, SR - One of a handful of runners who can say they are undefeated this season, Wedekind won the crimson division in convincing fashion. She clocked in at 15:04.10, beating the next runner by 24 seconds. She then dropped her season best time at the Newton Invitational where she ran 14:53.82.
#4) Alaina Schroeder, Manhattan, JR - Schroeder continues to hold her own against tough competition. She finished sixth at Rim Rock where she was the third KS finisher. She then won the Junction City meet in a season best time of 14:39, 12 seconds ahead of Deidra Walker.
#5) Jenna Farris, Lincoln, SR - The reigning 2A champ still is undefeated adding a victory at the Beloit Invitational. Her time of 15:16 at the meet won by over 30 seconds.
#6) Katherine Dillard, Bishop Carroll, SR - Dillard jumps four spots from her ninth place ranking earlier this season after a strong showing at Rim Rock. She finished one spot ahead of Foot Locker Finalist, Nicole Mello, finishing eighth as the fourth KS finisher.
#7) Nashia Baker, Lansing, SR - Baker fell to third in the Crimson division well behind Wedekind. However, she bounced back strong this past weekend where she ran 14:47.75 to win the Gary Gribbles Saucony Classic.
#8) Brenna McDannold, Olathe East, SR - This weeks Runner of the Week, McDannold added her second victory of the season at the Seaman Invitational. Her only lose this season comes to Nashia Baker back in early September.
#9 Deidra Walker, Maize, SO - Walker showed up big at Rim Rock, finished 10th with a time of 15:16.60. This time is almost a complete minute faster than her time from this meet last year.
#10) Mckenzie Iverson, Shawnee Mission Northwest, SR - Iverson has yet to win a race this year but she has faced some tough runners this season though. Her last race she finished second to Nashia Baker, 12 seconds behind her at the Gary Gribbles meet.
#11) Christina Wankum, Manhattan, FR - Only a freshman, Wankum finished 12th in the gold race at Rim Rock. Her time of 15:19.60 put her as the sixth KS finisher in the race. However, every race this season she has gotten better. With more and more races under her belt, keep an eye on her to climb up the rankings.
#12) Grace Morgan, Lawrence, SR - Morgan was a spot behind Wakum at Rim Rock then finished a little under 10 seconds behind McDannold at the Seaman Invitational.
#13) Alex Miller, Garden City, JR - Miller was 20th at Rim Rock in her first lose of the season. She then went to Colorado where she clocked in at 20:29 at the Cannon City Invitational, with the elevation of over 5,000 ft.
#14, Malika Baker, Lansing, SR - Malika finished right behind her twin at Rim Rock, running 15:39. From there she was third behind Nashia and Iverson at the Gary Gribbles meet.
#15) Cameron Gueldner, Olathe Northwest, FR - The second freshman on the list, Gueldner was sixth at KC Metro with a time of 19:10. Like fellow freshman Christina Wankum, Cameron has improved each race.
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)
Amber Akin, Mill Valley, FR
Hannah Holbert, Blue Valley Norhtwest, SO
Heather Ruder, Thomas-More Prep, SR
Julia Benson, Shawnee Mission West, SR
Loretta Achoki, Olathe North, JR
Top 15 Boys
1) Colton Donahue, Blue Valley, SR - A 15:30 at Rim Rock speaks for itself. Donahue placed 4th in the Gold Race (the top KS finisher) at Rim Rock two weeks ago. Last Saturday he was barely nipped at the line by Cole Rockhold of Truman (Crimson division winner at Rim Rock and MO #5) at the KC Metro Championships placing second in 15:46. Of his 3 races this year, only one (Blue Springs Invitational) was he above 16 (he ran 16:10).
2) Josh Hanna, Winfield, JR - Hanna was 8th at Rim Rock in 15:44 (the 3rd KS finisher), but outside of that, he is undefeated with wins at Buhler and Winfield. Last Friday he ran 15:55 at Winfield, 10 seconds over Jacob Wallace and 18 over Riley Osen.
3) Sam Guinn, Blue Valley Northwest, JR - After 2 early season wins at Olathe East and Shawnee Heights, Guinn was 10th at Rim Rock in 15:49 (5th KS finisher). He moves ahead of other runners for his performance at KC Metro where he finished 3rd in 15:51, just 5 seconds back from #1 Donahue.
4) Angel Vasquez, DeSoto, SR - Vasquez, our early season #1, was 2 seconds ahead of Guinn at Rim Rock, but Guinn got the better of him at KC Metro where he was 14 seconds back of the BVNW junior.
5) Stuart McNutt, Blue Valley West, SO - McNutt, just a sophomore, had the second fastest Kansas time at Rim Rock where he ran 15:43 for 7th place in the Gold Race. Last Saturday at KC Metro he ran 16:15, but finished behind Donahue, Guinn and Vasquez. Remember the name though as McNutt is already one of the best in the state and still has 2.5 years.
6) Cory Donley, Sacred Heart, SR - Donley has 4 first place finishes and one second place finish this year. His only loss was to Truman's (MO) Cole Rockhold in the Crimson Race at Rim Rock. His time of 15:53 was good enough for the 5tfh fastest time on the day. Donley came back last week with a 45 second win at Beloit.
7) Gage Garcia, Bishop Carroll, SR - After a 16:01 at Rim Rock (7th fastest Kansas time), Garcia had an impressive win at Gary Gribble's Saucony XC Classic where he ran 15:53, 23 seconds over Ethan Hartzell.
8) Oscar Carmona, Dodge City, JR - Carmona was 3rd in the Crimson Race behind Rockhold and Donley at Rim Rock in 16:07(8th fastest KS time). Last Saturday he came back with a 19 second win at the Newton Invitational.
9) Ren Bean, Mulvane, SR - It was hard to rank Bean this low considering he has the fastest 5000 time in the state, but running well against tough competition matters more than time. Bean ran 16:14 at Rim Rock, and then almost a minute faster last week at Berean where he ran 15:18.
10) Ethan Hartzell, Baldwin, JR - We go back to running down the line of top finisher at Rim Rock where Hartzell ran 16:09 for the 9th fastest KS time. He was second last Saturday at Gary Gribble behind Gage Garcia.
11) Luis Murillo, DeSoto, FR - This kid just keeps running better and better. After an already solid start to his freshman season, Murillo ran 16:12 at Rim Rock for the 10th fastest KS time. He followed that up with a 16:17 8th place performance at KC Metro. Just like McNutt, remember the name. Murillo is just a freshman and already mixing it up with the state's best.
12) Tristan Eastham, Blue Valley Southwest, FR - The two freshman keep battling back and forth. Murillo was ahead of Eastham by 11 seconds at Rim Rock (in different divisions), but Eastham got the best of Murillo at KC Metro where he was 2 seconds in front of him.
13) Oscar Montoya, Ellinwood, JR - Montoya won his race at Rim Rock to keep his undefeated streak on the season going. His time of 16:15 was the third fastest Kansas time at Rim Rock even though he was in the Blue Division where he won by 12 seconds.
14) Jacob Wallace, Andale, SR - It seems that the results from Rim Rock were off. We previously noted that he ran 18:42, but we have been told that the results were wrong and he actually was second in the Blue Division in 16:27. Between a 16:27 at Rim Rock, a 3rd place finish at Wamego behind Vasquez and Bean, but ahead of Hatzell, as well as a good race last weekend at Winfield where he was just 10 seconds back of Josh Hanna, Wallace has had a great senior season. Despite the mix up with his Rim Rock time we will keep him at 14 as other runners ran a tad faster a Rim Rock.
15) Lukas Koch, Centralia, SR, - As we said earlier, so many people are worthy of being ranked in the top 15, enough so to have a 4-way tie for 15. The Class 1 Triple-Crown winner on the track (1st place in the 800, 1600, and 3200) has yet to lose this season winning Washington County, Nemaha Valley, and Centralia. At Centralia he broke 16, running 15:54.
15) Riley Osen, Winfield, FR - The three freshman ranked on this list are not only some of the best runners in Kansas, but some of the best the best freshman in the country. Out of the 350,000 results in the MileSplit database, Murillo has the 17th fastest freshman time, Osen 19th and Eastham the 21st. Osen ran an impressive 16:18 at Rim Rock and then 16:12 at Winfield to finish third behind his teammate Hanna as well as #14 Jacob Wallace.
15) Brandon Lewis, Derby, SR - Lewis can easily be a top 10 runner in the state. He was 8 seconds back from Gage Garcia earlier this year at Bishop Carroll (also 8 seconds ahead of Oscar Carmona), first in his race at Hesston and first at Turner. He finished 5th at Rim Rock in 16:20. 10 or so seconds faster at Rim Rock and Lewis easily earns himself a top 5 ranking.
15) Chris Melgares, Manhattan, JR - Melgares ran a fast 16:13 at Rim Rock. He has wins at Manhattan and Emporia and a 7th place finish at the Missouri Southern Stampede behind McNutt and his teammate James Leblow.
Honorable Mention - Nick Boyles (St. Thomas Aquinas, SR), Curtis Cline (Shawnee Mission South, SR), Kirk Bado (Shawnee Mission Northwest, SR), Clayton Henderson (Shawnee Mission Northwest, SR), Jeff Masood (Wichita Southeast, JR), James Hampton (Bishop Carroll, SR), Tristyn Villa (Wichita North, JR)