By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural cross country coach Matt Swedlund knows that there are multiple teams capable of challenging for the Class 6A boys state team championship Saturday at Rim Rock Farm, north of Lawrence.
Veteran senior Brooks Kehoe, the Centennial League champion, will lead top-ranked Washburn Rural into Saturday's Class 6A state cross country meet at Rim Rock Farm. [File photo/TSN]
But Rural, top-ranked in the 6A coaches rankings, is one of those teams, and Swedlund is excited to see what Saturday holds for his young Junior Blues, who have five sophomores in their state lineup.
"Basically the top five in the rankings are all just points from each other,'' Swedlund said. "There are several teams that have an opportunity (to win the team crown), so you've got to take it.
"We're not taking anything for granted and if you want to end up on the podium (top three teams) you're going to have to run well. We've been fortunate to have some good teams that were in the conversation and when you put yourself in the conversation there is no reason not to make your goal the absolute top. You want to be the best, you want to win, so that's what you shoot for.''
Washburn Rural tied Manhattan for last Saturday's regional title at Wichita's Clapp Park, with the Indians taking the team crown on a tiebreaker (highest finishing sixth runner).
Sophomores Duke Graf, Clayton Fink and Henry Laubach finished second, seventh and 12th to lead the Junior Blues while senior Centennial League champion Brooks Kehoe finished 19th and sophomore Jaxson Adams 22nd to round out Rural's top five and senior Wyatt Shorb and sophomore Brady Meek finished 28th and 29th.
Rural finished sixth as a team in last year's state meet, with Laubach finishing 14th to earn a state medal.
Senior Emily Graf, a two-time 6A state medalist, will lead the young Junior Blues into Saturday's state meet at Rim Rock Farm. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural suffered heavy graduation losses off its girls team that finished second in, losing out to Olathe West on a tiebreaker, in last year's state meet, but the Junior Blues, ranked fifth in 6A, earned a trip to state with a strong runnerup regional finish to Centennial champ Manhattan.
Seniors Emily Graf and Kenzie Maddox and sophomore Reese Beardslee return from last year's runnerup Rural team and will be joined on Saturday by freshmen Alyson Hinck, Morgan Munson, Clara Dillon and Lilly Palmer.
Graf led Rural with a fifth-place finish at regionals while Hinck was eighth, Munson ninth, Maddox 16th, Beardslee 17th, Dillon 21st and Palmer 36th.
"You've got some young girls, so you just want them to get out there and run the best that they can and see where you land,'' Swedlund said.
Graf will be shooting for her third 6A state medal, finishing 14th a year ago after a 19th-place showing as a sophomore.
Topeka High sophomore Easton Davis posted a 14th-place regional finish to qualify as an individual for the 6A boys race.
The 6A girls race is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is slated for 12:20 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Three city standouts qualified as individuals for Saturday's Class 5A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, led by Seaman senior Brody Anderson, a returning state medalist.
Seaman senior Brody Anderson is back at state for his third straight season after finishing second in last week's Class 5A regional at Wichita. [File photo/TSN]
Anderson, a 5A state medalist last season with a ninth-place finish, was the runnerup in last Saturday's regional at Wichita while Shawnee Heights senior Max Esquibel qualified with a 14th-place regional finish at Lawrence.
Seaman junior Brynn Spencer, a returning state medalist, posted a sixth-place individual finish at regionals. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman junior Brynn Spencer will be the lone local runner in the 5A girls race, qualifying as an individual with a sixth-place regional finish in Wichita.
Spencer finished 18th at state as a sophomore.
The 5A boys race is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Saturday while the girls will run in the final race of the day at 12:55 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Hayden's boys and girls combined for three individual qualifying berths for Saturday's Class 4A state meet at Wamego Country Club.
Sophomore Nick Newkirk and senior Connor Baldwin finished 14th and 15th in the Leonardville 4A regional to earn boys state berths while Hayden junior girls standout Sofia Harper qualified with a 12th-place regional finish.
The 4A girls race is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. Saturday while the boys race is set for a 12:20 p.m. start.
CLASS 3A
Silver Lake's boys earned a team berth for Saturday's Class 3A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, while junior Alessandra Gerber qualified as an individual for the girls race.
Silver Lake earned the final team berth in the 3A regional at Leonardville with a third-place finish, just three points out of second and 16 out of first.
Junior Hunter Rooks led Silver Lake with an eighth-place regional finish while sophomore Carson Kraus finished 20th, senior Brayden Just 27th, sophomore Miles Burgess 28th, junior Lane Ray 29th, senior Joel Heier 38th and senior Zachariah Rodenbaugh 66th.
Gerber earned a return trip to state with a sixth-place individual finish at regionals.
The 3A boys race is the first race of the day at 10 a.m. Saturday while the 3A girls will run at 11:45 a.m.
CLASS 2A
Rossville junior Madelyn Wonnell earned a return trip to the Class 2A meet at Wamego Country Club with a 14th-place individual finish in the Marion regional.
The 2A girls race is Saturday's final race of the day at 12:55 p.m.
SHAWNEE COUNTY STATE QUALIFIERS
Class 6A
Washburn Rural -- Girls: Reese Beardslee, so.; Clara Dillon, fr.; Emily Graf, sr.; Alyson Fink, fr.; Kenzie Maddox, sr.; Morgan Munson, fr.; Lily Palmer, fr. Boys: Jaxson Adams, so.; Clayton Fink, so.; Duke Graf, so.; Brooks Kehoe, sr.; Henry Laubach, so; Brady Meek, so.; Wyatt Shorb, sr.
Topeka High -- Boys: Easton Davis, so.
Class 5A
Seaman -- Girls: Brynn Spencer, jr. Boys: Brody Anderson, sr.
Shawnee Heights -- Boys: Max Esquibel, sr.
Class 4A
Hayden -- Girls: Sofia Harper, jr. Boys: Connor Baldwin, sr.; Nick Newkirk, so.
Class 3A
Silver Lake -- Girls: Alessandra Gerber, jr. Boys: Miles Burgess, so.; Joel Heier, sr.; Brayden Just, sr.; Carson Kraus, so.; Lane Ray, jr.; Zachariah Rodenbaugh, sr.; Hunter Rooks, jr.
Class 2A
Rossville -- Girls: Madelyn Wonnell, jr.
SATURDAY'S STATE CROSS COUNTRY TIME SCHEDULE
Classes 3A, 5A, 6A at Rim Rock Farm
10:00 a.m. – 3A Boys
10:35 a.m. – 6A Girls
11:10 a.m. – 5A Boys
11:45 a.m. – 3A Girls
12:20 p.m. – 6A Boys
12:55 p.m. – 5A Girls
Classes 1A, 2A, 4A at Wamego Country Club
10:00 a.m. – 1A Boys
10:35 a.m. – 4A Girls
11:10 a.m. – 2A Boys
11:45 a.m. – 1A Girls
12:20 p.m. – 4A Boys
12:55 p.m. – 2A Girls
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