Editor's note: Shawnee County varsity coaches in all fall sports are encouraged to report their game/event results by email to
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By CHARLES SPURLOCK
Special to TopSports.news
The 2023 cross country season began Saturday for Seaman, Topeka High and Topeka West in the Manhattan Invitational on a warm day on the Labor Day Weekend.
Seaman's Ryin Miller opened her sophomore cross country season with a second-place individual finish in Saturday's Manhattan Invitational. [File photo/TSN]
In the boys varsity race, Seaman led the three city schools with three top-20 finishers on the way to a fourth-place team finish.
Sophomore Brody Anderson finished fifth in a time of 17 minutes, 06.7 seconds, sophomore Jack Walker finished ninth in a time of 17:27.1 and senior Jack Pekarek finished 20th in a time of 18:09.5
Topeka West had two runners finish in the top 20, with Elijah Phelps 17th in 17:57.6 and Adrian Lehman 19th in 18:06.3
Topeka High’s top finisher was Levi McGee, who finished in 38th place (19:25.6).
In the girls varsity race, Seaman led the three local schools with three top-20 finishers while finishing fourth as a team.
Sophomore Ryin Miller finished second individually with a time of 19:29.1; while Stella Applehanz finished eighth in 21:15.2 and freshman Brynn Spencer 16th in 21:51.1.
Topeka West sophomore Payton Rice finished seventh in a time of 21:15.1.
Topeka High’s Juliahnna Savage finished 29th with a time of 22:58.7.
Seaman, Topeka High and Topeka West will all compete in next Saturday's Joe Schrag Topeka West Invitational at Kanza Park, north of Hummer Sports Park.
MANHATTAN INVITATIONAL
At Warner Park
BOYS VARSITY
Team scores
Manhattan 36, Junction City 72, Wamego 80, Seaman 93; Lawrence 112, Olathe Northwest 138, Topeka West 143, Topeka High 205.
City varsity results
Seaman -- 5. Brody Anderson, 17:06.7; 9. Jack Walker, 17:27.1; 18. Jack Pekarek, 19:28.6; 28. Anthony Del Zio, 18:34.3; 45. Drake Spurlock, 19:45.5; 47. Corbin Morrow, 19:49.5; 53. Joe Yorkey, 20:04.8.
Topeka West -- 17. Elijah Phelps, 17:57.6; 19. Adrian Lehman, 18:06.4; 39. Mark Wilkie, 19:28.6; 41. Tony Lloyd, 19:33.6; 48. 48. Jayden Sigle, 19:52.3; 59. Ezra Phelps, 20:29.5; 60. Mazwell Cook, 21:04.7.
Topeka High -- 38. Levi McGee, 19:25.6; 43. Stuart Campbell, 19:44.9; 46. Will Toland, 19:46.7; 54. Rigoberto Solis Carlos, 20:04.9; 56. Caleb Brown, 20:13.9; 61. Tayleon Fores, 23.24.6; 62. Nick Davis, 25:59.9.
GIRLS VARSITY
Team scores
Manhattan 61; Junction City 74; Emporia 77; Seaman 88; Olathe Northwest 100; Wamego 120; Lawrence High 146
City varsity results
Seaman -- 2. Ryin Miller, 19:29.1; 8. Stella Appelhanz, 21:15.2; 16. Brynn Spencer, 21:51.1; 26. Savannah Sampson, 22:49.7; 44. Elinore Stallbaumer, 25:04.2.
Topeka West -- 7. Payton Rice, 21:15.1.
Topeka High -- 29. Juliahnna Savage, 22:58.7.
Esquibel opens senior season with Bobcat Invitational title
Shawnee Heights star Jackson Esquibel, a Class 5A state champion in track and a multi-time state medalist in cross country, opened his senior season with the individual championship in last Thursday's Bobcat Invitational at Wyandotte County Park.
Shawnee Heights star Jackson Esquibel garnered the individual title in the Bobcat Invitational to open his senior cross country season. [File photo/TSN]
Esquibel clocked a winning five-kilometer time of 16:06.1 while Shawnee Heights also got a 14th-place finish from Evan Carter (17:56.2).
Elizabeth Hogan paced the Shawnee Heights girls with a 23rd-place finish (23:51.6).
Runnerup Amis leads Hayden boys to team title
Senior Aiden Amis finished second individually to pace five Hayden runners in the top 20 as the Wildcat boys won Thursday's Mission Valley Invitational by a 45-73 margin over St. Mary;s Academy.
Amis clocked a five-kilometer team os 17:39.60 while senior Zach Moore finished seventh (19:17.51), sophomore Connor Baldwin was ninth (19:39.17), junior Palmer Heskett placed 11th (19:46.60) and junior Jonah Stewart 19th (20:47.31).
Rossville's boys placed sixth as a team, with senior Mason Broce placing 10th (19:44.06) and sophomore Dalton Verschelden taking 17th (20:40.09).
Hayden's girls finished second to Oskaloosa by a 26-29 margin, led by fourth-place freshman Sofia Harper (23:24.22) and fifth-place junior Elliot Wrench (23:23.48).
Senior Elaina Wolff placed seventh (23:56.22) while sophomore Kellyn Specht finished 15th (25:34.66) and junior Ryann Newkirk 18th (26:09.27).
Rossville got a 16th finish from Kinsley Kufahl (25:36.22) and an 18th place showing from Keera Lacock (28:03.63).
Fink paces Junior Blues in Greg Wilson Classic
Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink posted a fourth-place finish in the girls division, leading the Junior Blues' performance in the Greg Wilson Classic Saturday at Shawnee Mission Park.
Reigning city cross country champion Payton Fink finished fourth for Washburn Rural in Saturday's Greg Wilson Invitational at Shawnee Mission Park. [File photo/TSN]
Fink posted a time of 18:47.90 while sophomore teammate Emily Graf finished 12th in 19:24.80 and junior Rylee Ismert was 21st in 19:55.30.
Washburn Rural finished fourth as a team in the girls division.
Sophomore Higgins Hawks led the Rural boys with a 27th-place finish in 17:04.00 as the Junior Blues finished sixth as a team.
Coffman, Gerbers post top-10 finishes in Silver Lake Invitational
Junior Aemon Coffman posted a sixth-place finish in the boys race and junior Tessa Gerber and freshman Alessandra Gerber went seven-eight in the girls race to lead the way for the host Eagles in the Silver Lake Inviational Saturday.
Coffman, a junior, clocked a time of 18:48.66 to lead Silver Lake's boys while senior Eli Ferguson finished 11th (19:11.70), junior Caleb Rooks 17th (20:19.71), freshman Hunter Rooks 20th (20:32.73) and junior Jaded Johnson 21st (20:35.14).
Tessa Gerber posted a time of 23:00.47 and Alessandra Gerber a 23:08.37 while Eagle sophomore Kylie Podlena added a 16th-place finish (24:51.09).
Both Silver Lake teams finished fourth in the team standings.
