Shawnee Mission North girls, Olathe North boys win 6A titles

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Freshman Riley Beach of Blue Valley Northwest outkicked Manhattan junior Clara Mayfield to win the Kansas Class 6A girls cross country championship at Rim Rock Farm. Beach ran 18 minutes, 25.7 seconds.

The Shawnee Mission North girls did a great job putting bodies in front of Blue Valley North and won a close competition for the team championship, 76-79.

Gardner Edgerton's Trent Cochran won the 6A boys race in 15:50, improving on a second-place finish in 2016. Olathe North went 2-3 and beat Manhattan 45-57 for the team title.

Ethan Marshall used a late surge to overtake Great Bend's Kerby Depenbusch to finish in 15:38.1 to win the Class 5A boys race and help St. Thomas Aquinas wins its fourth consecutive team championship by a 61-72 margin over Mill Valley. Olivia Sovereign of St. Thomas Aquinas won the 5A girls race in 18:36.5. St. James Academy went 2-3-4 on the way to a 40-45 victory over Mill Valley for the team title.

At Wamego Country Club, the Circle boys edged Andover Central 54-59 to win the Class 4A boys team title. Senior Lakelin Conrad of Wichita Collegiate won the race in 16:19.5.

Freshman Taylor Briggs of Chapman ran 18:46.4 to win the 4A girls race. Baldwin put three in the top 16 to win the team title.

Beloit sophomore twins Hannah Burks and Hayley Burks went 1-2 in the Class 3A girls final, but Hiawatha edged Scott City 67-76 to win the team title. Hannah Burks ran 19:10.3.

Halstead edged Central Heights 102-104 in very tight boys 3A matchup. Jack Thomas of Scott City ran 16:04.9 for the win. 

The Bennington girls put four in the top seven to win the Class 2A title. Senior Halle Johnson led the way with her victory in 19:14.1. Hadley Splechter of Yates Center won the boys race in 16:05.1 and led his team to the victory.

In Class 1A, David Lutgen of St. John's was a 40-second winner in the boys race and led his team to the championship. Autumn Princ of Sylvan-Lucas Unified ran 18:37.1 and won by 93 seconds. Her time was the fastest among classes 4A, 2A and 1A.

RESULTS - Class 6A | Class 5A | Class 4A | Class 3A | Class 2A | Class 1A

Team Champions

Class 6A Boys (Rim Rock) - Olathe North 45 points 

Class 6A Girls (Rim Rock)- Shawnee Mission North 76 points 

Class 5A Boys (Rim Rock)- St. Thomas Aquinas 61 points

Class 5A Girls (Rim Rock) - St. James Academy 40 points 

Class 4A Boys (Wamego) - Circle 54 points

Class 4A Girls (Wamego) - Baldwin 61 points

Class 3A Boys (Rim Rock) - Halstead 102 points

Class 3A Girls (Rim Rock) - Hiawatha 67 points

Class 2A Boys (Wamego) - Yates Center 61 points

Class 2A Girls (Wamego) - Bennington 24 points

Class 1A Boys (Wamego) - St.  John's 34 points

Class 1A Girls (Wamego) - Ingalls 54 points