2014 Preseason Girl's Cross Country Rankings -- click here
2014 Preseason Boy's Cross Country Rankings -- click here

The high school sports season sets up to be another exciting one in Northeast Kansas and the sport of cross country is primed to provide the area with many great moments again as it has the past few years. Many top flight runners return after performances at State last year and some schools are expected to field quite competitive boys and girls cross country teams, along with individual performances.

Seven area teams will start the season preseason ranked in their respective classifications according to ks.milesplit.com, as they return many key pieces from last year. Class 3A has four area teams starting the season ranked in the Top five as teams as the Hiawatha Red Hawk boys and girls start the season both ranked second, while the Sabetha Bluejay boys fly into the season preseason ranked number one and the ACCHS lady Tigers start the season ranked fourth. In Class 2A, the Washington County Tiger boys start the season off ranked second in the State, while fellow TVL boys teams in Frankfort and Valley Heights start the season ranked in Class 1A, checking in at second and fourth, respectively.

In Class 1A, multiple State performers from last year return with experience. On the boys side Frankfort fresh off their second place team finish last year, loss the third place finisher at State last year but return four top 50 finishers at State last year with Noah Suther, Alex Roeder, Sheldon Parthemer and Rylen Bailey back, while Brenden Levi also competed at State last year. The Wetmore Cardinals, like Frankfort loss their best State finisher from last year but after a fourth place finish in their first cross country season as a team the Cardinals look to be quite competitive again as four State performers return this year. Aaron Achten and Jeremy Hoelscher both finished in the Top 30 at State last year, while Layne Hodge and Isiah Ballenger both competed at State, too. Valley Heights has the best 1A boys return of the area teams with Adrian Pishny returning after a tenth place finish and along with his teammates has the Mustangs ranked fourth to start to the season. 

For the girls in Class 1A, five Twin Valley League schools bring back State competitors with a top 10 finisher returning at Centralia. Sadie Jones returns after placing seventh at State as just a freshman, her teammate and fellow freshman, Madison Boeckman also returns after placing 25th at State. The Axtell Eagles finished eighth as a team last year at State in 1A and this year return three of those runners who competed on that team with Susan Peschel leading the way after finished 24th last year, while Paige Menninga and Alexis Werner both return. Doniphan West also competed as a team at State last year placing 10th and return three State performers in Kassydi Miller, MacKenzie Boos and Cara Prawl. Clifton-Clyde and Valley Heights both have one State competitor returning, also as Abby Sikes and Miranda Ohlde, both return to represent the Eagles and Mustangs, respectively.

Class 2A, last year was headlined by the boy’s competition for the area as three schools fielded teams at the State competition. Washington County leads the way for area teams coming into the year ranked second after a sixth place team finish last year. One of the top runners in the State, Dylan Hodgson returns for his senior year and will lead the Tigers, looking to take the State title this year after finishing second last year. State performers, Eric Miller, Jefferson Simmons, Kyle McGatlin, Martin Walter and Brayden Hubbard all also return for the Tigers. Both Jefferson County North and Onaga competed as teams at State last year finishing eighth and 10th, respectively and both return many State performers from last year’s squads. JCN will be led by Devon Wilson who returns after finishing 11th at State last year, while Brysen Weishaar, Ted Sharp, Tyler Nolting, Spencer Hubbard and Thomas Steichen all return. For Onaga six State runners return with Michael Eisenbarth, Jackson Glessner, Luke Marten, James Johnson, Wade Minihan and Blake Wesley. McLouth Bulldog, Ryan Bristol is the only other area competitor that returns in 2A that competed at State last year.

Unlike the boys, the girls competition in Class 2A only has seven State performers returning from the area last year. The lady Chargers of Jefferson County North bring back four of those seven runners as Carissa McAfee, Julie Schrik, Mkayla Bertels and Maggie Sharp all return. A pair of sophomore's return for the Onaga Buffalos with Maggie Revel and Alexis VanDonge, while Jackson Heights Cobra, Kaitlynn Little returns for her senior year after placing 30th last year at State.

Class 3A could perhaps be the most stacked classification for the Northeast Kansas competitors in cross country with four teams starting the season preseason ranked and a multitude of State performers returning.  After a third place finish last year as a team in State the Hiawatha lady Red Hawks enter the season ranked second and return their whole entire State team from last year. Leading the way for Hiawatha is Jordan Puvogel who placed second at State last year and won the State title two years ago, while the Red Hawks return three other top 50 finishers in Molley Kettler, Makenna Gilpin and Kailey Davis and also have Mykah Barnes, Katie Rosa and Jada Rosa back. The ACCHS lady Tigers join Hiawatha in the preseason rankings checking in at fourth, after finishing sixth at State last year. The Tigers are led by 19th place finisher last year, Madison Bissell, while Rebekah Sholz, Tiffany Gilmore, Madison Forbes, MacKenzie Forbes and Caitlynn Fuller all return. Pleasant Ridge will be another team to watch in Class 3A girl’s competition with five State performers returning this year as Hailey Worthington, Carly Simonis, Peyton Gould, Skylar Ling and Kristina Silvers are back. Marysville lady Bulldog, Bryclin Alstrom also returns and will be a runner to watch after a 16th place finish at State last year.

For the boys the Sabetha Bluejays and Hiawatha Red Hawks start the season ranked number one and two, respectively and will duke it out for the top spot in the Big Seven League with expectations of making State for both teams. Sabetha returns a pair of State performers who both finished in the Top 30, as Keegan and Corbin Cox return along with a strong team around them. For Hiawatha they are looking to build on a fourth place team finish at State last year and have five State performers returning with Brandt Houk who finished 24th last year leading the way. Jesse Quinn, Brendan Steele, Beau Oldridge and Conner Winters also return for the Red Hawks. Nemaha Central has a Top 30 finisher back this year in Colin Lierz finishing 30th last year, while the top boys individual returning this year comes from Marysville, as Joe Smith returns after a sixth place finish last year.

Class 4A saw only one area runner compete at the State level last year but she put forth a stellar performance as Atchison Lady Red, Sarah Jaloma placed fifth at State. Jaloma returns for Atchison and is one of the top runners returning in all of 4A this year and will have a good crop of runners competing with her at Atchison as they will field a full a boys and girls full cross country team for the first time in school history. Big Seven League schools in Perry Lecompton, Royal Valley, Jeff West and Holton are expected to have some competitors possibly challenege for State this year.

The cross country sets up to be one to remember for the Northeast Kansas area with a stacked crop of runners returning and looking to improve their performances from last year. The season starts for many area teams on Thursday, September 4th with their opening meet of the season.