As high school fall sports season has gotten underway the 2012 cross country preseason rankings have been released by Kansas Coaches Association for cross country and some Kanzaland area teams highlight the rankings as in each Class the top seven are ranked in girls and boys teams.

Only one Kanzaland area school features both their girls and boys team in the top seven rankings of their respective class that honor belongs to the Axtell Eagles. The Axtell girls come in to start the season ranked second as a team after a third place finish last season at state. Top performer, Class 1A state champion and senior, Audery Schmitz returns to anchor a solid Eagles squad. Schmitz ran a time of 15:48.99 at state last year to capture the individual state title and she will try to repeat this season. The Axtell boys team like their counterparts are ranked to start the season, checking in at number three in the rankings. They will be lead by juniors, Shane Torrey and Tracy Schmitz who both had solid performances last year at state for the Eagles, as they the boys squad like the girls finished third as a team at state in Class 1A last season.

In Class 2A the lone representative for the Kanzaland area in the rankings are the Jefferson County North Charger boys team who rank fourth to start the season off. They, too like the Eagles of Axtell finished third at state last year as a team and will be anchored his year by Dallas Edwards who performed solid at state last season.

Class 3A, features two Big Seven schools in the rankings to start the season as the Sabetha Bluejays girls team and the Nemaha Valley Raiders boys squad are both ranked. Sabetha girls team checks in at number six in the rankings, as the come off of a sixth place team finish at state last year. While the Nemaha Valley boys start the season ranked fifth, after finishing seventh at state last year.

Kanzaland area will be in store for a great fall sports season with all the sports but cross country could be a highlight with these teams and individuals returning plus many other returners from the Kanzaland area.

Other top state performers from 2011 that return this year:

Class 1A (Boys): Lukas Koch (SR, Centralia); Adam Koch (JR, Frankfort)

Class 3A (Girls): Leah Murata (SR, Horton)

Class 4A (Boys): Dawson Colglazier (SR, Santa Fe Trail)

For full 2012 Cross Country Preseason Rankings (click here)