Class 5A Cross Country Review

Class 5A was one of the strongest classes on both sides this year in terms of depth. A great mix of seniors and underclassmen made is a fun year. My predictions this year were either spot on or nowhere near. There was no middle ground this season. In the introduction for each class I will put the percent of places I got exactly correct and the percent of runners and teams I got right, but ended up in a different order.

Other Reviews
Class 6A

Class 5A Predictions Review
Percent of predictions spot on: 37.5% (6 of 16)
Percent correct but in different order: 87.5% (14 of 16)

This was a really good class in the predictions ring for me. I correctly picked the individual and team champions on the boys’ side, but missed the girls’ side on both fronts. I got the top five in the boys’ side right but had second and third flipped from my predictions.

Notes from State
-The anticipated duel between Mackenzie Maki of Kapaun and Kaelyn Balch of Carroll never materialized as expected. Maki continued to improve all season long and cruised to a 28-second victory over the freshman Balch as she ran a 15:01. That was the same time as Avery Clifton won the 6A race in. It would have been interesting to see these ladies battle it out along with 4A’s Morgan Wedekind.

-Adam Porter just wins. Period. He has now not lost a race of any kind to a 5A opponent in a year. The only Kansas runner who beat him this season head-to-head was Roy Wedge of Lawrence. Now it is time for him to get in shape for his true strength, track.

-Cameron Sprague of Hutchinson beat out Hays’ Josh Munsch for second. Those three were a fun trio to watch these last couple of years. The last time we may get a chance to see all three in the same race again would be the state mile in the Spring. I am hoping for it.

-Pittsburg’s Page Miller (formerly an all-stater for Valley Center) really stepped up at the state meet. I doubted her, but people told me she would be there and sure enough she was. I thought she was cooked after getting beaten by seven, yes SEVEN, St. Thomas Aquinas runners at the regional meet. Only one of those runners beat her at the state meet.

-Track season is going to be a lot of fun on the boys side in the distance races. Porter is the best in any one race in 5A, but when he chases after three more golds it brings him back to the pack slightly. Josh Munsch, Javier Segura of Topeka West and David Thor of Carroll will all provide a lot of competition in the 800 and 1600. Sprague works hard just like Porter and don’t sleep on him to surprise in the 3200. If Porter was not running that race fresh, then I would pick that event for Sprague to pull the upset.

Looking ahead:
Girls
-Graduation will take 33 of the 102 runners from Class 5A. Maki and Balch will be back to do battle, but five of the top seven at state were seniors.

-Graduation absolutely decimates the top two programs in St. Thomas Aquinas and Bishop Carroll. Aquinas only returns three, while Carroll returns just two. Carroll’s two are a solid two in Balch and Christian McCaulley, who was 15^th at state.

-Great Bend and Hutchinson are the top two returning teams on paper as both schools return six of their top seven and all of their top five. Hutchinson has the better pack returning, but Great Bend has the better front runner in Rubi Torres. I will never doubt Aquinas’ and Carroll’s ability to reload though. Carroll is very deep if you had a chance to see the City League JV race this year.

Boys
-A lot of the upper crust from this year will be graduating this spring including four of the top five and seven of the top ten. All totaled 42 of the 103 runners that crossed the finish line will be crossing the stage at graduation next spring.

-David Thor of Bishop Carroll is your top returner with Hutchinson’s Chris Wise, Hays’ Seth Tophoj and Thor’s teammate James Hampton the next three highest finishers returning.

-Barring injury, a runner quitting or a bumper crop of freshman for some other team, Carroll will defend its title next year. It only loses one senior in Cliff Kissling. Even if you pretend Kissling does not run this year, Carroll still wins the title by 27 points over McPherson.

-None of the teams behind McPherson bring back particularly strong teams. Second place McPherson loses its top two in champion Porter and top 15 finisher Morgan Peterson plus its six. Hutchinson loses its one and five and is probably the strongest on paper returning. Aquinas is once again decimated by graduation; losing five of its top seven. Only seven of the 12 teams even return five runners.

Who do you think will be good next year? What programs have some JV runners or runners who were injured that could make noise next year? Leave a comment or contact me at cparker@kwch.com.