Jayhawk boys team headed to state; individual Jayhawk and Prairie View girls also advance

Jayhawk runner Adeline Randall plows through a flooded dip in the course at the Class 3A Regional Cross Country meet on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Neodesha. Rain and cold weather led to performance times much slower than usual. (Live feed / Jayhawk USD 346)

By Roger Sims

rsims@linncountyjournal.com

NEODESHA – The Jayhawk boys cross country team is Rim Rock-bound after placing third in the Class 3A regional meet at Neodesha on Saturday. Rim Rock is the University of Kansas home course north of Lawrence and is the home of this year’s 3A state championship meet.

Also moving on to state is Jayhawk sophomore Lily Meyer and Prairie View runners Demi Isenhower and Laramie Stevens.

Conditions at the regional meet could have been worse, but not by much. Rain that began on Friday returned on Saturday morning and coupled with temperatures in the mid-50s made for a cold, wet race with sloppy footing. Runners were forced to run through areas on the course that were flooded more than ankle deep.

Conditions were so bad that times of runners were a minute or more off the usual top performances.

Celebrating their third place team win despite the wet and cold conditions, the Jayhawk boys will be headed to Rim Rock on Nov. 1. Team members include, from left, Landon Higgins, Martin Shillito, Kollyn Malinowski, Jayden Mayhugh, Daniel Brake, Louis Shillito, and (not pictured) James Spitzenberger. (Live feed / Jayhawk USD 346)

While the boys from Mound City had no runners in the top 15 runners, the Jayhawks crossed the finish line almost as a group with freshman Martin Shillito coming in 17th with a time of 19:54, sophomore Daniel Brake 18th at 19:59, junior Louis Shillito at 20:01 for 21st place, and junior Kollyn Malinowski 22nd at 20:01. Rounding out the team’s score was Landon Higgins at 29th, Jayden Mayhugh at 38th, and James Spitzenberger at 79th.

The combined finishes in the upper teens and lower 20s gave the boys team the third best score and a ticket to Rim Rock.

Sophomore Breckyn Malin was the top boys runner for Prairie View, finishing 30th. Freshman Liam Newman was 58th, Ethan Teagarden was 68th, and Ayden Green was 77th..

Jayhawk Lily Meyer powers through the soggy trail and cold rain to take seventh place. (Live feed / Jayhawk USD 346)

Meyer was seventh and was the lone girl from the Jayhawks to advance to the state meet with a time of 22:56. Senior Adeline Randall finished her high school cross country career in 22nd place, followed by Allie Thomas in 25th, Gabby Brake in 27th, and Haelie Wallace in 29th.

The Jayhawk team score put them in fourth place and out of contention for a team trip to state. The Jayhawk girls were just ahead of the Prairie View girls who scored in fifth place as a team.

Prairie View medalists Laramie Stevens and Demi Isenhower show the hardware they earned in a meet they will likely never forget. (Prairie View Buffalos / Facebook)

Prairie View will send their top two girls to the state meet. Freshman Isenhower placed ninth with a time of 23:20 followed by Stevens, a junior, in 14th with a time of 23:45. Lilly Petric came in at 28th, senior Ella Steinle was 38th, and Marley Johnson and Timberlyn Browning were 42nd and 43rd respectively.