But lots of cross country! That's right, the season has begun again!!!
I'm not sure where to start... this week featured one of the great speedways of Kansas cross country, the Hesston Invitational, and this weekend was huge with the Wamego Invitational, Wichita Wild Wind Cross Country Festival, and the Emporia Invitational. All of these meets showcase teams that I think will make a big impact this year. I'll begin with the little guys.
2A
Ellinwood boys and girls looked very strong, although that Hesston course is very, very fast.
3A
Douglass girls looked strong yet again this year. Norton looked solid as well, competition-wise, but given the time performances, I don't think they will have a shot of matching up with the Bulldogs. I'll need to look at it a bit more this year, but I think Douglass rolls to a repeat.
Wichita Independent boys looked decent... 3A isn't usually very strong in boys XC, so it isn't easy to determine, especially this early in the season, just how good they are.
4A
Here's where I have my heyday. This is my area of expertise! Let's cut to the chase and talk State favorites. You've got to say Wamego is the favorite to repeat on the boys' side. They looked phenomenal at their home meet. They put six runners under 18 minutes, which is awesome for that course at this point in the season. While Jordan Routh is a worthy number one, he isn't of the same caliber as the number one of men many teams that have won state titles over the years. That makes the team Rick Patton has put together that much more impressive.
But, the question arises... who is the next best team in 4A? Well, based on the Wamego Invitational... it's a toss-up. Mulvane appears to have risen back into redemption form after not qualifying for State last year. Ren Bean contributed a time that would have won most years, but the 16:04 that individual favorite Angel Vasquez put down sets Mr. Bean in the runner-up position. DeSoto looks stronger than they have in a couple of years, and the stud effect will certainly help them. Hugoton, Baldwin, and Andale all three look very strong, but they lack depth, meaning no number five. This places them on a different tier than the other teams that I've mentioned.
On the female side of things... the enrollment figures will play as much of a roll in deciding the State champion as the actual performance. Maize South has to be the favorite this year, but the catch is that they were one of the largest 4A schools, and have a good chance to make 5A this year. That would make 5A a madhouse, of course, but we'll get to that later. Should the Mavericks join the 5A ranks, I think Baldwin becomes your favorite. Later in the season, Topeka Hayden and St. James Academy could make a case as well, but right now, they aren't deep. The Wildcats will hopefully not suffer the same epic choke that they endured at last year's Regional meet, and St. James tends to pull something out of their proverbial hat from time to time. So, we'll see what happens as more runners get into shape. Honestly, right there with these two teams is surprise team of the year, Wichita Trinity. The only issue with the Knights is that if there is a single injury or illness, they are done for. They only go 5 deep. Paola also looks like they could make the battle for top 3 very interesting, based on the way they raced Hayden in Week 1.
5A
Bishop Carroll looks good again, what else is new, but I don't think their ladies win this year. Saint Thomas Aquinas looks like your definite favorites on the women's side of things. The Golden Eagle men, on the other hand, probably will be repeat champions. Valley Center looks especially strong on the girls' side this season as well. Look for them to compete well down the stretch. Also, the amount of returning individual female medalists is noteworthy... 10 from the Wichita area alone.
6A
Wichita North boys looked better this week, but still don't impress me much. There is a lot of local media hype surrounding them, and they call themselves the "Fab Four..." that's all the deeper they go, in my opinion. Four good runners. That doesn't do much in 6A.
Manhattan girls looked strong at the Emporia Invitational, as did Maize. They both look to place highly at State this year. In fact, both boys' teams look very good as well.
Alli Cash's performance at the Greg Wilson Classic is also noteworthy... 13:46... that is a phenomenal performance, and I don't think the question is if she will win State, but rather how fast she will go in doing so.
All in all, that's my blog for the week. On my way out, I want to leave you with this lovely image.
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