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THS boys win cross country invitational

By Benton Smith - | Sep 20, 2011

Benton Smith

The Tonganoxie High boys cross country team takes the medal stand Tuesday following its first-place finish at the Tonganoxie Invitational. Pictured are, from left, Clayton Himpel, Dalton Harrington, Patrick Rachford, Caleb Himpel, Jeff Neal, Asher Huseman and Brady Field.

Nobody knows the Tonganoxie High cross country course better than the Chieftains. And nobody ran it better than the THS boys Tuesday.

With a 16:25 finish on the 5K course, senior Patrick Rachford set a new personal record and took first place, leading the home squad to a team title at the Tonganoxie Invitational.

Medals were handed out to the top 30 runners in the 62-competitor field and Rachford was joined on the medal stand by five of his teammates after Dalton Harrington (ninth), Jeff Neal (18th), Caleb Himpel (20th), Asher Huseman (23rd) and Clayton Himpel (27th) finished with top-30 times.

The Tonganoxie girls had a solid showing at the home meet, too, finishing third — behind champion Topeka-Hayden and runner-up Santa Fe Trail.

Hunter Cook was the top Chieftains finisher, taking 22nd place with a time of 17:10. But THS had two more medalists in the 4K race. Emma Stilgenbauer finished 28th, just one second ahead of the 29th runner, Tonganoxie’s Tressa Walker.

Benton Smith

Tonganoxie High's Taylar Morgan, right, leads a pack of runners that includes Tressa Walker and Amanda Shepley Tuesday at the Tonganoxie Invitational, where the Chieftains finished third.

Chieftains Amanda Shepley (32nd) and Halston Field (33rd) were just a few seconds off a medal pace.

On Saturday Tonganoxie will run at Rim Rock Farm, in Lawrence.

Tonganoxie Invitational

Tuesday at Tonganoxie Middle School

Girls 4K

Team points: 1. Topeka-Hayden, 44; 2. Santa Fe Trail, 98; 3. Tonganoxie, 115; 4. Anderson County, 115; 5. Spring Hill, 123; 6. Pleasant Ridge, 127; 7. Bishop Ward, 144; 8. Kansas City Christian, 151.

Benton Smith

The Chieftains' Jeff Neal glances at the runners ahead of him as he rounds a turn Tuesday at the Tonganoxie Invitational. With a 18th-place finish, Neal was one of six THS boys to medal as Tonganoxie won the team title.

Top 5: 1. Carrie Finson, Jeff West, 15:35; 2. Amanda Moody, Anderson County, 15:39; 3. Rachel Hattok, Pleasant Ridge, 15:47; 4. Frankie Oropeza, Bishop Ward, 15:51; 5. Mary Kate Franklin, Topeka-Hayden, 15:52.

THS results: 22. Hunter Cook, 17:10; 28. Emma Stilgenbauer, 17:33; 29. Tressa Walker, 17:34; 32. Amanda Shepley, 17:43; 33. Halston Field, 17:44; 42. Taylar Morgan, 18:11; 47. Alissa Donnelly, 18:26.

Boys 5K

Team points: 1. Tonganoxie, 60; 2. Santa Fe Trail, 79; 3. Anderson County, 104; 4. Kansas City Christian, 105; 5. Topeka-Hayden, 131; 6. Spring Hill, 133; 7. Pleasant Ridge, 148; 8. Jefferson County West, 156; 9. Perry-Lecompton, 205.

Top 5: 1. Patrick Rachford, Tonganoxie, 16:25; 2. Philip Hudson, Wamego, 16:29; 3. Tony Weber, Pleasant Ridge, 16:32; 4. Dawson Colglazier, Santa Fe Trail, 16:46; 5. Eli Alholm, Kansas City Christian, 16:53.

THS results: 1. Patrick Rachford, 16:25; 9. Dalton Harrington, 17:26; 18. Jeff Neal, 18:00; 20. Caleb Himpel, 18:06; 23. Asher Huseman, 18:20; 27. Clayton Himpel, 18:33; 39. Brady Field, 19:22.