Tonganoxie High cross country boys win dual against Lansing
Tonganoxie and Lansing split a dual Thursday in Tonganoxie, with Tonganoxie High winning the boys varsity and junior varsity races and Lansing High taking both girls races.
Lansing won the girls race, 18-40, while Tonganoxie won the boys race, 20-36.
In the junior varsity races, Lansing won the girls race, 17-39, and Tonganoxie the boys race, 24-31. Low score wins in cross country.
The THS girls looked to be in good shape, as Tonganoxie’s Emma Campbell was the apparent winner in the girls varsity race, but she was disqualified for straying from the course route early in the race.
“I think it was an innocent mistake,” THS coach John Tollefson said about Campbell’s disqualification. “She was focused on the ground right in front of her.
“It was just a mental lapse. I don’t think she was trying to gain any mental advantage trying to do it.”
Tonganoxie’s Alyssa Scott didn’t finish the race, as she had wasn’t able to complete the course because of heat-related illness.
Scott will be a possible participant at the team’s next meet, which starts at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Banner Creek Reservoir course near Holton.
Abilene, Atchison County, Hiawatha, Holton, Jackson Heights, Jefferson Count North, Maur Hill-Mount Academy, McLouth, Perry-Lecompton, Pleasant Ridge, Riverside, Royal Valley, Topeka Cornerstone and Valley Falls all will join THS at the meet.
The meet will start with seventh- and eighth-grade races before progressing to junior varsity and varsity races. The final race, boys varsity, is expected to start at 5:35 p.m.
THS also is awaiting word on the status of Emily Chambers’ knee injury, as she’s also questionable for upcoming races.
At last week’s dual against Lansing, Mia Bond was Tonganoxie’s top finisher in fourth with a time of 22 minutes, 17 seconds. Lansing’s Stacy Briggs won the meet with a time of 21:42.
Sierra Staatz placed sixth at 23:17, Nicole Zerrer eighth at 23:35, Hope Creten 10th at 24:49 and Sophie Wetta 12th at 26:18.
“I think they’re going to come around,” Tollefson said. The group of girls we have is going to work to improve and close some of the gaps and do good things.”
Competing in the girls JV race were Taylor Lynne (fifth, 27:31), Erin Williams (sixth, 27:45), Abby Frye (eighth, 28:47), Anahai Puebla (ninth, 29:36), Maureen Wetta (11th, 30:23), Mathia Slinkard (12th, 30;30), Leah Bartels (15th, 35:10) and Sam Angell (17th, 36:40).
Boys race to victory
The THS boys team took three of the top four places in its varsity race against Lansing on the way to a dual victory.
Drew Cook won the race in 18:32, with Ethan Phillips right behind at 18:37. Lansing’s Colin Dike placed third (18:52) and Tonganoxie’s Dylan Staatz fourth (19:09).
Other Tonganoxie finishers were Carter Kietzman in sixth (19:53), Calvin Morgan seventh (19:54), Chandlre Hamman ninth (20:20) and Jacob Tollefson 12th (22:02).
“I was pleased with how the boys ran,” Tollefson said. “I think our two front boys were where we expected them to be. Our 3-6 had a nice group. If we can push that group up to those top boys, I think we have a chance to do some nice things.”
In the JV race, Nick French took first with a 21:18 time, with Holden Degraff taking fourth (21:44), Josh Bosely fifth (21:44) and Jacob Wolf sixth (22:07).
Jacob Foley (eighth, 22:41), Gage Smith (14th, 24:46) and Luke Falk (16th, 25:15), were other top performers.
The boys squad also will compete at the Holton meet.