First the purple. Baldwin, which won both the boys and girls Class 4A team titles, boasted three runners on each team and the coach of the year. McLouth, though, also sported runners on both sides ? junior Matt Scarlett and senior Courtney Edmonds.

As for the red, Tonganoxie High painted the teams with three ? Kyle Norris and Tony Aligo for the boys and Laura Korb for the girls.

THS seniors Kyle Norris and Tony Aligo were named to the seven-member boys’ squad, while senior Laura Korb again made the honorary team on the girls’ side.

Norris, Aligo and Scarlett joined Baldwin’s runners ? Zac Towns, Phil Wagner and Keith Cowart ? along with Mill Valley’s Jay Matlack. Baldwin’s Mike Spielman was named coach of the year after winning his fifth straight Class 4A boys title at the Bulldog helm. Spielman’s girls’ squad also took home the state crown in Wamego earlier this month.

For Tonganoxie, the Chieftains had their top two runners on the Journal-World team. THS finished third at the state meet, thanks in large part to Norris and Aligo. Norris, who was the only repeat all-area selection, had his best race of the season with a fifth-place finish in Class 4A at state. He finished in 16 minutes, 50 seconds after taking eighth at last year’s state meet.

Aligo, meanwhile, showed great improvement from the previous year. The senior finished 32nd in 2001, but took 10th at state this year.

Scarlett was the only boys selection not hailing from a 4A program. The McLouth product took 20th in Class 2A at state (17:49) after taking sixth in the Delaware Valley League. Scarlett was 18th at last year’s state meet.

The Journal-World’s all-area team is taken from a field of 11 area schools with members in the Kaw Valley, Delaware Valley, Huron and Frontier leagues.

As Baldwin dominated the boys’ field, so did the Bulldog girls.

Abby Hofmeier, Erica Ogle and Denise Orloff made the all-area team, along with Korb, Edmonds, Ottawa’s Lisa Morrisey and De Soto’s Andrea Young.

Both Tonganoxie and McLouth landed runners on the team who have had strong high school careers. Korb finished her fourth and final appearance at state with a 20th place finish, good for a medal with a 12:49 time. The senior also won the Gardner-Edgerton Invitational before finishing second at the KVL meet and seventh at regionals.

Edmonds didn’t end her high school career quite as she wanted, finishing 26th (13:49) at state, after coming in fifth last year. Still, she won the DVL title with a 12:49 time, her fourth all-league award. The Bulldog senior also joined the Journal-World selection all four years.

The Journal-World will announce the all-area volleyball team Sunday and the all-area football team on Dec. 1.