Cross country meet to bring more than 20 area squads to hilly Tonganoxie course
Herds of runners will make their way along the Tonganoxie High cross country course Thursday. With 21 schools represented at the annual Tonganoxie Invitational, there likely will be some salty competition.
In the boys race, four of the top 12 state teams in Class 4A last season will compete Thursday. Tonganoxie (3), Anderson County (4), Mill Valley (8) and Jeff West (11) all will be at the meet.
McLouth, which last year didn’t have a strong team showing at state, took fourth Sept. 13 at the Wamego Invitational in the 3-2-1A division. Senior Matt Scarlett led the Bulldogs with a fifth-place finish there.
Thursday’s favorite in the boys race is Anderson County’s David Cox. The senior took second at last year’s state meet
On the girls’ side, Kaw Valley League teams De Soto took 11th at state last season, while Mill Valley placed 12th.
McLouth returns much of last year’s team that placed ninth in Class 2A last season in Wamego as well.
THS coach Phil Williams said the field will be loaded this week.
“We want to do well, particularly at the Tongie Invitational,” Williams said. “Anderson County, De Soto and Mill Valley are tough. It will be a tough meet.”
Both Tonganoxie teams are coming off second-place finishes Monday at the McLouth Invitational.
Thursday’s meet will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday with the junior varsity girls race. At 4:30 p.m., the junior varsity boys will compete.
In varsity competition, the girls will run at 5 p.m. and the boys at 5:30 p.m.