Tonganoxie High boys cross country wins Pleasant Ridge Invite at USM Saturday
Shawn F. Linenbeger/Staff
Tonganoxie High cross country teams are introduced at the beginning of the school year at the Tongie Tailgate.The Tonganoxie High boys cross country team won Saturday’s Pleasant Ridge invitational on the University of Saint Mary campus in Leavenworth.
Eli Gilmore won the individual title with a time of 16 minutes, 6.99 seconds, while Solomon Carter placed second (17:27.81) and Jett Gilmore eighth (18:23.9). Michael Bottary also placed in the Top 10, finishing 10th with a time of 18:39.93.
Kinnley Hoffines led the THS girls with a seventh-place finish and time of 21:30.02, while Taylor Liebeno placed 14th (23:45.81).
The THS boys finished just ahead of Eudora, as the Chieftains had 35 for first and the Cardinals 39 for second.
The Eudora girls won the varsity race with 15 points. THS finished third with 80. Oskaloosa was just ahead of Tonganoxie with 78.
THS coach John Tollefson said he thought the team has continued to make strides as the season hits that final leg.
“I feel like we’re running well and confidently,” Tollefson said. “And still dropping times. The boys are looking pretty good. The girls are improving.”
Eli Gilmore has been “running great” with “good strategic races” and Solomon Carter is improving his time, Tollefson said.
“Solomon Carter has been running time down and will be toward the 16s pretty soon,” Tollefson said. “All the boys are running well and dropping times.”
On the girls side, the Chieftains are heading toward the postseason without two runners who led the team: sisters Jocie and Kyleigh Thomas. The siblings recently moved to Hawaii due to a job change in the family. Kyleigh, a senior was a four-year varsity runner and two-time state qualifier. And Jocie, a sophomore, finished 10th at state last year and had just set a new school record in the 5K race at the Perry-Lecompton Invitational before moving. High school girls races increased to the same 5K distance as the boys in 2015.
“Those are going to be really tough shoes to fill,” Tollefson said.
But others are stepping up on the girls side.
“Taylor Liebano is running really well and the other girls are dropping times as well,” Tollefson said. “I’m pleased with their progress.”
THS next will compete Thursday with the Frontier League Meet at Wyandotte County Park. The girls race starts at 4:30 p.m. and the boys race at 5 p.m.
It’s then on to a Class 4A regional Oct. 22 at the Baldwin golf course.