Fall sports season are coming to a close and the cross country season wrapped up this weekend with the state competitions. Over 30 Kanzaland area runners competed at state in their respective classifications with Class 3A competing at Rim Rock in Lawrence with 5A & 6A, while Classes 4A, 2A and 1A all competed in Wamego.

While, there were plenty of great performances with multiple Kanzaland area runners finishing in the top 20 at state it was three individuals that highlighted the day as the Kanzaland area saw three state titles brought home in cross country races.

It was a sweep in Class 1A for the Kanzaland area as senior, Centralia Panther, Lukas Koch raced his way to a state title with a time of 16:16.00. Koch was 24 seconds better than the second place finisher on the day and finishes his cross country season as state champion and having won every race he competed in on this season, even breaking a school and course record at his home invitational this year.

On the girls side of Class 1A it was the two-time defending state cross country champ, Audrey Schmitz from Axtell racing her way to her third straight state title. Senior, Axtell Eagle raced to a blistering time of 15:49.10, 15 seconds better than the second place finisher on the day. Schmitz, enjoyed another successful cross country with a multitude of top five and three finishes and capped it off with her third state title.

The other state title from the area came at the hands of a young pup in Hiawatha Redhawk sophomore, Jordan Puvogel. Puvogel has won every race she competed in this season had she made sure the state race wasn't any different racing to a time of 15:30.60 and a first place finish to be crowned Class 3A girls state champ.

While, Koch, Schmitz and Puvogel's performances highlighted the day with their impressive first place finishes, being crowned state champs, there was other top performers from the Kanzaland area in each class with top 20 finishers.

Class 4A, featured a few area runners but none were able to register a top 20 finish.

In Class 3A on the girls side, three of the top girl racers in Northeast Kansas outside of Puvogel all tabbed top 20 finishes. Finishing in fourteenth place was the Delaware Valley League champ, Horton Charger senior, Leah Murata who raced to a time of 16:25.50. Finishing fifteenth and nineteenth, respectively was two more young cross country stars were sure to hear from for the next few years with Puvogel, freshman Madison Bissell from ACCHS and Taryn Schuette from Sabetha tallied those marks. Bissell ran a time of 16:31.30 to finish right behind Murata, while Schuette registered a time of 16:41.30.

On the boys side in Class 3A, there were three top 20 finishers from the area, as Tony Weber the senior from Pleasant Ridge lead the way finishing eighth with a time of 16:51.60. Sabetha Bluejay, senior, Trenton Cox ended his cross country high school career with a fourteenth place, running to a time of 17:29.20. Nemaha Valley's, Colin Lierz registered the other top 20 finish, as the sophomore ran to a time of 17:38.10 good for twentieth place.

For Class 2A, no girls from the area were able to register top 20 finishes but two boys did, both finishing in the top 10 of the action. Dylan Hodgson only a sophomore for the Washington County Tigers paced his way to a sixth place on the day (17:08.60), while Jefferson County North Charger senior, Dallas Edwards rounded out the top 10 with a tenth place performance (17:18.50).

Joining Koch and Schmitz in Class 1A with a top 20 finish was a four more area athletes. Only one other Kanzaland area girl finished in the top 20, as Clifton-Clyde freshman, Abby Sikes took home twentieth place (17:23.00). While Audrey Schmitz was the only Axtell Eagle to finish in the top 20 individually the Eagles as a team registered a second place finish at state. Tallying the rest of the scoring performances by the Eagles on the day was Tracy Schmitz (23rd place), Susan Peschal (24th place), Alexis and Paige Werner (52nd and 53rd places).

On the boys side in Class 1A, there was two more runners in the top five from the Kanzaland area and another in the top 10. Frankfort junior, Adam Koch and other great performance on the season placing fourth at state running to a time of 17:17.50; he was immediately followed by Axtell Eagle junior, Tracey Schmitz who ran a time of 17:28.40. Shane Torrey another Axtell Eagle, rounded out the top 10 as the junior ran to a time of 17:59.20 at state.

It was an action packed day for Kanzaland area sports and great performances by many at the state cross country meets with three state champions hailing for the area.

Full results are listed below by Class:

4A Girls State results -- click here

4A Boys State results -- click here

3A Girls State results -- click here

3A Boys State results -- click here

2A Girls State results -- click here

2A Boys State results -- click here

1A Girls State results -- click here

1A Boys State results -- click here