The cross country season is in full force and Northeast Kansas area has been full of strong competition with some top competitors from last year returning and new runners making impacts. The Kansas cross country coaches have released rankings as the season has been rolling for just about a month and Regionals have been announced. 

Four area teams find themselves ranked in the Top seven in their classification in the poll. 

Class 1A features many of the area teams in the rankings with the Frankfort Wildcat boys leading the way ranked #1 and the Axtell boys follow in the #2 spot tied with Pretty Prairie. Frankfort boys most recently took third place as a team at the Jason McKinney Invitational, while Axtell boys won the Nemaha Central Invite behind three Top 10 runners. Centralia, Wetmore and Hanover are all getting attention in the poll as others considered. 

The girls 1A poll features the Centralia girls coming in at #4 in the rankings. Lady Panthers most recently won the Nemaha Central Invite title led by three Top 10 performances on the day. 

The only other area team in the rankings is the Hiawatha girls and they are ranked #1 in Class 3A. Red Hawks most recently had a runner finish third in the Blue division race at Rim Rock and have had top team finishes in many of their competitions this year. On the boys side of the poll in 3A Pleasant Ridge is getting attention in the others to consider category. 

Class 2A has a pair of boys teams in Jefferson County North and Washington County getting attention in the poll. While in Class 4A the Atchison girls are in the others being considered category and getting attention. 

KANSAS COACHES POLL

CLASS 6A

Boys — 1. Manhattan; 2. SM East; 3. Olathe North; 4. Olathe East; 5. Dodge City; 6. Garden City; 7. SM North. Others — Blue Valley, Free State, Olathe South, SM South, Washburn Rural, Wichita North.

Girls — 1. Manhattan; 2. (tie) Free State, SM Northwest; 4. Blue Valley North; 5. (tie) Olathe East, SM North; 7. (tie) Dodge City, Olathe North, SM East. Others — Blue Valley West, SM West, Wichita North.

CLASS 5A

Boys — 1. Aquinas; 2. Mill Valley; 3. Blue Valley Southwest; 4. Seaman; 5. Leavenworth; 6. Carroll; 7. Andover. Others — Kapaun, Maize, Maize South, St. James Academy.

Girls — 1. Aquinas; 2. St. James Academy; 3. Blue Valley Southwest; 4. Maize South; 5. (tie) Lansing, Maize; 7. Mill Valley. Others — Carroll, Kapaun, Leavenworth, Liberal, Seaman, Valley Center.

CLASS 4A

Boys — 1. Circle; 2. Wamego; 3. Hugoton; 4. (tie) Baldwin, DeSoto; 6. Spring Hill; 7. Smoky Valley. Others — Chapman, El Dorado, Eudora, Frontenac, Girard, Hayden, Iola, Miege, Mulvane, Ottawa, Wichita Collegiate, Wichita Trinity.

Girls — 1. Circle; 2. Baldwin; 3. Andover Central; 4. Basehor-Linwood; 5. Eudora; 6. DeSoto; 7. Hugoton. Others — Andale, Atchison, Buhler, Burlington, Clay Center, El Dorado, Frontenac, Girard, Hayden, Hays, Louisburg, Paola, Spring Hill, Wamego, Wichita Trinity,

CLASS 3A

Boys — 1. Halstead; 2. Riley County; 3. (tie) Council Grove, Scott City; 5. TMP-Marian; 6. (tie) Beloit, Douglass. Others — Chaparral, Cheney, Hesston, Hutchinson Trinity, Humbolt, Norton, Osage City, Pleasant Ridge, West Franklin.

Girls — 1. Hiawatha; 2. Scott City; 3. (tie) Riley County, SE-Saline; 5. Norton; 6. Halstead; 7. (tie) Beloit, Douglass. Others — Fredonia, Hutchinson Trinity, Minneapolis, TMP-Marian.

CLASS 2A

Boys — 1. St. John; 2. (tie) Maranatha, Stanton County; 4. Bennington; 5. Leoti; 6. Yates Center; 7. Sacred Heart. Others — Berean Academy, Jefferson North, KC Christian, Macksville, Meade, Olpe, Pratt-Skyline, Republic County, Seabury, South Gray, Wabaunsee, WaKeeney, Washington County.

Girls — 1. Bennington; 2. Berean Academy; 3. Ellinwood; 4. Maranatha; 5. Stanton County; 6. (tie) Sacred Heart, Wabaunsee. Others — Hillsboro, KC Christian, Lincoln, Macksville, Meade, Ness City, Oberlin, Olpe, Pratt-Skyline, Republic County, St. John, WaKeeney.

CLASS 1A

Boys — 1. Frankfort; 2. (tie) Axtell, Pretty Prairie; 4. Brewster; 5. Tribune; 6. (tie) Beloit-St. John’s, Pike Valley. Others — Ashland, Centralia, Dighton, Lebo, Hanover, Hutchinson Central Christian, Natoma, Osborne, Quinter, Sharon Springs, Tescott, Wakefield, Wetmore, Wilson.

Girls — 1. Tribune; 2. Tescott; 3. Sharon Springs; 4. Centralia; 5. St. Paul; 6. Goessel; 7. Pretty Prairie. Others — Axtell, Dighton, Flinthills, Frankfort, Glasco, Lakeside, Minneola, Pike Valley, Quinter, Wheatland-Grinnell.