Kansas City-area runners dominate Kansas high school cross country championships

When Asher Molina passed under the iron arch of Rim Rock Farm, all he was focused on was smiling, thinking of happy songs to keep him going, and daydreaming about the Nutella he was going to eat following the conclusion of his race.

What the Shawnee Mission North senior had not processed yet was the fact that he was about to become a Kansas state champion in high school cross country.

“My race plan was just to stay relaxed at every point of the race,” Molina said after winning the Class 6A title on Saturday. “There is a lot of pressure to it; there’s a lot of people telling you, ‘You’ve got to do well. You’ve got to represent us well.’”

Molina was one of four Kansas City-area runners to secure a state championship on Saturday in Lawrence.

“I feel like to be a champion, you have to know in yourself that you’re able to be a champion,” Molina said. “But it’s still something that I can’t comprehend.”

Molina endured a close race with Manhattan’s Daniel Harkin, finishing with a time of 15 minutes, 51.5 seconds, less than four seconds ahead of Harkin. The victory was a big jump for Molina, who placed 26th in last year’s state championship meet.

Molina was joined on the podium by St. Thomas Aquinas’ Ethan Marshall, who finished first in the boys Class 5A race with a time of 15:33.9. Marshall’s victory played a major part in Aquinas winning the team 5A state championship, making it the fifth straight year Aquinas has brought home gold.

The victory also marked back-to-back state championships for Marshall.

“It’s just an awesome feelings. It’s just something I never would have dreamed about,” he said. “So thanks to my teammates and my coaches.”

Aquinas also took home the 5A girls state championship, but the race was highlighted by St. James, which placed three runners in the top seven, including winner Sarah Murrow, who finished with a time of 18:46.8.

Murrow ran a tight race with Blue Valley Southwest’s Gigi Loffredo, who was happy to congratulate Murrow afterward.

“Everyone that I knew was around me throughout the race,” Murrow said. “So I knew it was going to be all mental the entire time. So that entire time, I’m like, ‘You’re strong, you’ve got this, you’re prepared for this.’”

Perhaps the most impressive race of the day came from Mill Valley freshman Katie Schwartzkopf, who helped the Jaguars to their first-ever girls 6A state title. Schwartzkopf ran a smart race, staying close to the shoulder of Washburn Rural’s Jaybe Shufelberger for the majority of the course before taking the lead late as Shufelberger dropped off.

“(It’s) amazing and a little bit surprising,” Schwartzkopf said. “I can’t believe that that just happened.”

In the pair of 3A races, Lexi Katz for Norton County won in the girls race and Scott Community won the team championship. Galena’s Matthew Oglesby won on the boys side and Southeast of Saline took home the team title.

From the finals in Wamego ...

In the races at Wamego, Kan., site of competition for Classes 1A, 2A and 4A, Tonganoxie’s boys finished third in the 4A team standings and Bishop Miege placed 10th. Piper’s Owen Roellchen was fourth individually with a time of 17:02.9.

Baldwin won the 4A girls team title, with Eudora second, Miege fourth and Louisburg fifth. Miege’s Fallon Russell was second behind 4A winner Taylor Briggs of Chapman; Eudora’s Riley Hiebert was third and Louisburg’s Trinity Moore finished fourth. Louisburg freshman Reese Johnson was sixth and Hiebert’s sister Reagan was eighth for Eudora.

Kansas City Christian’s girls finished sixth among the 2A schools. KCC sophomore Alysia Wagner finished second in the 2A girls race at 20:20.5.