BURLINGTON — Marmaton Valley High’s Zach Louk was unable to claim a third straight Three Rivers League individual cross country championship Thursday. But not many runners have beaten Northeast High’s Austin Bogina this year.
Marmaton Valley and Crest High competed in the Burlington High Invitational cross country meet, which doubles, no triples as a league meet also. Both Three Rivers League and Tri-Valley League teams use the Burlington races as league competitions each year.
Louk had won the 5K varsity race last year and had been the TRL champion as a freshman and a sophomore. Northeast-Arma is in its first season as a member of the TRL.
Louk ran on the same course as last year and improved his time by 30 seconds Thursday finishing the 5K race in 17 minutes, 39 seconds. Bogina, a senior who was second in the state Class 3A race last year, captured the TRL title in 16:55.
Louk was fourth overall in the Burlington Invitational as Bogina won the overall top medal also.
Crest High’s Lancers captured their third straight TRL team championship. The Lancers scored 23 points for first and Marmaton Valley’s Wildcats were second with 25 points. Northeast and Pleasanton had 46 points each.
Dustin Davis-Jones ran fourth in the league and seventh overall in 18:07 to lead Crest. Trevor Holman finished sixth in the TRL and 23rd overall in 19:36. Taking seventh among TRL runners was Crest’s Chris Brallier in 19:53, which was 29th overall.
David Womelsdorf was Crest’s No. 4 runner placing 10th in the league and 46th overall in 20:51. Jory Ramsey finished 18th in TRL competition and 83rd overall in 24:10.
Marmaton Valley’s Ryan Smith earned the fifth-place medal in TRL and was 14th overall in 18:52. Carlos Gonzales placed eighth in league and 34th overall in 20:14.
Marcus Miller ran 13th among TRL runners and 59th overall in 21:28. Chance Stevenson placed 17th in the league and 71st overall in 22:19 and Seth Cuppy was 21st in TRL competition and 86th overall in 26:46.
Crest High’s Lady Lancers could not defend their co-championship in the TRL because they only had one runner in the girls’ varsity race.
Addie Rhea earned the second-place league medal as she ran 14th overall in 18:16. Last year’s individual champion, Crest senior Italy Loving was absent from school Thursday and did not compete.
Ashtynn Louk of Marmaton Valley claimed the fourth-place TRL medal, finishing 22nd overall in 19:13.
Pleasanton, which tied with the Lady Lancers last year, won the TRL team title.
Keagan Boyd of Marmaton Valley won the seventh-grade race in 6:05. Kohl Endicott placed ninth in the eighth-grade race in 13:38.
Next Saturday, Marmaton Valley runners compete in a Kansas Class 2A regional cross country meet and Crest is in a Kansas Class 1A regional. Both regional meets are at Mound City’s Sugar Valley Golf Course.
The top three teams — boys and girls — plus the top 10 runners in each regional qualify for the state meet, Oct. 30, at Wamego. There is a possibility of more than 10 individual qualifers in each race.
Louk, Lancers roll in TRL meet
