The St. Mary’s Colgan cross country squads swept varsity team titles in the season-opening Labette County Invitational on Thursday.
On the girls side, Colgan finished with 24 points as five Panther runners placed in the top 10.
Polona Kalan led the way in second place with a time of 22 minutes, 57.34 seconds, Lily Brown placed fifth in 24:46, Mimi Fleming sixth in 24:50, Merly Lara seventh in 25:09 and Alli Karleskint ninth in 26:00.
Hope Trieber and Celesta Lara finished 13th and 15th in 26:19 and 26:51, respectively, to round out Colgan’s girls runners.
Labette County’s Anna Cantrell won the individual title easily with her 21:27, nearly 1 1/2 minutes ahead of Kalan. Cantrell led the Grizzlies to second place overall with 32 points.
The Colgan boys, behind three top-10 finishers, won the meet with 44 points, besting Southeast’s 54 and Caney Valley’s 55.
Freshman runner Colton Smithhisler made an impressive high school debut, finishing third overall in 18:35. In fact, the top four varsity finishers were freshmen or sophomores, and Colgan sophomore Michael Vacek placed fourth in 18:40.
Ethan Paulie finished ninth in 20:26, Curtis Dickman 11th in 20:59, Lucas Suarez 30th in 25:28 and Eli Treiber 33rd in 27:34.
The Panthers return to the course next Thursday when they compete in the Girard Invitational at the Greenbush Education Center.
The Southeast boys were led by sophomore Zayne Gabern in second in 18:32. Then the Lancers had Colton Jameson in 10th in 20:48, Zack Whittenburg 17th in 22:22, Michael Smith 20th in 23:00, Chase Windsor 24th in 23:40 and Tanner Wiles 26th in 24:04.
The Southeast girls finished third behind Colgan and Labette County, with Kendal Renn 17th in 27:24, Chloe Guymon 18th in 27:40, Lyla Oehme 23rd in 33:45, Sandra Robinson 24th in 34:24, Storm Minor 25th in 34:58 and Macie Herron 26th in 34:58.
The Lancers will also be in competition next Thursday in Girard.
LABETTE COUNTY
INVITATIONAL
BOYS
Team Scores
St. Mary’s Colgan 44, Southeast 54, Caney Valley 55, Labette County 56.
Top 10 Individuals
1, Cash Brown, Caney Valley, 18:22; 2, Zayne Gabern, Southeast, 18:32; 3, Colton Smithhisler, Colgan, 18:35; 4, Michael Vacek, Colgan, 18:40; 5, Drake Leeds, Coffeyville, 18:58; 6, Truett Froebe, Labette County 19:17; 7, Hubert Webber, Coffeyville 19:17; 8, Bennett Thompson, Coffeyville 19.45; 9, Ethan Paulie, Colgan, 20:26; 10, Colton Jameson, Southeast, 20:48.
Local Results
Colgan — 3, Smithhisler; 4, Vacek; 9, Paulie; 11, Dickman, 20:59; 30, Lucas Suarez, 25:28; 33, Eli Treiber, 27:34.
Southeast — 2, Gabern; 10, Jameson; 17, Zack Whittenburg, 22:22; 20, Michael Smith, 23:00; 24, Chase Windsor, 23:40; 26, Tanner Wiles, 24:04.
GIRLS
Team Scores
Colgan 24, Labette County 32, Southeast 83.
Top 10 Individuals
1, Anna Cantrell, Labette County, 21:27; 2, Polona Kalan, Colgan, 22:57; 3, Emilie Zylstra, Labette County, 23:39; 4, Audrey Cavaness, Coffeyville, 24:11; 5, Lily Brown, Colgan, 24:46; 6, Mimi Fleming, Colgan, 24:50; 7, Merly Lara, Colgan, 25:09; 8, Maggy Moyer, Caney Valley, 25:47; 9, Alli Karleskint, Colgan, 26:00; 10, Bailey Campbell, Baxter Springs, 26:01.
Local Results
Colgan — 2, Kalan; 5, Brown; 6, Fleming; 7, Lara; 9, Karleskint; 13, Hope Treiber, 26:19; 15, Celeste Lara, 26:51.
Southeast — 17, Kendyl Renn, 27:24; 18, Chloe Guymon, 27:40; 23, Lyla Oehme, 33:45; 24, Sandra Robinson, 34:24; 25, Storm Minor, 34:58; 26, Macie Herron, 34:58.
