By CONOR NICHOLL
Johnson-Stanton County cross country has enjoyed longtime success with 10 boys titles and 13 for the girls. Several times the Trojans have won both team championships in the same year, including 1989, ’94, ’95 and ’19.
This season, Stanton County accomplished a first when it swept the team and individual titles at the Class 2A state meet held last Saturday at Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria. On the girls’ side, Stanton County scored 84 points, three ahead of Whitewater-Remington and four in front of Sacred Heart.
Junior Chesney Peterson continued her prolific career with a second straight individual cross country title. Peterson posted 18 minutes, 38.8 seconds. She won the race by 49.1 seconds. Last year, Peterson ran 18:17, which is the all-time course record for high school girls at Sand Plum. The course has hosted 10-plus meets, including 1A and 2A state in each of the last two seasons.
On the boys’ side, SC scored 71 points, well ahead of runner-up Berean Academy’s 118. Kamryn Golub captured the title in 16:08. Coach Mike Horton leads SC cross country.
Before Saturday, six girls have won four state cross country championships, 10 have won three titles and 36 had won two. This year, Peterson was one of four girls to win a second individual cross country title.
Peterson is one of 56 girls in Kansas history to win at least two cross country titles, well-known Kansas historian Carol Swenson confirmed to SIK in an email Monday. At least 10 girls have won at least two cross country and three individual distance track championships, like Peterson.
For the girls, junior Suzanne Farnham finished sixth in 20:04.7. Kenzington Nairn posted 21:45.1 for 31st place. Kourtney Hudgens ran 43rd in 22:09.9. Lexi Martinez posted 22:47.8 for 56th place. Junior Belle Batterton ran 23:22.9 for 65th place. Kadence Hudgins ran 23:32.9 for 69th.
As well, Stanton County boys and girls swept regionals for a third straight year. Also this fall, Stanton County girls won the Hugoton Invitational for the first time in 21 years.
At 2A state track last spring, Peterson won the 1,600 in 5:00.711 and broke the state record by .24 seconds that had stood since 1988. She also won the 3,200 in 10:47.92. Farnham and Peterson both ran on the gold medal winning 1,600 relay in 4:11.83. She won the 800 in 2:16.80.
On the boys’ side, SC’s Spencer Schmidt was fourth in 16:48.4. Ryan Wenman finished tenth in 17:03.2. Uziel Carrasco was 42nd in 18:14. Colton Adams was 44th in 18:18.5. Brandon Robles-Salmeron took 64th in 19:06.2. Edwin Molina was 92nd in 20:56.8.
Last year in cross country, Stanton County boys tallied 62 points, eight behind Berean for the state crown. Golub, as a sophomore, took third in 16:24.6. Schmidt, a junior, was 12th. Wenman earned 25th with 17:30.8. Adams took 34th as a junior.
