You can’t argue with pure domination.

It’s hard to fight the fact that after the Baldwin High cross country team once again took the boys and girls state titles, several team members showered praises on their coach, Mike Spielman, shifting all of the credit of all the success to his coaching ability.

It made picking Spielman the Journal-World area cross-country coach of the year — once again — a no-brainer.

Spielman has shown remarkable success with both boys and girls cross country at Baldwin for so long. Last year, he brought home the school’s first girls state title, along with a fifth consecutive state title for the boys team.

Some say it’s hard to defend a title in sports. Try defending two at once.

Somehow, Spielman and the Bulldogs made it look easy. Led by senior Erica Ogle on the girls side, and junior Brian Gerstner on the boys side — both All-Area selections this year — the Bulldogs mopped up at the state meet, each winning the team titles at Wamego by more than 35 points.

Now, Baldwin is a two-time defending girls state champ and a six-time defending boys state champ.

The bar has been raised awfully high. What’s next for Spielman?

All-area boys selections

Keith Cowart, Baldwin

Two seasons of high school cross country, two All-Area selections. Cowart, just a sophomore, had another remarkable postseason for the Bulldogs. After finishing eighth at the Frontier League meet, Cowart really turned it on, placing third at regionals with a time of 16:23, two seconds behind the winner, and then locking up all-state honors at the Class 4A state meet in Wamego the next week, finishing seventh with a time of 16:37.18.

Brian Gerstner, Baldwin

Gerstner established himself as the Bulldogs’ top runner in 2003, which in a program like Baldwin’s is really saying something. Gerstner took third place at the always-tough Frontier League meet and was crowned champion at the Class 4A regional meet in Tonganoxie. His time of 16:21 was one second better than De Soto’s Casey Johnson and just two seconds better than his teammate, Keith Cowart. Gerstner then won the 4A state meet, turning in a time of 16:32.11.

Casey Johnson, De Soto

Just a junior, Johnson showed remarkable improvement in big-time races this season. He was crowned Kaw Valley League champion in a time of 16:16 Oct. 16. He then took second at the Class 4A regional meet in Tonganoxie, just one second behind Baldwin’s Brian Gerstner, before finishing sixth at 4A state and earning all-state honors. Johnson led the Wildcats to a 10th-place team finish at the 4A meet.

Jay Matlack, Mill Valley

His senior year was definitely his sweetest. Despite Mill Valley making the jump to Class 5A, Matlack was as good as ever. He took second at the Kaw Valley League meet and was crowned champion at the Class 5A regional meet in Overland Park. His time of 16:22 helped lead the Jaguars to a fourth-place finish at regionals and earn them a team berth at state. Matlack capped his career with a fourth-place finish at the 5A meet at Rim Rock Farm with a time of 16:39.79.

Matt Scarlett, McLouth

A repeat All-Area selection, Scarlett was once again the top runner on a strong McLouth squad. The senior placed third at the Delaware Valley League meet, then led McLouth to a first-place finish at the 2-1A regional meet at Horton. Scarlett locked up all-state honors for the third straight season, finishing the 2-1A meet in 17:16.94, good enough for 10th place.

Dustyn Toland, Ottawa

Toland, who also plays soccer for the Cyclones, had a tremendous cross-country season despite pulling double duty. The junior was crowned Huron League champion Oct. 16, easily winning the race in 17:11. He then took fifth at the Class 5A regional in Topeka before turning in a ninth-place finish at the 5A state meet. He finished the tough Rim Rock Farm course in a time of 16:57.02, earning him all-state honors.

Tighe VanAnne, Eudora

After a fifth-place finish at the Frontier League meet, followed by a fourth-place finish at the 4A regional meet, VanAnne, a senior, turned in the best finish of all area runners at the 4A state meet in Wamego. VanAnne finished fourth overall, turning in a time of 16:31.68. His state race was a school-record time and tied VanAnne for the best finish ever for a Eudora runner.

All-area girls selections
Megan Ballock, Eudora

Back row from left, Lisa Morrisey, Ottawa; Megan Ballock, Eudora; second row from left, Brittney Graff, Eudora; Erica Ogle, Baldwin; Kelsey Verhaeghe, Baldwin; front row from left, Amy Craig, Baldwin; and Kimberly Hughes, Wellsville.

Ballock, a sophomore, had a breakthrough season in 2003, helping lead Eudora to an eighth-place finish at the 4A state meet. After finishing eighth at the Frontier League meet, Ballock placed fifth at the 4A regional at Tonganoxie with a two-mile time of 12:25, then took 25th at the 4A state meet, finishing the race in 12:49.23.

Amy Craig, Baldwin

Just a sophomore, Craig was yet another solid runner on Baldwin’s loaded team. While Erica Ogle usually led, Craig was one of several Bulldogs in a fast pack that helped win the 4A state title. Craig finished seventh at the Frontier League meet, fourth at the Class 4A regional meet in Tonganoxie and 24th at the 4A state meet. Her time at state in Wamego was 12:47.72

Brittney Graff, Eudora

One of two freshmen on the All-Area team, Graff established herself as one of the area’s best runners in virtually no time. She finished second at the Frontier League meet behind Baldwin’s Erica Ogle, then third at 4A regionals before earning all-state honors, with a 12:37.9 two-mile race at Wamego, good enough for 20th place.

Kimberly Hughes, Wellsville

Wellsville’s top runner the entire season, Hughes made plenty of noise in the postseason. She finished 10th in a loaded field at the Frontier League meet, then earned all-state honors in the 3A state meet, finishing 20th with a time of 13:09.54. Behind Hughes, Wellsville finished 10th at the 3A meet.

Lisa Morrisey, Ottawa

A four-time All-Area selection, Morrisey capped off a spectacular career the right way. She was once again Huron League champion in a two-mile time of 11:57, her fifth straight race she had won. Morrisey took second at the 5A regional meet before placing fourth at the 5A state meet at Rim Rock, finishing in a time of 12:26.16.

Erica Ogle, Baldwin

Another four-time All-Area selection, Ogle was once again the top runner on a Bulldog team that won its second straight 4A state title. She won the Frontier League meet, then won the 4A regional meet at Tonganoxie in a time of 11:46.24. She capped her career with another all-state selection after finishing fifth at the 4A meet in 12:08.38.

Kelsey Verhaeghe, Baldwin

One of the top freshmen in the state, Verhaeghe was yet another significant piece of Baldwin’s state champion puzzle. She took third at the Frontier League meet, before finishing runner-up to teammate Ogle at the 4A regional. She finished the 4A state meet in a two-mile time of 12:31.32, good enough for 13th place and all-state honors.