Mike Spielman guided Baldwin High’s boys to a state championship in his second year as the Bulldogs’ cross-country coach, but it took five years for Baldwin to earn its second team title in 1998.

“We were getting seconds and thirds,” Spielman said. “We were bringing home trophies, but we couldn’t get back up there.”

Since the Bulldogs returned to the top of Class 4A cross country, no challenger has been able to knock them back down. Then-freshmen Matt Noonan, Glenn Stanberry and Eric Black led Baldwin to that ’98 championship — the first of seven straight.

“That set a foundation, and since then we’ve gotten deeper,” said Spielman, who was named The Journal-World’s All-Area Coach of the Year after his team extended its streak of league (nine), regional (eight) and state (seven) championships. “This year we had six kids medal at state. I don’t think that’s probably ever been done in cross country. There’s only 20 medals.”

The Bulldogs tend to take up their share of space on the medals stand. At the state meet Oct. 30 at Wamego, seniors Sam Hinton and Zac Towns led Baldwin in fifth and seventh place, respectively. Sophomore Chris Elniff was close behind in ninth, and junior Keith Cowart was 12th. Junior Grant Catloth (16th) and senior Brian Gerstner (19th) also were in the top 20.

“Our top junior-varsity runners could probably run No. 2 or No. 3 at most other schools,” Elniff said.

Baldwin runners put in more miles than most of their high school competitors. In addition to practices after school, the Bulldogs have morning workouts before school two or three times a week.

Nobody seems to mind the extra work.

“We have a good coach behind us telling us what to do, and we do it,” Cowart said.

Spielman has built a juggernaut in his 13 seasons, but he gives credit to his runners.

“I think the big thing is we get a lot of kids out that are real competitive, so they push each other in practice,” Spielman said. “I think there’s more pressure to make varsity and stay on varsity than there is to beat other teams.”

It’s uncertain how much longer Spielman will have a deep roster.

Baldwin will field a boys soccer team for the first time next fall, and the coach expects the new program to take a few runners from his team.

“That’s a big unknown — what kids’ choices are going to be,” Spielman said. “That will definitely have an impact.”

All-area cross country runners, from left: Baldwin coach Mike Spielman, back row from left, Baldwin's Sam Hinton and Zach Towns, Tonganoxie's Andy Kolman. Second row from left: Baldwin's Keith Cowart and Chris Elniff. Front: Wellsville's Nate Whalen.

Spielman won’t have to worry about his girls team. Baldwin had its streak of back-to-back state championships snapped — the Bulldogs finished second to Clay Center — but BHS loses just one senior from a program that has won seven consecutive league titles and five straight regional crowns.

Freshman Heather Garcia won five of nine races, including the Frontier League and regional meets, and was the state runner-up. Sophomore Kelsey Verhaeghe (11th) and sophomore Madison Shoemaker (18th) also took home medals at state, but the underclassmen weren’t satisfied with their second-place team trophy.

“I think we’ll push ourselves, knowing we have to achieve and work harder because Clay Center is going to want another title, but we want it back,” Garcia said.

Boys capsules

Keith Cowart, Baldwin junior

Cowart won four races, including regionals. He was a runner-up in two others, including league. He finished in the top three in seven of nine races.

“He has tremendous ability,” Baldwin coach Mike Spielman said. “He has all the tools to be a really great runner.

Sam Hinton, Baldwin senior

Hinton had two runner-up finishes — coming in behind Cowart both times. He had six top-five finishes and was in the top eight in eight of nine races. Hinton was fourth at league, third at regional and fifth at state.

Zac Towns, Baldwin senior

Towns was in the top 20 in eight of nine races. He finished strong, placing fifth at league, sixth at regional and seventh at state.

“He’s Mr. Clutch for us,” Spielman said. “He always runs his best races at the end of the year.”

Chris Elniff, Baldwin sophomore

Elniff was in the top 20 in eight of nine races, including seven top-10s.

He was seventh at league, fifth at regional at ninth at state.

“Chris is an up-and-comer for us,” Spielman said. “He put some time in and is really excited about running and doing well. He’s just going to get better and better.”

Casey Johnson, De Soto senior

Johnson won at Topeka Hayden, Rim Rock and Tonganoxie before claiming the Frontier League championship.

He had two runner-up finishes, including regional, and finished third at state.

Andy Kolman, Tonganoxie senior

Kolman never finished lower than fifth in the Chieftains’ first six races and won his third first-place medal at the Kaw Valley League meet before finishing 10th at regionals and 14th at state.

Nate Whalen, Wellsville junior

Whalen had five top-15 finishes early in the season, then bounced back from a 28th-place showing at the Frontier League meet by placing fourth at regional and 13th at the state race.

Girls capsules

All-area cross country runners, back row from left: Baldwin's Kelsey Verhage, Mill Valley's Kelsey O'Hara, Eudora's Brittney Graff, Baldwin's Madison Shoemaker. Front row from left, Tonganoxie's Christy Weller, Baldwin's Heather Garcia and Wellsville's Aubrey Poor.

Heather Garcia, Baldwin freshman

Garcia never finished lower than seventh, racking up five wins and two runner-up finishes.

“The sky may be the limit for her,” coach Mike Spielman said.

Kelsey Verhaeghe, Baldwin sophomore

Verhaeghe finished in the top five six times, including a third-place finish at league and a fourth-place finish at regional, before coming in 11th at state.

“She’s our hardest worker on the girls’ side,” Spielman said.

Madison Shoemaker, Baldwin freshman

Shoemaker had six top-10 finishes, including fourth at league and seventh at regional. She was 18th at state.

“She was a big surprise for us,” Spielman said.

Morgan Frehe, De Soto sophomore

Frehe won at Topeka Hayden and had five other top-10 showings. She was fifth in the Frontier League, fifth at regional and 22nd at state.

Brittney Graff, Eudora sophomore

Graff won at Tonganoxie, Gardner and Eudora and was runner-up in three other meets, including regional. She finished sixth at state.

“She has made great strides in her leadership and training qualities,” Eudora coach Paul Boone said.

Christy Weller, Tonganoxie freshman

Weller won the Chieftains’ first two races and didn’t finish lower than fifth until a sixth-place showing at regional. She injured her knee in gym class two days before state and was unable to finish the course at Wamego.

Aubrey Poor, Wellsville sophomore

Poor won at Wellsville and had six other top-10 finishes. She was sixth in the Frontier League and second at regional. She was 17th at state, 29 spots better than her freshman year.

“I could have done better,” she said. “I definitely wanted to make up for last year.”

Kelsey O’Hara, Mill Valley freshman

O’Hara was in the top six at all nine races, including a Kaw Valley League title, a regional runner-up and a fourth-place finish at state.

“I didn’t think I’d do that well,” she said of her first prep season.