Tonganoxie ? Tonganoxie High cross country coach Pat Williams didn’t want to call it revenge.

But whatever it was, it was off and running as the Chieftain varsity boys edged De Soto by nine points, 61 to 70, to win the team title at the Tonganoxie Invitational on Thursday.

The Chieftains beat the same runners who had rocketed past them by 85 points on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm.

“I couldn’t believe they were that much better than us then, but I thought our kids were more motivated today,” Williams said. “They felt like they shouldn’t have gotten beat that way, so that helps. I’m very pleased. I was hoping to get a top two or three, so to win was beyond my expectations.”

De Soto coach Chris McAfee couldn’t explain the difference in his varsity boys.

“Our guys didn’t show up today,” McAfee said. “Maybe they were too cocky.”

But don’t cry for the Wildcats. De Soto’s varsity girls beat Mill Valley by 24 points (36 to 60) to take the team title. Six of De Soto’s girls finished in the top 16, led by Melissa Roberts’ fourth-place time of 12:22.

Tonganoxie High's boys and De Soto's girls each won a team title Thursday at the Tonganoxie Invitational cross country meet. Above, Seabury Academy's Regan Sisson is helped through the chute after she finished the junior varsity race.

“We’re running well right now,” McAfee said. “We just have a lot talent. We’re deeper than a lot of teams, but the kids have also worked extremely hard.”

De Soto senior standout Casey Johnson won his third race of the year and seventh of his high school career, running the course in a time of 16:34. Johnson took the lead from the beginning, although Tonganoxie’s Andy Kolman stayed close and finished at 16:51.

“There were gnats everywhere, but I thought it was a good race,” Johnson said.

The varsity girls race belonged to Eudora sophomore Brittney Graff, who took turns as leader with Rebecca Stowe of Olathe Northwest. After the mile, Graff gradually gained a comfortable margin and finished in 11:55.

“My coach told me to switch gears, so I sprinted,” Graff said. “I surged ahead of (Stowe).”

Justin Smith of Tongie won the boys junior varsity race in 18:41. Seabury Academy’s Regan Sisson placed second in the girls JV race in 13:24.

Eudora High runner Brittney Graff crosses the finish line to win the girls race at the Tonganoxie Invitational. Graff won the race in a time of 11:55 on Thursday in Tonganoxie.