photo by: Photo courtesy of Tasha Keathley-Helms

Free State's boys cross-country team with regional championship plaque after winning a regional title for a third year in a row Saturday afternoon at Frontier Trail Middle School in Olathe.

For the third year in a row, Free State’s boys cross-country secured a regional crown.

The Firebirds had five runners finish inside the top-14 on their way to a first-place finish at the Class 6A regional meet on Saturday at Frontier Trail Middle School. Free State scored 38 points as a team, which was 32 points better than runner-up Gardner-Edgerton in the varsity boys competition.

Free State’s tandem of junior Ben Shryock and senior Christopher Stone led the balanced attack with a pair of top-three individual finishes. Shryock secured second with a time of 15:45.80, while Stone finished in third with a time of 15:52.80.

Junior Jack Keathley-Helms was right there in the mix, too, taking sixth as an individual with a time of 16:09.30. Senior Ethan Sharp claimed 13th with a mark of 16:26.80, while senior Brock Cordova ended up in 14th with a time of 16:27.60.

Leading the way for Lawrence High was junior Jack Ryan, who placed 27th as an individual with a time of 17:12.30.

On the girls side, Free State senior Delaney Rockers was the only area athlete to finish in the top-20. She placed 20th with a time of 20:03.70. Free State junior Allison Babbit clocked a mark of 20:28.60 to take 22nd. Sophomore Lucy Hardy led Lawrence by placing 25th with a time of 20:40.80.

In area news, Bishop Seabury’s girls cross-country team won a regional title at the Class 2A meet at Pierson Park on Saturday. The Seahawks scored 35 points as a team, besting McLouth’s total of 58 points by a comfortable margin.

Oona Nelson led BSA with a runner-up finish by posting a mark of 21:33.7. Isabelle Pro came in third with a time of 21:55.9, while Darby Harris netted ninth with a mark of 24:36.7. Isabel Klish and Campbell Helling came in 13th and 14th, respectively, for the Seahawks.

Hayden Slough was the highest male finisher for Bishop Seabury, as he ended up in 40th place with a time of 23:15.4.

Area squads and athletes also dominated the leaderboard at the Class 4A regional meet at the Baldwin Golf Course on Saturday.

Baldwin won a regional title in varsity girls with a team score of 31 points, while Eudora finished as the runner-up with 62 points. Eudora freshman Sydney Owens came away with the individual title, posting a winning time of 19:29.67. Baldwin junior Riley Smith was the runner-up in the event by recording a time of 19:42.71.

Junior Jana Landreth (fifth), senior Lauren Russell (seventh), freshman Bailey Smith (eighth) and freshman Lily Brecheisen (ninth) all ended up in the top-10 for Baldwin. Eudora junior Mackenzie Mayer claimed 10th, as well.

Tonganoxie was led by senior Kristi Chambers, who recorded a time of 20:36.45 to place sixth and qualify for the state meet as an individual.

In the boys race, Eudora’s team score of 57 points was good enough for a runner-up finish and to qualify for the state meet. Bishop Miege won the regional title with a total score of 22 points. EHS was led by freshman Zachary Arnold, who placed fourth with a time of 17:06.29.

Tonganoxie sophomore Eli Gilmore finished as a runner-up as an individual by posting a final time of 16:34.47. Sophomore Caleb Carr and senior Hudson Allen both qualified as individuals for Baldwin. Carr notched ninth with a 17:44.41, while Allen ran a 17:58.10 to place 12th.

Class 6A regional meet

Saturday at Frontier Trail MS-Olathe North

Varsity boys team scores: 1. Free State 38; 2. Gardner-Edgerton 70; 3. Olathe South 74; 4. Olathe North 92; 5. Olathe East 102; 6. Olathe NW 152; 7. Olathe West 157; Lawrence 234.

FSHS results: 2. Ben Shryock 15:45.80; 3. Christopher Stone 15:52.80; 6. Jack Keathley-Helms 16:09.30; 13. Ethan Sharp 16:26.80; 14. Brock Cordova 16:27.60; 38. Carson Marsh 17:35.60; 41. Ryan Whittlesey 17:46.30.

LHS results: 27. Jack Ryan 17:12.30; 48. Jack Pfeifer 18:19.70; 52. Keat Prescott 18:57.00; 53. William Leuschen 19:22.60; 54. Daniel Phalen 19:45.20; 55. Jesse Self 19:56.70; 56. Winton Anderson 20:16.20.

Varsity girls team scores: 1. Olathe West 29; 2. Olathe North 34; 3. Olathe East 99; 4. Free State 129; 5. Lawrence High 154; 6. Olathe NW 163; 7. Gardner-Edgerton 169; 8. Olathe South 176.

FSHS results: 20. Delaney Rockers 20:03.70; 22. Allison Babbit 20:28.60; 26. Ella McCleary 20:45.40; 29. Olivia Goeser 20:49.50; 31. Stella Mosier 21:01.90; 38. Sina Boeger 21:41.00; 41. Ella Marshall 21:58.80;

LHS results: 25. Lucy Hardy 20:40.80; 26. Madison DeWitt 20:42.60; 30. Natalie Kennedy 20:58.20; 34. Grace Harader-Ellett 21:22.60; 39. Cyrenity Hardy-Billy 21:50.50; 42. Eva Ackley 22:04.40; 49. Jayden Wilson 23:31.50.

Class 2A Regional results

Saturday at Pierson Park

Varsity girls team scores: 1. Bishop Seabury Academy 35; 2. McLouth 58; 3. Jefferson West 72; 4. KC Christian 74; 5. Valley Falls 134; 6. Horton 140

BSA results: 2. Oona Nelson 21:33.7; 3. Isabelle Pro 21:55.9; 9. Darby Harris 24:36.7; 13. Isabel Klish 25:23.2; 14. Campbell Helling 25:27.4; 20. Hannah Motsinger 25:59.8; 30. Emma Roman Nose 26:44.5.

Varsity boys team scores: 1. McLouth 40; 2. KC Christian 42; 3. Jefferson North 67; 4. Effingham-Atchison County 93; 5. Heritage Christian Academy 121; 6. Valley Falls 149; 7. Horton 199

BSA results: 40. Hayden Slough 23:15.4; 47. Luke Velte 24:16.7; 52. Sam Jackson 25:53.1

Class 4A regional meet

Saturday at Baldwin Golf Course

Varsity boys team scores: 1. Bishop Miege 22; 2. Eudora 57; 3. Louisburg 91; 4. Baldwin 102; 5. Tonganoxie 121; 6. Paola 158; 7. Holton 175

EHS results (top-30): 4. Zachary Arnold 17:06.29; 8. Cody Loganbill 17:42.25; 11. Alex Clobes 17:54.79; 13. Traeger Rader 17:59.89; 21. Jonas Staples 18:46.31; 26. Miles Morford 18:57.98.

Area individual qualifiers: 2. Eli Gilmore, Tonganoxie, 16:34.47; 9. Caleb Carr, Baldwin, 17:44.41; 12. Hudson Allen, Baldwin, 17:58.10.

Varsity girls team scores: 1. Baldwin 31; 2. Eudora 62; 3. Louisburg 68; 4. Paola 100; 5. Tonganoxie 119; 6. Bishop Miege 175; 7. Ottawa 195; 8. Holton 218.

BHS results (top-30): 2. Riley Smith 19:42.71; 5. Jana Landreth 20:34.33; 7. Lauren Russell 20:42.43; 8. Bailey Smith 20:51.30; 9. Lily Brecheisen 20:57.67; 11. Ambrynn Stewart 20:59.67; 16. Diana Messick 21:18.33;

EHS results (top-30): 1. Sydney Owens 19:29.67; 10. Mackenzie Mayer 20:58.26; 12. Maya Pattison 21:00.55; 19. Lizabeth Mueting 21:35.66; 20. Rachel Pratt 21:43.53; 21. Stella Whalen 21:46.76; 29. Melia Martin 22:15.13.

Area individual qualifiers: 6. Kristi Chambers, Tonganoxie, 20:36.45.