The Journal-World All-Area teams are carefully selected by the Journal-World sports staff.

Coach of the Year: Jim Barnard, Eudora

photo by: Contributed

Jim Barnard

The Cardinals returned to the 4A state meet for the first time since 2022 as a full team and placed sixth.

Player of the Year: Oliver Schwartz, Lawrence

Oliver Schwartz

Schwartz came into the season as one of the top runners in the state and showed why all season long. He finished as a first-team all-state runner with a seventh-place finish at the state meet, and he finished in the top 10 of all but two races this season.

Jonah Frye, Free State

Jonah Frye

Frye finished his career at Free State as one of the top runners in the state. After a 19th-place run in the Sunflower League meet, Frye placed eighth in the regional meet to qualify for state. There, he finished 55th overall.

Paul Jacobs, Eudora

Paul Jacobs

Jacobs was Eudora’s No. 2 runner for a team that placed sixth in the 4A state meet. His work over the summer helped him finish fifth in the Frontier League, and 27th in the state meet. Jacobs earned first-team All-Frontier League honors.

Nicky Johnson, Free State

Nicky Johnson

Johnson was the leader of a strong group of seniors on Free State’s team this season. He finished 14th in the 6A state meet with a third-place finish at regionals and a 14th-place finish in the Sunflower League meet.

Grayson Masterson, Eudora

Grayson Masterson

Masterson was the top runner for the Cardinals in every race this year. He was the Frontier League runner-up and placed sixth in the regional race. Masterson led the Cardinals in the state meet, the team’s first time there since 2022, with a sixth-place finish.

Ethan Tolbert, Perry-Lecompton

Ethan Tolbert

Tolbert set a Perry-Lecompton school record in a 5K with a 16-minute, 44-second time. He finished 10th in the 3A state meet and was third in the Big East League meet.

Elijah Weatherford, Tonganoxie

Elijah Weatherford

Weatherford was the lead runner for the Chieftains this season and developed into a strong leader for the team. On the course, he placed seventh in the Frontier League meet, which led to first-team all-league honors. He only got better, as he hit a season best at the regional meet.

Landon Whaley, Baldwin

Landon Whaley

Whaley earned first-team All-Frontier League honors with a sixth-place finish at the league meet. He qualified for state by placing 10th in the regional race later in the season.

Honorable Mentions: Matthew Acord, Perry-Lecompton; Spencer Carr, Baldwin; Logan Druen, Lawrence; Ty Flory, Baldwin; Jasper Hansen-Terry, Free State; Malakie Laws, Perry-Lecompton; Garrett Rhea, Lawrence.