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At Andale, fall state championships in boys sports have become almost synonymous with football, a program that has made winning titles look routine.

But on Saturday, another group of Andale boys had a championship of their own to celebrate.

The Andale boys cross country team won the first state championship in program history Saturday at Wamego Country Club, edging defending Class 4A champion Wamego by just three points, 62-65, in a thrilling finish.

And it came down to a runner who usually isn’t among Andale’s five scorers.

With Wamego making a late push, sophomore Levi Schmidt, normally Andale’s No. 6 runner, delivered one of the most important performances of the day.

Schmidt crossed the finish line in 37th place in 17 minutes, 58 seconds, becoming Andale’s fifth scorer and securing the narrow victory.

It was a fitting conclusion for a team that has built its identity around running together, sacrificing for one another and believing that every runner has a role in its success.

“This group just likes what they do,” second-year Andale coach Matt Goetz said. “They like being around each other. They like the training and they bought into the work. And I think because of that, we’re starting to run a little faster.”

Before this season, Andale had qualified a boys team for state just seven times in school history. Its first team trophy came with last year’s runner-up finish.

Now, in Goetz’s second season, the program has its first championship.

Andale graduated one of its top runners from last year’s team but returned nearly everyone else, giving Goetz an experienced group determined to take the next step.

The biggest improvement came at the front of the pack.

Senior Dustin Buchanan delivered his usual strong race, placing fourth in 16:35. But the supporting cast turned in the kind of performances Andale needed to beat Wamego.

Junior Cade Brown, typically the team’s third runner, stayed on Buchanan’s heels and finished just three seconds behind him in fifth (16:38). Junior Roman Lubbers followed in ninth (16:48), while senior Sam Pavelski placed 14th (17:04).

That gave Andale four runners among the top 14, all finishing within 29 seconds of one another.

“Dustin likes to go out fast and sets the pace for us,” Goetz said. “And then we have three guys who stay fairly close to Dustin and then our five and six guys developed that mentality as well. So that pack running is definitely something we tried to adopt.”

Even with that impressive start, the championship was far from secure.

Wamego placed three runners in the top 15, then had three more finish in consecutive spots — 22nd, 23rd and 24th.

Andale needed its fifth scorer to come through.

Schmidt answered, providing the finishing position necessary to secure the championship. Senior Rhett Romero (18:57) and junior William Parks (19:05) completed Andale’s seven-runner lineup.

The victory completed a season in which Andale steadily gained confidence against increasingly difficult competition.

Goetz pointed to the Oct. 3 Bishop Carroll meet as a turning point. Racing against strong Class 5A and 6A programs, Andale finished third, convincing the runners they could compete with some of the state’s best teams regardless of classification.

Andale followed that performance by winning the AV-CTL Division IV championship and dominating its Class 4A substate meet with just 22 team points.

Goetz doesn’t believe there’s any secret formula behind the program’s rise.

“I don’t think I’m doing anything that is revolutionary,” Goetz said. “It’s just a great group of kids who come from good families and they like to work hard. So just helping them get excited about running and racing, maybe just bringing a little bit of a fresh perspective. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Goetz also credits the team’s faith for helping create a culture of selflessness. He believes having runners grounded in their faith has made it easier for them to embrace the sacrifices required to succeed together.

“When you’re serving a greater good, it’s a little bit easier to put others in front of yourself and be a little more selfless,” Goetz said.

For a school where football has traditionally commanded so much attention during the fall, Andale’s cross country runners have now written their own chapter in the school’s championship history.

“When the race gets tough, who am I running for?” Goetz said. “Am I running for myself? Am I running for the greater good? We try to preach that a lot.”

Mulvane’s Aubrey Teter caps dominant finish with 4A state title

Mulvane’s Aubrey Teter saved one of her best performances for the biggest race of the season, capturing the 4A girls individual state cross country championship Saturday at Wamego Country Club.

Teter won the 5-kilometer race in 18 minutes, 19 seconds, finishing more than 37 seconds ahead of runner-up Corbin Starkweather of Buhler (18:56).

It was a fitting conclusion to a season in which Teter grew stronger as the championship meets approached.

After finishing third at Wamego’s September meet in 19:45, Teter improved by nearly 90 seconds on the same course to claim the state championship.

She closed the season with five consecutive victories, winning at Winfield (18:36), Mulvane (19:03), the AV-CTL Division III championship (18:29), Class 4A substate (18:43) and the state meet (18:19).

Buhler girls complete three-peat, Winfield boys earn state trophy

Buhler’s girls continued their dominance of 4A cross country, capturing their third consecutive state championship with 45 points, beating runner-up Baldwin (69) by 24 points.

Senior Corbin Starkweather led the Crusaders with a runner-up finish in 18 minutes, 56 seconds, followed by Isabella Rivera in fifth (19:43) and Isabella Friesen in ninth (20:01).

Starkweather and Friesen have helped lead all three championship teams, earning state medals in 2024 and top-five finishes in 2025.

Buhler’s other runners were Hannah Dick (22nd, 20:43), Brooklyn Beals (29th, 21:10), Brynlee Adams (21:33) and Kambria Brown (21:49).

Other Wichita-area medalists included Andale’s Ayvah Banda in seventh (19:49) and Winfield’s Noelle Youle in 20th (20:33).

In the boys race, Winfield joined Andale on the team podium, finishing third with 83 points. Donte Barnaby led the Vikings in seventh (16:43), followed by Noah Jennings in 15th (17:05) and Korban Benavides in 17th (17:07).

Buhler’s Ryan Cherry earned individual runner-up honors in 16:21, while Augusta’s Hayden Babbitt placed eighth (16:44) and Mulvane’s Cole Zimmerman finished 18th (17:11).

Eudora’s Grayson Masterson won the boys individual championship in 16:09.

Class 2A: Hutchinson Trinity boys repeat, Berean girls on podium

Despite graduating six seniors from last year’s state championship team, Hutchinson Trinity found a way to stay on top of 2A boys race at Wamego Country Club.

The Celtics captured their second consecutive state championship with 108 points, beating runner-up Jayhawk Linn (131) by 23 points.

Trinity has now reached the state podium four consecutive seasons, finishing runner-up in 2023 and 2024 before winning back-to-back championships.

Dylan Bornholdt led the Celtics with an 18th-place finish in 17 minutes, 42 seconds. Trinity’s strength was its depth, with five runners finishing among the top 40 in the team scoring standings. The Celtics’ other six runners were Sam Madden (17:58), Ian Bomholdt (18:19), Axel Walline (18:30), Owen Hammersmith (18:44), Tyler Schletzbaum (19:40) and Jonathan Springer (20:23).

Several other Wichita-area boys earned state medals, led by Remington’s Landon Busenitz in fourth (16:56) and Moundridge’s Dan Kuder in sixth (17:10).

Berean Academy’s Will Snook placed eighth (17:19), followed by Wichita Central Christian’s Levi Sturm in 13th (17:32), Remington’s Chayton Lineback in 16th (17:39) and Hutchinson Trinity’s Bornholdt in 18th.

Kansas City Christian’s Caleb Warner won the individual championship in 16:22.

In the 2A girls race, Berean Academy earned a third-place team trophy after winning a tiebreaker against Remington.

Both teams finished with 111 points, but Berean claimed the final podium spot based on its sixth runner’s finish.

Addie Busenitz led Berean with a 14th-place finish (20:52). The Warriors’ other six runners were Aubrianne Briscoe (22:04), Averil Simkins (22:33), Ivy Busenitz (22:46), Eliza Briscoe (22:52), Aubrey Harder (23:09) and Esther Good (23:57).

Remington narrowly missed the team podium despite Alyssa Klingenberg’s runner-up individual finish in 19:00. Teammate Taylor Willour also earned a medal, placing 15th (20:54).

Marion’s Dylan Kraus finished third (19:25), Bluestem’s Reagan Neal took fourth (19:45) and Classical’s Anna Dernlan placed 17th (20:58).

Smith Center’s Madison Howland won the girls individual championship in 18:43, while Pittsburg St. Mary’s Colgan captured the team title with 68 points, ahead of runner-up Hoxie (78).

Class 1A: Goessel’s Gaeddert repeats as champion, Burden-Central makes history

Goessel’s Eli Gaeddert defended his 1A boys championship at Wage Country Club.

Gaeddert captured his second consecutive individual state title in 16 minutes, 21 seconds, beating runner-up Evan Martinez of Spearville (16:33) by nearly 13 seconds.

Burden-Central made program history in the boys race, capturing its first state cross country team trophy with a third-place finish and 66 points.

The Raiders reached the podium without a single top-20 individual finisher, relying instead on their depth. Kyson Henley led the way in 21st place (17:52), followed by Chasen Harris in 25th (18:00), Dylan Hanson in 32nd (18:29) and Bradyn Nellsch in 33rd (18:31). Logan Patten (22:24) completed the lineup.

Quinter won the boys team championship with 32 points.

In the 1A girls race, Pretty Prairie came within six points of a state championship, finishing runner-up with 51 points behind Ness City (45).

The Bulldogs placed two runners in the top seven, led by Lauren Detter in fifth (20:31) and Amity White in seventh (20:41).

Halli Yoder added a 26th-place finish (22:03), while Ava Goering (22:50), Brennan Schrag (24:25), Lily Casey (25:53) and Adyn Anderson (26:10) rounded out Pretty Prairie’s lineup.

Beloit St. John’s finished third in the girls team standings with 56 points, while Ellis’ Taryn Boydston claimed the individual championship in 18:44.