CHEROKEE — Great things come in threes.
Crest High’s Lady Lancers found themselves in a familiar spot for the third consecutive year, atop the Three Rivers League cross country standings.
With juniors Josie Walter and Peyton Schmidt going 1-2 (for the third straight year) and classmate Aubrey Allen taking seventh for her third straight top-10 league finish, Crest won its third straight team title, fending off a challenge from Central Heights.
With freshman Kallei Robb adding an 11th-place finish, Crest wound up with 21 points, five clear of Central Heights, which had the third-, fourth- and fifth-place individual runners.
Next up for the Lancer harriers is a trip to Sabetha next Saturday for what they hope for is another third — as in third straight — regional championship for a berth at the Class 1A State Meet the following week in Wamego.
CREST’S boys acquitted themselves, too, but they had to contend with the vaunted Central Heights squad that was good for the top seven individual placings. The Vikings’ Connor Burkdoll, Cody Hammond and Owen Miller finished the 5K course stride for stride, with less than 0.2 seconds separating the top three.
As for the Lancers, Gunner Ellington ran his 5K in 19:19 to place 19th. Teammate Grady Allen wasn’t far behind in 23rd.
Marmaton Valley’s Sophia Heim took the 19th-place finish on the girls’ side, and Thomas Allee took 37th to lead the Wildcat high-schoolers.
Yates Center’s Asher Arnold took 34th as the sole YC Wildcat to run at the high school level.
CREST’S middle-schoolers also racked up a league championship. Lynnex Allen took first overall and Piper Schmidt third to lead the CMS to first as a squad.
Marmaton Valley’s Brayden Endicott and Jaren Curl took second and fourth, respectively, in the middle school boys race. Emma Louk took fifth in the middle school girls race.
Yates Center’s Elliot Ard and Joseph Bishop finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the middle school boys run.
Full results follow:
Three Rivers League Championships
Girls Varsity (5K)
Team scores: 1. Crest, 21
1. Josie Walter, Crest, 20:35.37; 2. Peyton Schmidt, Crest, 21:28.35; 7. Aubrey Allen, Crest, 22:19.15; 11. Kallei Robb, Crest, 23:42.73; 19. Sophia Heim, MV, 25:31.05
Boys Varsity (5K)
Team scores: 1. Central Heights, 10; 4. Crest, 66; 5. Marmaton Valley, 94
19. Gunner Ellington, Crest, 19:19.58; 23. Grady Allen, Crest, 19:56.65; 33. Elijah Taylor, Crest, 21:08.63; 34. Asher Arnold, Yates Center, 21:14.27; 36. Jimmy Ayers, Crest, 21:40.38; 37. Thomas Allee, MV, 23:18.60; 41. Brendon Newman, MV, 24:48.97; 43. Blayne Endicott, MV, 26:09.25; 45. Colin Ard, MV, 26:35.25
Middle School girls (2 Mile)
