Defending champions dominate No. 1 positions in early-season poll

Southeast of Saline and Stanton County each swept the No. 1 rankings in their respective classifications when the Kansas Cross Country Coaches Association released its Jim Maska Early Season Poll.

Coming off a sweep of the Class 3A state titles in 2020, Southeast of Saline opens in the top spot in both the boys and girls rankings in that class this year. Stanton County swept the top spots in Class 2A where the girls return as defending state champions.

Defending state champions hold down No. 1 rankings in many of the other classes, including:

• Olathe West's girls in Class 6A
• St. Thomas Aquinas' boys in Class 5A
• Buhler's boys and Baldwin's girls in Class 4A
• Doniphan West's girls and Meade's boys in Class 1A

Mill Valley's girls are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, while Manhattan's boys draw the No. 1 spot in Class 6A.

KANSAS CROSS COUNTRY COACHES JIM MASKA EARLY SEASON POLL

CLASS 6A

Boys – 1. Manhattan; 2. Olathe South; 3. Shawnee Mission North; 4. Free State; 5. Washburn Rural; 6. Shawnee Mission East; 7. Olathe West. Others: Blue Valley North, Blue Valley Northwest, Campus, Derby, Gardner-Edgerton, Junction City, Lawrence, Olathe East, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Shawnee Mission South, Shawnee Mission West, Topeka High, Wichita East.

Girls – 1. Olathe West; 2. Manhattan; 3. Olathe North; 4. Washburn Rural; 5. Blue Valley Northwest; 6. Blue Valley West; 7. Free State. Others: Blue Valley, Blue Valley North, Campus, Derby, Gardner-Edgerton, Junction City, Lawrence, Olathe East, Olathe Northwest, Shawnee Mission East, Shawnee Mission North, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Wichita East.

CLASS 5A

Boys – 1. St. Thomas Aquinas; 2. Mill Valley; 3. St. James Academy; 4. Blue Valley Southwest; 5. Bishop Carroll; 6. DeSoto; 7. Maize South. Others: Andover, Eisenhower, Emporia, Great Bend, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Lansing, Maize, Seaman, Shawnee Heights.

Girls – 1. Mill Valley; 2. Bishop Carroll; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas; 4. Blue Valley Southwest; 5. Maize South; 6. Great Bend; 7. Seaman. Others: Andover, DeSoto, Emporia, Goddard, Hays, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Spring Hill, St. James Academy.

CLASS 4A

Boys – 1. Buhler, 2; Wamego; 3. Eudora; 4. Hayden; 5. Augusta; 6. Bishop Miege; 7. Tonganoxie. Others: Abilene, Andale, Baldwin, Circle, Clay Center, Clearwater, Fort Scott, Iola, Louisburg, Paola, Winfield.

Girls – 1. Baldwin; 2. Eudora; 3. Louisburg; 4. Wamego; 5. Buhler; 6. Winfield; 7. Bishop Miege. Others: Andale, Augusta, Circle, Clay Center, Hayden, Ottawa, Paola, Rose Hill, Ulysses.

CLASS 3A

Boys – 1. Southeast of Saline; 2. Smoky Valley; 3. Scott City; 4. Wichita Trinity Academy; 5. West Franklin; 6. Girard; 7. Holcomb. Others: Anderson County, Cheney, Council Grove; Ellsworth, Frontenac, Hesston, Hiawatha, Lakin, Marysville, Norton, Riley County, Sabetha, Santa Fe Trail, Silver Lake, Wellsville.

Girls – 1. Southeast of Saline; 2. Scott City; 3. Wichita Trinity Academy; 4. West Franklin; 5. Cimarron; 6. Smoky Valley; 7. Norton. Others: Anderson County, Burlington, Cheney, Colby, Douglass, Fredonia, Girard, Halstead, Osage City, Riley County, Rock Creek, Rossville, Royal Valley, Sabetha, Santa Fe Trail, Silver Lake, Southwestern Heights, TMP-Marian, Wichita Collegiate.

CLASS 2A

Boys – 1. Stanton County; 2. Berean Academy; 3. McLouth; 4. KC Christian; 5. Hutchinson Trinity; 6. Republic County; 7. Ell-Saline. Others: Belle Plaine, Bennington, Central Heights, Chase County, Ellinwood, Jefferson County North, Mission Valley, Northeast-Arma, Northern Heights, Pittsburg Colgan.

Girls – 1. Stanton County; 2. Remington; 3. Bishop Seabury; 4. Sacred Heart; 5. Oakley; 6. Pittsburg Colgan; 7. McLouth. Others: Bennington, Berean Academy, Humboldt, Hutchinson Trinity, Wabaunsee.

CLASS 1A

Boys – 1. Meade; 2. La Crosse; 3. Wetmore; 4. Ingalls; 5. Quinter; 6. Goessel; 7. St. John. Others: Axtell, Beloit-St. John's, Deerfield, Doniphan West, Jackson Heights, Lebo, Olpe, Osborne, Pike Valley, Sylvan-Lucas, Wichita Classical.

Girls – 1. Doniphan West; 2. Pretty Prairie; 3. Osborne; 4. Macksville; 5. Quinter; 6. Wichita Classical; 7. Meade. Others: Beloit-St. John's, Centralia, Central-Burden, Clifton-Clyde, Golden Plains, Kiowa County, Lincoln, Ness City, Olpe, Peabody, Pike Valley, South Barber.