Olathe West Holds On For Five-Peat, Linden Pickler Upsets Experienced Field
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Heading into state championship weekend, four-time defending 6A champions Olathe West weren't heavily favored like they have been in the previous four years.
Instead, both Washburn Rural and Shawnee Mission East had put together squads to de-throne the Owls from the top of the 6A ranks and had established a little bit of distance on the dynasty.
Well, that's why you run the race!
Even with both Rural and East executing on nearly all fronts and having a great day through their top seven, it simply wasn't enough to take down greatness.
For the fifth time in as many years, Olathe West was crowned state champions, but this year it came from a tiebreaker over Washburn Rural.
Through five runners, both West and Rural were even at 80 points. Rural flexed their low-stick duo of Rylee Ismert and Payton Fink, while West showcased their pack ability like they had many times before.
In the end, it was sohpomore Brooklyn White's 46th place finish that solidified another year on top.
Shawnee Mission East finished third with 84 points, so close to adding even more chaos to the team standings.
On the individual side of things, Junction City freshman Linden Pickler held off a field of favorites, running 18:37 as she took down Shawnee Mission East's Charlotte Hardy.
Ani Allen of Olathe South finished fourth in 18:41, while Washburn Rural's Ismert and Fink ran 18:41 and 18:48 for third and fifth.
