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Kansas City, Kan. — Just a few weeks ago, Bonner Springs High School boys cross country coach Bill Downing wasn’t sure if his team had the depth to contend for a berth in the Class 4A state championships.

After the Braves’ showing at the Kaw Valley League Championships Thursday at Pierson Park, however, Downing can’t wait to find out how his squad will perform at regionals. There are no guarantees that the Braves will qualify as a team for state, but Downing is much more encouraged by where the BSHS boys stand after the performance the Braves turned in on the way to a fourth-place finish at the league meet.

Mill Valley — one of the top Class 5A teams in the state — captured its third straight KVL crown with 27 points. The Braves were fourth with 96, just three points behind third-place Basehor-Linwood and eight points behind runner-up Tonganoxie.

THS and BLHS are among the squads Downing expects the Braves to battle with for the final team berth into the state championships.

“We had a great race today; the guys really stepped up,” Downing said. “If you look at how much closer we are to these teams than we were early in the year, those are teams that are going to be in our regional.”

Turner senior Russell Brown won the 5K race in a course-record time of 17 minutes, 13.10 seconds. Mill Valley packed six runners into the top 10.

Senior Matt Coffman led BSHS with a seventh-place finish in 18:08 and garnered All-KVL first-team honors.

“I was hoping to just start out with everyone, stay with the front group, and work my way up to catch them all,” Coffman said of his strategy.

He started fast, picked off a few runners during the second half of the race and held off a few opponents during the final half mile.

Sophomore Austin Schuler made a strong push during the second half of the race and placed 16th in 18:44. Junior T.J. Kimbrough-French was 17th in 18:45. Both garnered All-KVL second-team honors.

Downing got what he expected from his top three runners, but he was particularly pleased with the Braves’ fourth and fifth finishers, freshman Joe Casteel and sophomore Thomas Hook.

“My four and five ran a gutty race today,” Downing said. “They were in the mix with a pack of Tongie and Basehor guys, and they stayed with them for as long as they could. They gave everything they had today, and they really pushed themselves to get up in that mix.

“They didn’t have quite enough to stay with that mix, but they’re young and they’re going to get stronger. They’re skinny, young high school boys who are just going to keep getting stronger with the miles they put on, and I’m really excited about their future.”

Also for BSHS, sophomore Zack Quigley placed 34th in 20:27 and sophomore Trey Scott took 42nd in 22:23.

BALLOU LEADS BSHS GIRLS

Lansing dominated the girls 4K competition as it placed six runners in the top nine and cruised to the team championship with 21 points. Mill Valley was a distant second with 76 and Basehor-Linwood finished third with 81.

Bonner Springs placed sixth with 151 points.

Lansing sophomore Mariah Anthony was the individual champion in 16:53.70.

Bonner Springs junior Mandy Ballou led the way for the Braves. She established her position early and held off the competition throughout en route to an 18th-place finish in 19:03. Ballou garnered All-KVL second-team honors for her performance.

A state qualifier as a freshman, Ballou will attempt to earn a second trip to state next week at the regional championships.

Ballou was the Braves’ lone All-League performer. Also for BSHS, junior Tessa Newberry finished 34th in 20:41, sophomore Citlally Alvarado was 36th in 21:08, freshman Akiko Capalla finished 40th in 22:54 and sophomore Rachel Barber was 41st in 23:04.

Bonner Springs next competes at the Class 4A regional meet at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Wyandotte County Park. Other teams in the regional are Atchison, Baldwin, Basehor-Linwood, Santa Fe Trail, De Soto, Eudora, Bishop Ward, Piper, Sumner Academy, St. James Academy, Jefferson County West, Perry-Lecompton, Spring Hill, Tonganoxie and Topeka Hayden.

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