Liberty North junior Lucy Wright won the KC XC Classic on Saturday. (photo by Matt Noonan) By Jimmy Gillispie It was a busy weekend of cross country meets all around the region as runners enjoyed true fall temperatures for the first time this year. Teams from the Kansas City area competed in various meets, including the Kansas City XC Classic, Maple Leaf XC Classic, Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and even the Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational in Terre Hau

Rockhurst finished third in the Elite Division of the Gans Creek Classic on Friday night. Rockhurst junior Jack McGovern broke the state record with a time of 14:25.8. (photo by Rockhurst Athletics) Rockhurst junior Jack McGovern made headlines Friday night after he ran the fastest time ever by a high school runner on the Gans Creek course in Columbia, Missouri. Under the lights, McGovern paced all runners at the Gans Creek Classic and brought home a victory in the Elite Divi

Lexington sophomore Ellie Lichte, junior Phoebe Engelbrecht and senior Addison Smith finished first, second and third, respectively, at the Odessa Invitational meet Saturday. (photos by Jimmy Gillispie) By Jimmy Gillispie ODESSA — The two-time defending state champion Lexington girls cross country team was challenged a bit Saturday morning, but its top three runners paced the squad to victory. Lexington won the Odessa Invitational with 30 points, beating just four other schoo

Now that the season is underway, it’s time to take a look at some Kansas City area runners who will be names to watch this fall. There will always be surprises along the way, but here are a few names to keep an eye out for during the next two months. 1. Lexington's Addison Smith has established herself as the standard in Class 3 girls cross country, winning back-to-back Missouri state championships as a sophomore in 2024 and a junior in 2025. After placing 19th at the state