Kansas runners to watch: Class 5A girls

After more than two weeks of practice, cross country runners all across Kansas are beginning competitions this week. Here is a list of Kansas City area runners to watch in the Class 5A girls division.

1. Although she’s a bit outside the KC area, the Class 5A girls preseason preview wouldn’t be complete without Salina Central’s Kaylie Shultz. She has established herself as one of the most accomplished distance runners in Kansas, putting together an extraordinary career at Salina Central. 

She finished runner-up at the Class 5A state cross country meet as a freshman in 2023, then placed third as a sophomore in 2024 before reaching the top of the podium as a junior in 2025. Shultz won the state championship at Rim Rock Farm in 17:26.30, earning the Bob Timmons Award as the fastest girls runner across the state meets.

Shultz has been just as dominant on the track. She has accumulated multiple state medals in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 throughout her career, including three top-four finishes in 2025 and an impressive junior season in 2026, when she finished runner-up in both the 1,600 and 3,200 and fifth in the 800. 

The combination of her state cross country championship, eight career individual state track medals and remarkable range from the 800 through the 3,200 makes Shultz one of the premier distance runners in the state. She has now added another major accomplishment to her resume by committing to Florida State, where she will continue her running career after Salina Central.

2. Much like Kaylie Schulz, Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Ava Claassen is outside the KC area but this list wouldn’t be complete without her. She has quickly become one of the most dominant young distance runners in Kansas. 

The Kapaun Mt. Carmel standout finished 15th at the state cross country meet as a freshman in 2024 before making a remarkable leap as a sophomore, finishing runner-up at the Class 5A state meet in 2025. Claassen ran 17:36 at Rim Rock Farm and finished first or second in every race during her sophomore cross country season, helping Kapaun win its first girls team state championship since 2003.

Claassen was even more impressive on the track as a sophomore in 2026. She captured state championships in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, becoming one of the most dominant distance runners in the state. Her 3,200 victory was particularly spectacular: she ran 10:04.27, setting a Class 5A state-meet record and becoming the fastest Kansas girl ever to run the 3,200 at the state meet. She also won the 1,600 in a state-meet record 4:45.15.

The progression from 15th as a freshman to state runner-up as a sophomore in cross country, followed by two state championships on the track, is remarkable. Claassen has already established herself as one of the premier distance runners in Kansas with another two seasons of high school competition ahead of her.

3. Blue Valley Southwest’s Campbell Harger is one of the top young distance runners in Kansas. The Blue Valley Southwest standout finished 11th at the Class 5A state cross country meet as a freshman in 2024, making her the top-finishing freshman in the race. 

She took another major step forward as a sophomore in 2025, moving all the way up to sixth at state in 19:10.60. Harger’s 2025 season included a personal-best 18:59.80, placing her among the fastest runners in Blue Valley Southwest history.

Harger has also shown impressive range on the track. As a freshman in 2025, she finished 10th in the 1,600 meters at the state meet. She improved that finish as a sophomore in 2026, placing sixth in the 1,600 and seventh in the 800.

The progression from 11th as a freshman to sixth as a sophomore in cross country, combined with three state track finishes, established Harger as a runner to watch.

4. Much like her teammate above, Blue Valley Southwest's Avery Reynolds has developed into one of the Kansas City area’s top distance runners during her time at Blue Valley Southwest. She finished 14th at the Class 5A state cross country meet as a freshman in 2023 before placing 21st as a sophomore in 2024.

Reynolds took another significant step forward as a junior in 2025, finishing seventh at state in 19:12.74. That performance made her one of the top returning runners in Class 5A heading into her senior season.

Reynolds continued to compete at a high level on the track as a junior in 2026. She finished 12th in the 3,200 meters and 11th in the 1,600 at the state meet.

With another year of experience and a quality state performances, she enters her senior season as one of the key returning distance runners to watch in the Kansas City area.

5. Bishop Carroll’s Megan Stephenson made an immediate impact for Bishop Carroll as a freshman in 2025, Stephenson finished eighth at the Class 5A state cross country meet, running 19:13.86 at Rim Rock Farm. She was the second Bishop Carroll runner across the finish line behind senior Sophia Thome, helping the Golden Eagles finish second as a team.

Stephenson's freshman season was impressive from start to finish. She consistently competed near the front of the Wichita-area field and ran 19:17.68 at the Greater Wichita Athletic League Championships, finishing fifth in a deep field. Her top-eight state finish earned her All-State honors, while she was also selected to the Wichita All-Metro second team.

6. Kapaun Mt. Carmel’s Maddyx Erwin burst onto the Kansas high school cross country scene as a freshman in 2025, finishing ninth at the Class 5A state meet in 19:13.94. 

Erwin was the third Kapaun Mt. Carmel runner across the finish line, helping the Crusaders score 58 points and capture the girls state championship. Her performance also made her one of the top freshmen in the state.

With a top-10 state finish as a freshman, Erwin has already established herself as an important part of Kapaun Mt. Carmel's impressive distance-running group. With three seasons still remaining, her early success gives her plenty of opportunity to climb even higher in the state standings.

7. Topeka Seaman’s Brynn Spencer has steadily climbed the ranks during her high school cross country career. After finishing 32nd at the Class 5A state meet as a freshman in 2023, Spencer moved up to 18th as a sophomore in 2024 before placing 16th as a junior in 2025. 

Spencer also demonstrated her versatility on the track during her junior season in 2026, earning top-10 finishes in both distance events at the state meet. She placed ninth in the 3,200-meter run and 10th in the 1,600, giving her valuable state-meet experience. With her combination of cross country consistency and track success, Spencer enters her senior season looking to make another jump at the state level.

8. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Brooklyn Huigens has established herself as a consistent state-meet competitor throughout her first two seasons. Huigens finished 16th at the state cross country meet as a freshman in 2024 before following that with an 18th-place finish as a sophomore in 2025. Her back-to-back all-state races provide a strong foundation heading into her junior season.

Huigens has also shown impressive versatility on the track, competing successfully in both the 800 and 1,600 meters. As a freshman in 2025, she placed 12th in the 800 at state, then improved to eighth in the event as a sophomore in 2026. She also added an eighth-place finish in the 1,600 as a sophomore, giving her two top-eight state finishes in 2026.

9. St. James Academy’s Allison Meyer has continued to make her mark at the state level during her career. Meyer finished 13th in the 800 meters at the state track meet as a sophomore in 2025 before placing 19th at the state cross country meet later that year. She took another significant step forward as a junior, earning a runner-up finish in the 800 at the 2026 state track meet.

Meyer's progression in the 800 has established her as one of St. James Academy's top returning middle-distance runners. After moving from a top-15 state finisher to the state podium in the event, Meyer enters her senior season with the experience and proven ability to contend for another state-level finish.

10. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Caroline Cooper made an immediate impact by qualifying for the state cross country meet as a freshman in 2025. 

Cooper earned a state medal and finished 20th at the state meet, giving her a strong debut on the state's biggest stage and valuable experience heading into the next phase of her high school career.

That state-meet performance provides Cooper with a solid foundation as she continues to develop. With a top-20 finish already on her resume, Cooper will look to build on that freshman-season success and move up the state standings as an upperclassman.

11. St. James Academy’s Keira Riordan has shown significant improvement during her first two seasons. After finishing 87th at the state cross country meet as a freshman, Riordan made a major jump as a sophomore, placing 21st at state in 2025. 

Her progress continued on the track in 2026, when she recorded two top-10 finishes at the state meet. Riordan placed ninth in the 1,600 meters and 10th in the 3,200 as a sophomore, demonstrating her strength across both distance events. 

With a dramatic improvement in cross country followed by a pair of top-10 state finishes on the track, Riordan enters her junior season as a runner with plenty of momentum and room to continue climbing the state rankings.