Missouri runners to watch: Class 4 boys and girls

With the first meets of the season just a couple of sunsets away, runners are ready to ready to take on the 2026 season.

There are a handful of 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.

Class 4 Girls

1. Warrensburg's Skyler Knight emerged as one of Missouri's top young distance runners during the 2025 cross country season, finishing 11th at the Missouri State Cross Country Championships as a sophomore. 

Her top-15 finish placed her among the state's elite and gives her plenty of momentum heading into the upcoming season. With two years of high school competition still ahead, Knight has already established herself as a runner capable of competing for all-state honors on a consistent basis.

Knight carried that success into the 2026 track and field season, placing 11th in the 3,200-meter run and 15th in the 1,600 meters at the state meet. As she enters his junior season, Knight will be one of the top returning runners to watch in Class 4.

2. Kearney's Elizabeth Fowler made an impressive debut on the state stage during her freshman cross country season in 2025, finishing 32nd at the Missouri State Cross Country Championships. 

Competing against an experienced field, Fowler demonstrated both poise and potential, laying the foundation for what could be an outstanding high school career.

Fowler continued her development during the 2026 track and field season by placing 13th in the 800-meter run at the state meet. 

Class 4 Boys

With the first meets of the season just a couple of sunsets away, runners are ready to ready to take on the 2026 season.

There are a handful of 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. Smithville's Jack Johnston has developed into one of Missouri's premier distance runners through steady improvement during his first two high school seasons. 

After finishing 37th at the Missouri State Cross Country Championships as a freshman in 2024, Johnston took a major step forward by placing 10th as a sophomore in 2025, earning all-state honors and establishing himself among the top returning runners in Class 4.

Johnston continued his outstanding sophomore year on the track by placing fifth in the 1,600-meter run and eighth in the 3,200 meters at the 2026 state meet. 

With two years of state experience already on his resume, Johnston enters his junior season as one of the top contenders in Class 4.

2. St. Michael the Archangel's Colten Boulware enjoyed one of the biggest jumps of any distance runner in Missouri between his freshman and sophomore seasons. 

After placing 79th at the 2024 Missouri State Cross Country Championships, Boulware broke into the state's elite by finishing 11th as a sophomore in 2025. His breakthrough performance established him as one of the top returning runners in Class 4 entering the upcoming season.

Boulware backed up that success with an exceptional 2026 track and field season. He placed fifth in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races while also earning a seventh-place finish in the 800 meters at the MSHSAA state meet.

3. Kearney's Cameron Fowler continued his steady rise among Missouri's top distance runners during the 2025 cross country season. 

After placing 28th at the Missouri State Cross Country Championships as a freshman in 2024, Fowler improved to a 13th-place finish as a sophomore, earning all-state honors and establishing himself as one of the top runners in Class 4.

With another year of experience and confidence, Fowler enters his junior season poised to challenge for an even higher finish at the state meet. His consistent improvement over his first two years of high school competition makes him one of the runners to watch this fall.

4. Lincoln College Prep's Logan Kane made tremendous strides during his sophomore season, emerging as one of the top distance runners in Class 4. 

Following finishing 83rd at the Missouri State Cross Country Championships as a freshman in 2024, Kane improved by more than 50 places to finish 28th in 2025. 

Kane also competed in the 3,200-meter run at the 2026 Missouri State Track and Field Championships. With two successful seasons already behind him and another year of experience ahead, Kane enters his junior campaign as one of the rising distance runners to watch in Missouri.