McGhee leads Wildcat cross country with medal at Wamego Invite

WAMEGO — Facing off against some of the toughest competition in the state, the Louisburg cross country teams made the trip west on Saturday to take part in the annual Wamego Invitational, held on the Kansas state meet course at Wamego Country Club.

Despite the deep and talented field, freshman Maddox McGhee rose to the occasion for the Wildcat girls, earning the team’s lone medal of the day. McGhee finished 39th overall with an impressive time of 22 minutes, 12 seconds, navigating the hilly course with poise in one of the largest meets of the season.

“Once again we went to Wamego and slayed the dragon,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “What a course it is. The girls ran a solid race and Maddox earning a medal was fantastic. Getting the opportunity to race the state course is a huge benefit if we make it back in November.”

Fellow freshman Karissa Williamson was the next Wildcat to cross the finish line, placing 57th in 22:59, while Reese Smith took 73rd with a time of 23:48. Rounding out the varsity squad were Hailey Shelton (87th, 24:34), Annie Hornberger (93rd, 24:54), Talen McMurray (101st, 25:32), and Felicity Allen (110th, 26:12).

On the boys’ side, Truman Ellison led the way for Louisburg, narrowly missing out on medal honors. The junior finished 45th overall in 18:48, holding strong in the second half of the race.

Juniors Titus Ellison and Levi Cotter weren’t far behind. Titus crossed in 65th place in 19:35, while Cotter followed closely with a 72nd-place finish in 19:45, capping off a solid showing for the Wildcat boys’ squad.

“The boys ran good races and looking at last year’s times, we are improving as a team and the future looks good,” Reece said. “Truman led the way but just missed a medal this year.”

While no team trophies came home, Louisburg gained valuable experience competing against elite programs, and several runners posted season-best times.

The Wildcats will look to continue building momentum as they head into the heart of the season today at the Wellsville Invitational.