Wildcat boys cross country takes third at league, girls finish fourth

By Andy Brown
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: October 24, 2025

***Louisburg’s Levi Cotter (left) led the Wildcats on Oct. 16 at the Frontier League meet as he took ninth.***

BALDWIN CITY — The Louisburg cross country teams turned in impressive performances at the Frontier League Championships on Oct. 16 in Baldwin, with the boys finishing third and the girls earning a strong fourth-place showing in one of the toughest leagues in Class 4A.

The Wildcat boys posted a team score of 83 points, trailing only league champion Spring Hill (30) and runner-up Eudora (49). Louisburg’s top four runners all placed in the top 16 and earned All-Frontier League honors.

Junior Levi Cotter led the way, placing ninth in 18 minutes, 29 seconds. Titus Ellison followed in 13th (18:48), while Spencer Mattison (19:07.02) and Truman Ellison (19:07.92) finished 15th and 16th. August Meyer placed 33rd in 20:53, and Matthew Lien rounded out the team’s scoring in 51st (24:01).

“The runners knew they could do well, but the boys’ third-place finish was amazing,” Louisburg coach John Reece said. “Levi really stepped up for the team and ran a solid race. Putting four in the top 21 to get all-league honors was fantastic.”

The Louisburg girls were equally strong, taking fourth overall with 98 points in a field that included several of the state’s top programs. Baldwin won the girls’ title with 39 points, followed by Eudora (65) and Spring Hill (81).

Freshman Maddox McGhee led the Wildcats with a breakout race, placing ninth in a personal-best time of 20:57 — the sixth-fastest time in school history. Karissa Williamson (17th, 21:33) and Hailey Shelton (21st, 21:59) also earned all-league recognition. Reese Smith finished 30th in 22:50, followed by Annie Hornberger (37th, 23:29) and Talen McMurray (44th, 23:45).

“Maddox continues to run well, and her teammates are right there with her,” Reece said. “Getting three all-league honors was great. Both groups are really displaying the team concept of cross country. If a teammate doesn’t have their best race, someone else steps up and helps them through it.”

Louisburg now turns its focus to Saturday’s Class 4A regional meet at Riverside Park in Neodesha. The girls’ race begins at 10:35 a.m., followed by the boys at 11:45.

“Regionals could be a special day for our program,” Reece said. “We’re going to Neodesha to make our mark and continue the ride all the way to Wamego. The course and weather will be interesting, but we’re ready to run.”