Louisburg Cross Country off to a Great Start
- Updated: September 10, 2026
The Louisburg Cross Country team gave an outstanding performance at their first meet of the year on September 4th at Anderson County. A second place finish at the 22nd Annual Coach Howarter Invitational, as well as individual accomplishments, serves as a great start to the year.
On the girls team, Felicity Allen finished 3rd and Ella Vallejo finished 6th in the two mile run, while Maddox McGhee finished 9th in the 5000 meter run. The boys team had Denver Schnelle finish 4th and Spencer Mattison finish 8th in the 5000 meter run.
“We had a great first meet,” said head coach John Reece. “Both teams finished 2nd and we brought home several individual medals.”
While with a great first meet to start the season, the Louisburg boys and girls teams look to improve as the season goes on and into state competitions.
“As the season progresses, we look to tighten the gap between runners to make our teams more competitive. We look to continue to work hard and our goal is to qualify both teams for the state meet,” said Reece.
With concerns of the weather, the teams faced an extra challenge while running this week. The heat forced the meet to the morning, giving the teams an early morning.
“Considering the conditions that we were asked to race in, all the runners embraced the conditions and ran well,” said Reece.
The Wildcats are preparing for the next meet by practicing exactly how they will perform. The team has been practicing in the mornings, which will be helpful when it comes to race time on Saturday morning. Last week the Wildcats were able to tune out distractions when it came to race time, which is a quality they are looking to bring into the second week.
While cross country is often viewed as an individual sport, it is just as much a team sport too. Both boys and girls varsity came in second place last week, which was a direct result of good teamwork in practice and on the course. Head coach John Reece expects the teams to keep racing well and improving together.
“Working together in practice and races to help us continue to improve as a team, which will carry over to individual efforts,” Reece said.
The Louisburg Cross Country team will have another chance to showcase their talents this Saturday, September 12th. The meet will be hosted by Wamego High School at the Wamego Country Club.
– Payton Crooks, Addy Wiese
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