The Buhler’s girls cross country team will chase a third consecutive Class 4A state championship Saturday at Wamego Country Club, while the Crusader boys look to extend their streak of top-three state finishes to nine.
The Buhler girls captured last year’s state championship with 67 points, finishing ahead of Wamego and Baldwin. The girls enter as the No. 1 team in the latest Kansas Cross Country Coaches Poll.
Senior Corbin Starkweather leads the Crusaders after winning her 5K sub-state race last Saturday by more than 30 seconds. Her season-best time of 18:36.30, set at the Sterling Invitational on Oct. 8, ranks second in Class 4A this season, according to Kansas MileSplit.
The Buhler boys have earned a top-three finish at eight consecutive state meets, winning five championships during that stretch. Their most recent title came in 2023, and they placed third behind Wamego and Andale last year.
Junior Ryan Cherry enters Saturday with the fastest Class 4A time this season at 15:51.20, also set at the Sterling Invitational. Cherry finished third in his 5K sub-state race last Saturday.
Andale, Winfield, Wamego and Buhler figure to battle for the top four spots in the boys team standings.
The Buhler girls race at 10 a.m., followed by the boys at 11:45 a.m.
