Kansas Cross Country

What part of Kansas and do you know what class your school is in? 6A being the biggest, 1A the smallest. Are you male or female?

Wichita Kansas, Class 6a, male

Be prepared for early meets so hot that you'll feel like you're on a treadmill in a pizza oven, and winter meets so cold that your balls freeze to your leg. The one consistent factor over the seasons: the wind will be blowing hard. You'll also be near Wichita East, home track of Jim Ryun; and miles upon miles of packed dirt roads with very little traffic.

Is your username a Bethany reference, by chance?

In regards to the OP: hot XC meets for most the season. Your state course is Rim Rock in Lawrence, which is fast but does have three pretty nasty hills throughout.

Indoor season is an on your own thing, but there's plenty of high school meets at KU, KState, Wichita State, and Pitt. Pittsburgh's new 300m indoor track is one of the best facilities in the midwest and you should race there any chance you get.

Outdoor season will be cold and rainy or sweltering hot, no in between. State track will be at Wichita State and is the single biggest high school only track meet in the nation (according to KSHA). It's a fun time.

Theswede wrote:

Be prepared for early meets so hot that you'll feel like you're on a treadmill in a pizza oven, and winter meets so cold that your balls freeze to your leg. The one consistent factor over the seasons: the wind will be blowing hard. You'll also be near Wichita East, home track of Jim Ryun; and miles upon miles of packed dirt roads with very little traffic.

Sounds terrible, East will actually be my high school. The dirt roads sound nice though.

Welcome to Kansas! It's not as bad as these old timers make it sound.

To answer your questions... If you really want to know how good everyone is you should check out ks.milesplit.com

I would say traditionally over the last 10 years or so the best boys team in the Wichita area is Bishop Carroll which is actually a 5A school. It really can vary from year to year, but Wichita East usually has some good teams. Wichita North, Campus, and Derby have all had some of the better teams as well. Outside of Wichita there are several good KC area teams. Manhattan and Garden City are a couple of the other top 6A programs.

And I'm coming in from Alabama, so it can't be any worse than that.

Dylan wrote:

And I'm coming in from Alabama, so it can't be any worse than that.

Mhmm. Get back to us in September.

Bigswede wrote:

Dylan wrote:

And I'm coming in from Alabama, so it can't be any worse than that.

Mhmm. Get back to us in September.

Use to live in Hutchinson, KS, near Wichita. I have also lived in central Mississippi, and south and central Texas.

Kansas can be hot, but if you run by 8am you can avoid the summer heat, unlike Alabama and Texas. Wind is common in that area.

6A high school level is fairly competitive for a small state, and a step up from Alabama distance running. The Wichita and KC suburban schools are big, but some of the 6A schools from one school towns like Garden City, Great Bend and Dodge City and especially Lawrence Free State and Manhattan will be competitive.

East is one of the better programs in Wichita as I recall. Even still, a sub 4:30 guy is going relevant on any team in the state.