Cross country often reveals who can handle adversity when the terrain turns rough. This week, Central Heights proved it has that grit in spades.
Hosting their annual home invitational, the Vikings faced a dramatically updated course featuring sharper turns, steeper climbs, and uneven footing that tested every runner’s balance and stamina. Despite the added difficulty, Central Heights rose to the challenge, sweeping the varsity team titles behind clutch senior leadership, dramatic breakout performances, and strong home-crowd support.
Varsity Girls: A Thrilling One-Point Victory Over Frontenac
The varsity girls race came down to pure grit at the finish line, with the Vikings edging out Frontenac by a single point (27 team points) to claim the crown.
Junior standout Makenzie Moon led the charge, proving once again that she thrives on her home grass. Moon notched her third consecutive home-meet personal record, taking 2nd place overall with a time of 21:00.53.
The rest of the Viking pack delivered the crucial depth needed for the title:
- Ebony Hughes crossed in 7th (21:40.27) with a season best.
- Lily Burkdoll earned a medal in 12th place (22:38.15).
- Kamden Moon secured a 20th-place medal and a home PR (23:41.03) as the team’s vital fourth runner.
- Katelyn Burkdoll (21st, 23:47.52, SB), Elizabeth Meyer (31st, 25:51.98, PR), and Faith Coons (34th, 26:42.28, SB) slammed the door shut to lock down the team championship.
Varsity Boys: Senior Farewell and a Breakout Pack Secure First
On the boys’ side, emotion and execution collided. Central Heights celebrated senior leaders Stetson Miller and Cash Miller in their final home meet. Stetson has been a consistent front-runner for five seasons, while Cash completed his journey as a member of the program’s elite “Super Seven” club—competing without interruption from sixth through twelfth grade.
Central Heights rolled to a comfortable 19-point team victory, tallying 41 points behind a devastating top-four pack:
- Josiah Meyer took runner-up honors (17:12.84), trailing only one of Class 4A’s top contenders.
- Stetson Miller matched his season best to grab 3rd place (17:20.95).
- Sophomore Knox Cannady delivered the performance of the day, shattering his personal best by nearly 45 seconds to finish 5th (17:50.67)—his first time breaking the elusive 18-minute barrier.
- Ben Wuertz followed closely in 8th place (17:54.67).
Cash Miller (27th, 19:21.50, SB), Sawyer Lickteig (29th, 19:28.89, PR), and Mathew Dunbar (45th, 21:08.64) capped off the commanding win.
Sub-Varsity and Middle School Standouts
The future looks bright for the Vikings across every division:
- Junior Varsity: Ramsey Moore medaled in 4th place (20:56.55, PR) for the boys, while Rilya Lickteig (6th, 27:59.99, PR) and Mackenzie Macy (7th, 28:03.84) both earned hardware in the JV girls race.
- Middle School Girls: Emery Hughes powered her way to a 3rd-place medal (14:01.39) in the 8th-grade race, flanked by McKinley Smith in 10th. In the 7th-grade division, Kenzli Mason grabbed her first medal of the season in 8th place (15:50.34, PR).
- Middle School Boys: The 7th-grade boys captured 2nd place as a team (37 points), powered by Brody Burkdoll’s 3rd-place finish (12:43.44, dropping 28 seconds off his PR) and Wyatt Moon’s 6th-place medal (13:16.16).
Powered by Community
Pulling off a meet of this scale on a brand-new course required a small army. Community volunteers cleared paths, parent volunteers managed the concessions, and hundreds of Viking faithful lined the hills to cheer on every blue-and-black jersey.
With two state-ranked squads and championship season just around the corner, Central Heights proved they can handle tough terrain and high stakes alike.
Meet Results
Varsity Boys – 5K (1st Place – 41 pts)
- 2nd – Josiah Meyer (17:12.84)
- 3rd – Stetson Miller (17:20.95) (SB)
- 5th – Knox Cannady (17:50.67) (PR)
- 8th – Ben Wuertz (17:54.67)
- 27th – Cash Miller (19:21.50) (SB)
- 29th – Sawyer Lickteig (19:28.89) (PR)
- 45th – Mathew Dunbar (21:08.64)
Varsity Girls – 5K (1st Place – 27 pts)
- 2nd – Makenzie Moon (21:00.53) (PR)
- 7th – Ebony Hughes (21:40.27) (SB)
- 12th – Lily Burkdoll (22:38.15)
- 20th – Kamden Moon (23:41.03) (PR)
- 21st – Katelyn Burkdoll (23:47.52) (SB)
- 31st – Elizabeth Meyer (25:51.98) (PR)
- 34th – Faith Coons (26:42.28) (SB)
Junior Varsity Boys – 5K
- 4th – Ramsey Moore (20:56.55) (PR)
- 13th – Cristian Duran (23:07.24)
Junior Varsity Girls – 5K
- 6th – Rilya Lickteig (27:59.99) (PR)
- 7th – Mackenzie Macy (28:03.84)
8th Grade Girls – 2 Miles
- 3rd – Emery Hughes (14:01.39)
- 10th – McKinley Smith (16:43.67)
7th Grade Boys – 2 Miles (2nd Place – 37 pts)
- 3rd – Brody Burkdoll (12:43.44) (PR)
- 6th – Wyatt Moon (13:16.16)
- 10th – Deacon Bures (14:20.03)
- 17th – Brody Kratzberg (15:01.64)
- 44th – Calan Dunbar (14:51.78)
7th Grade Girls – 2 Miles
- 8th – Kenzli Mason (15:50.34) (PR)
*Legend: = Medalist | SB = Season Best | PR = Personal Record
Photo Credits: Troy Prosser
