Westhoff claims SEK title

CHERRYVALE -- Fort Scott High School junior Cassidy Westhoff claimed the Southeast Kansas League girls' cross-country title here Thursday, keeping that crown on the head of a Tiger for the fourth consecutive season.

Westhoff joins Kati Jo Todd (1996), Heather Williams (2004-05) and Rienbolt (2011-13) as Fort Scott female champions. Her sister, Mallory, finished in seventh place.

On the boys' side, sophomore Devin Brooks finished in second place while Garett Tatro took 10th place.

Cassidy Westhoff ran the four-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 42.84 seconds finishing nearly a full minute ahead of Chanute's Talia Ramsey, who turned in a time of 16:40.75. McKenzie Wilks of Pittsburg was third in 16:56.84.

Mallory Westhoff ran the course in 18:25.28. Asia Farrington finished 18th in 20:08.18. Claire Gorman turned in a time of 22:41.96 in finishing 23rd. Kaylee Coombs was 26th in 23:33.31 and Lily Zimmerman was 27th in 23:43.40.

Brooks ran five kilometers in a time if 18:57.40, coming in behind winner Derrick Sumner of Pittsburg, who turned in a time of 18:40.52. Sumner succeeds former PHS runner Hank Cloninger as SEK champion. Third place went to Chanute's Brady Taylor in 19:15.40.

Tatro turned in a 20:27.02 as he finished with a medal. Zach Ballou was 21st in 21:44.93. Ben Morris came in 39th in 25:27.17. Dalton Carpenter finished 42nd in 28:13.27.

Chanute swept the varsity team titles, the first time that's been done since the Blue Comets did it themselves in 2011. It was the fourth consecutive title for the girls, who scored 34 points. Pittsburg was second with 53 while Fort Scott took fourth with 63 and Labette County rounded out the list of eligible teams with 71 points.

Chanute's boys won their fourth title in eight seasons, the previous three coming in odd-numbered years (2007, 2009, 2011). The Comets scored 37 points followed by Pittsburg wit 65 and Pasons with 67. The Tigers finished fourth with 114 points with two-time defending champ Labette County in fifth with 115.

Olivia Houston was Fort Scott's only entrant in the girls' junior varsity race, which drew just nine competitors as teams moved JV runners up to varsity. She finisher the 4K course in 26:55.90. Quatera Wright of Parsons was the winner in 20:22.81. Chanute was the only team eligible to score points.

Fort Scott did not have any participants in the boys' 4K JV race, won by Labette County's Colton Chapman in 17:24.12, well ahead of the rest of the pack. Chanute won the team title in this division as well.

The Tigers will be in Garnett for Regionals next Saturday.