Girls
Jayme Opdahl (Blue Springs South)
The Jaguars will look a bit different this year with their one-two punch of Victoria Findley and Danielle Hotalling both having graduated. Jayme Opdahl looks to lead the next generation of girls distance runners at Blue Springs South. Despite only racing three times last Cross Country season, she still managed to post a PR of 20:15 which was the the 13th fastest freshman time in Class 4. It was track season though where she really opened up some eyes. She posted the fastest 800m time for a freshman in Class 5 with a 2:20.24, was 5th in the 1600m at 5:28 , and was also 6th in the 3200m (despite only running it once early) with an 11:53. She also gained some valuable experience under pressure as she led off the Jaguar's silver medal 4x800m team. Look for her to build upon that solid spring with a great season this fall.
Maggie May (Francis Howell)
Francis Howell had arguably the best freshman squad in the State last season, and Maggie was the fastest of the bunch. She had an up and down Cross Country Season but did manage to run 20:17 on the State Course last year. Like Opdahl it was on the track where she really stood out. She was a State Qualifier in the Class 5 1600m with a 5:18 that was second best among freshman in Class 5, and she was also the 5th fastest freshman in the Class 5 800m with a 2:28. She also gained some valuable experience under pressure as she split 2:24 on Howell's 7th place 4x800m at State. Look for Maggie to continue to get better this season for the Vikings.
Leah Selm (Parkway West)
Leah is the first person on our list that didn't do track in the spring. However, she had a very strong freshman XC season that speaks for itself. She was the 7th fastest freshman in Class 4 last year with a 19:57. While that's impressive enough on its own, she ran that time at State, and all the people above her ran their PR's on much easier courses. She placed 31st at State, and was the first freshman to finish. Look for her to try and jump up and earn a medal this fall.
Kayla Voelker (Eureka)
Kayla had a strong freshman year for the Wildcats last year. She had the second fastest time for a freshman in Class 4 last year with a 19:45 and placed 57th at the State Meet. She built upon that with a strong track season as well, finishing the year with the 3rd fastest freshman time in the Class 5 3200m with an 11:40. She also was the 5th fastest freshman in the 1600m with a 5:31. She's a strong candidate to have a solid season this year.
Sarah Russom (Francis Howell)
Another member of Howell's top freshman class last year, Sarah really didn't break out until track season. Her XC PR is only a 22:23, which is far slower than anyone on this list. However, track was a whole different story. She was a State Qualifier in the 3200m, and was the fastest freshman in Class 5 last season with an 11:29, nearly 10s faster than second. She also was the 9th fastest freshman in the 1600m with a 5:35 in her only attempt at the event. You can't ignore that 3200m time, and that's why I think she is a prime candidate to be a breakout performer for the Vikings this year.
Mia Reed (Washington)
Mia had a very strong freshman season for Washington. Her 19:47 PR was the third fastest among freshman last year, and she placed 42nd at State. In track she spent most of her time running the Steeple Chase and on Washington's 4x800m relay. She teamed up with her sister to capture the State Championship in that Class 4 4x800. Her open times aren't that eye popping, but I'm sure had she had more opportunities to run them she would've been near the top in those races among freshman. Look for her to have solid sophomore season.