Boys
Kyle's Crystal Ball
Individuals
15. Luke Stevenson - Pattonville
14. Keion Grieve - Capital City
12. Grayson Tapp - Liberty North
11. Mason Shank - Nixa
10. Jorge Perezruiz - Liberty North
9. Myles Thornburg - Liberty
8. Lukas Groenewald - Lafayette Wildwood
7. Jack Williams - Lee's Summit West
6. Henry Acorn - Rockhurst
5. Hobbs Campbell - Joplin
4. Tyler Harris - Kickapoo
3. Ian Kemey - Rock Bridge
2. Andrew Hauser - Rock Bridge
1. Sage Wilde - Liberty North
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It's going to be fun to watch, trust and believe. Wilde, Hauser, Kemey, and Harris should battle it out throughout the whole race, with Hauser and Wilde pulling away on the back side of the 3k loop. Don't expect either of the two juniors to give an inch until they round the corner and head down the final straightaway. Either one could pull in the gold medal, but I'm seeing Wilde as the man who crosses first this time. The best of three series would see it's rubber match next November with both boys having a win each.
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Teams
5. Jackson
4. Rockhurst
3. Rock Bridge
2. Kickapoo
1. Liberty North
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I don't expect Liberty North to lose their grip on the crown on Friday. Three of their boys should be in the top 15 and they could even put all 5 in the top 25. That will be hard to beat. Kickapoo has done a lot down the stretch, but it may not be enough. I wouldn't be shocked if they did win it all again. They've done it once, they can do it again. Rock Bridge's youth may hold them back or it may push them forward. Either way, top 3 is probably the floor. Rockhurst should finish fourth with their strong top 2. I like Jackson to finish 5th. They've been a real dark horse all season, have a 31 second 1-5 spread, and have looked strong against strong competition. They ran away with District 1 against a murderer's row lineup so they're battle-tested and could even sneak into fourth led by Hunter Wendel.