The Greater Kansas City Cross Country Coaches Association hosted their annual awards ceremony at St.Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas, on Sunday, November 19. The association named two All-Metro teams each from both Missouri and Kansas. First Teams from each state consist of 11-12 athletes and Honorable Mention teams from each state consist of 15 athletes.
Three nominees for coach of the year and a winner were honored from each state. Three individuals were nominated for Missouri Runner of the Year from each gender. Kansas had one nominee and winner for runner of the year from the Kansas side. The association also released a final top-10 team rankings for boys and girls teams from each state.
The Missouri Class 5 State runner-up Blue Springs South ladies finished atop the team rankings. The Lady Jaguars had two First Team honorees in Emmerson Allen and Ella Rew while Ashlyn Wahrenbrock made the Honorable Mention Team and coach Ryan Unruh was named the Coach of the Year.
Blue Springs senior Abigail Brackenbury, Ray-Pec senior Ashlyn Smith, and Harrisonville junior Kayleigh Norris were finalists for the Kansas City Area's Missouri Runner of the Year. Norris, the Class 4 State champion and NXR Midwest 3nd-Team All-Region finisher, was named the winner.
Blue Springs Peter McDavitt and North Platte's Brendan Cary were finalists with Blue Springs South's Unruh for Coach of the Year. McDavitt's Blue Springs Wildcats placed 3rd at state in Class 5.