It may still be too early to be thinking about the State championships, even with the calendar turning to April and the heavy rains moving in in many spots of the state. But let's take a look at who the top five teams are in each of the larger enrollment classes.
Check out our virtual meets features for more team rankings in the different conferences, districts, sectionals, or whatever meet you may want to see here.
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Class 5 Boys
Top 5 Teams
#5: SLUH
- Key Scorers: Jackson Miller, Warnicke Beatty, Benjamin Yoffie
Strength: Distance
SLUH heads into the year looking to hop into the top four on the backs of their deep and elite distance team. Third place at the 2026 Class 5 State Cross Country championships, the Jr. Billikens are already flexing their prowess in the 4x800, 800, 1600, and 3200, particularly with Jackson Miller at 1:53.96 and 8:56.57. Warnicke Beatty and Benjamin Yoffie are top 5 in the 1600 in the 4:22s. They have four boys at 9:37 or better in the 3200 so far and are looking to take all four spots in Class 5 Sectional 1. Spencer Williams is also looking like a strong compliment in the 200 and 400 so far with 22.27 and 51.42 season bests in the 200 and 400, and 21.91 and 49.90 marks from 2025.
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#4: Lee's Summit West
- Key Scorers: Harrison Perkins, DeMoreay Franklin, Brodey Ramsey, Jordan Jones
Strengths: Short sprints/relays, triple jump, distance
Lee's Summit West has a deep stable of sprinters that only got deeper with the additions of DeMoreay Franklin and Cayden Gates this spring, making their 4x100 and 4x200 relays very scary this season. Harrison Perkins has made an impressive improvement so far in the early goings with a 21.35 MO No. 1 mark in the 200 and a 10.84 in the 100. Brodey Ramsey is currently top 10 ranked in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles with 15.05 and 40.68 personal bests there. Jones has cleared 13.45 (44-1.5) in the triple jump, a huge improvement in his sophomore year. And in the 3200, they already have three boys under 9:40. Their 4x800 meter relay is returning most of the team who ran 7:44.74 and missed out on the State meet last year with a fifth place finish at the Sectional 4 meet.
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#3: Platte County
- Key Scorers: Braiden Stevens, Cale Buntz, Ty Christopher
Strengths: Short sprints/relays, Javelin
It is hard to understate just how historic last year's 4x100m relay was in Class 5. Platte County all year was leading the way with the only sub-41 mark in state history, but ended up losing to now football rival Lee's Summit in the final few meters. Both teams' superstars are back, but it is Braiden Stevens that we mention here with his 10.46 and 21.56 marks in the 100 and 200 so far. He ran 10.38 in the 100 last season and hadn't broken 23 seconds officially in the 200 until this year. Ty Christopher has run a 10.86 personal best so far, but is still chasing his 21.72 best in the early season. Of course their sprint relays are already at 41.70 and an eye-popping 1:26.63. Cale Buntz contributes points in the javelin with a 55.14m (180-11) personal best. He was fifth at the State meet last year.
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#2: Rock Bridge
- Key Scorers: Luke Sievers, Nicholas Timbrook, Brennan Scott, Baron Carratura
Strengths: Distance, long sprints, hurdles
A mainstay near the top of the team ranks, Rock Bridge's biggest strength these days is, of course, their distance squad. Luke Sievers is back with a vengeance in 2026 after being taken out of his junior season due to a hamstring injury. He has already run 1:58.13, 4:14.08, and 9:04.42 in the 800, 1600, and 3200 this spring. He ran 9:00.78 on the short track this winter. Matthew Kim, Cook Hudson, and Baron Carratura all provide compliments in the 800, 1600, and 3200. Brennan Scott is looking strong in the 200 and 400 after a solid cross country season, running 22.42 and 48.87 so far. He ran 22.35 and 48.16 last season. Nicholas Timbrook stands at 15.53 and 40.34 in the 110m and 300m Hurdles. The 4x800 is already at 8:29.40, but could run right around 8:01 with their top 4 open times so far this season.
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#1: Jackson
- Key Scorers: Barrett Reagan, Blayne Reagan, Ryan Larry, Parker Altenthal
Strengths: Sprints (short and long), vertical jumps, throws
The Reagan brothers are working hard to push Jackson to the top of the team rankings and succeeding. It is barely April, but Barrett is already at 10.62, 21.36, and 47.95 in the 100, 200, and 400, with the first two marks being personal bests. Blayne, on the other hand, has only run a singular 400 so far and won the McCullough-Douglass Invitational in 49.01, a shade off the 46.96 mark he posted last summer. They have a shot at scoring significant individual points and could link up to push a relay or two to the top of the podium, as well. Ryan Larry sits second in high jump with a 1.95m (6-4.75) best while the duo of Parker Altenthal and Jonah Taylor sit top 8 in the pole vault with marks of 4.10m (13-5.5) and 3.95m (12-11.5), respectively. Gavin Shinn and Brysen Wessell link up to score points in the shot put and discus, as well, so far.
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Others to Watch: Blue Springs South, Hickman, Lee's Summit, Liberty North