The cross country seasons for West Platte and North Platte were extended another week after both schools qualified teams out of the Class 2 District 4 meet on Nov. 1 at Platte Ridge Park in Platte City.
The West Platte boys team earned the district championship with North Platte qualifying for state as the runner-up. West Platte’s girls team also qualified as runner-up while a North Platte senior will get one last shot at a career finish.
“It’s thrilling to see both teams qualify for the second year in a row,” West Platte head coach Mike Reber said. “It is the result of a lot of hard work by both teams that started shortly after school got out last year. A core group of veteran runners really took charge of the team and made training to get ready for this season a priority — this is the culmination of that effort, and it’s really fun to see them enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
West Platte edged its county and conference rival to claim the boys’ district title with 75 points, the 21st title in the program’s 26-year history. North Platte finished just behind with 88 points, as both teams comfortably placed among the top four to advance to state with Lutheran (104 points) and Stover (135 points) rounding out the state-qualifying teams.
The West Platte boys cross country team celebrates its 21st title in 26 years.
The victory marked another milestone for West Platte’s program, which placed all five scorers in the top 25. Sophomore Charles Trease (8th, 17 minutes 53.53 seconds) paced the Blue Jays, with teammates Benjamin Pendergast (11th, 18:05.63) and Samuel Miller (13th, 18:18.09) close behind. Collin Frederick (20th, 18:37.47) and senior Noah Rees (23rd, 18:41.18) sealed the title with strong depth performances while Michael Deffet (42nd) and Lochlan Bailey (56th) added support to round out the effort.
“We have a really great core group of kids that made a 21st district title for the boys’ program a reality,” Reber said. “The veteran boys came into the season hungry, and set their sights on winning that championship early on during one of our summer camps. They knew about the history of the program, and I think that they really wanted the chance to add their own chapter to the legacy.”
Drake Keraus achieved a personal record with a 16:22.21 time in districts, improving his time form the start of the season by more than a minute.
North Platte nearly matched its rival stride for stride. The Panthers’ front-running pair of Drake Keraus and William Schaffart led the way with podium finishes, placing second (16:22.10) and fifth (17:19.03), respectively. Both qualified individually inside the top five, setting the tone for the team’s runner-up finish.
North Platte also had Trey Heckman (14th, 18:25.10) and Carter Kreifels (24th, 18:47.52) punch tickets for the state meet. Devin Navarro (45th, 19:49.31), Brenden Matt (85th) and Farris French (97th) rounded out the Panthers’ top seven.
The North Platte boys cross country team is headed back to State after finishing second in the district.
Chloe Heckman finished third in 19:31.30, breaking her previous season record by 16 seconds.
On the girls’ side, North Platte’s Chloe Heckman also advanced individually after a stellar third-place finish in 19:31.30, continuing her standout senior season.
West Platte scored 50 to finish as the district runner-up behind a dominant Lexington (21 points) team, also advancing to state as a team. The Blue Jays placed five runners in the top 30 to secure their spot.
Megan Cline was the first of a West Platte trio that finished in the top 10 at the district meet on Nov. 1.
Leading the way was Megan Cline (8th, 21:32.16), followed by Payton Reber (9th, 21:34.73), Charlotte Gillis (10th, 21:35.01), and Addison Bailey (20th, 22:16.91) — all state qualifiers.
Avery Reber (27th, 22:45.57) joined the pack shortly after but Jersey O’Neal (31st, 23:22.04) narrowly missed the cut for the state-qualifying range, while Breanna Leffall (44th, 24:48.08) rounded out a strong top seven.
West Platte’s performance at districts added the latest hardware to a proud and well-decorated history for the cross country program. Charles Yaw, the program’s first coach, was on hand to witness it all.
“I can’t speak for Mr. Charles Yaw,” Reber said. “But if I were him, I think I’d be beaming with pride to see the program I helped to found win a district title 25 years after I won the first one for the school back in 2000.”
“That to me is the really special thing — marking this milestone year for our program with some signature accomplishments like sweeping the KCI Conference a couple of weeks ago and then adding a strong performance Saturday that has both of our teams headed back to Columbia to compete at the State Championship. What a way to honor those that have come before us in the program,” Reber said.
Both West Platte teams, alongside Chloe Heckman and the North Platte boys’ team, will prepare for another state appearance at Gans Creek on Nov. 8 with the aim of bringing some state medals back to Platte County. They all know the unpredictability that cross country meets can bring in November, but they each remain focused on one final race.