Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Nicholas Johnson took 14th in the Sunflower League championship meet to lead the Firebirds on Oct. 18 at Rim Rock Farm.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Oliver Schwartz led the Lions during the Sunflower League championship meet with a sixth-place finish out at Rim Rock Farm.
The cross country runners for the Free State Firebirds and Lawrence Lions traversed tricky terrain during the Sunflower League Championship meet Saturday at Rim Rock Farm.
The Free State varsity boys captured a second-place finish, while the girls placed fourth. For Lawrence High School, the varsity boys slotted into sixth-place. The injury-riddled LHS girls team, however, didn’t field enough runners to qualify for a team score.
Accounting for the top individual finishes for the schools on the boys’ side, Lawrence junior Oliver Schwartz placed sixth and Free State senior Nicky Johnson checked in at 14th. Taylor Hulcher paced the Free State girls with a fifth-place finish. Senior Julia Outka (60th) posted the top time for the Lawrence girls.
Schwartz said he raced to his “fullest potential” despite the sweltering humidity and damp terrain from heavy overnight rainfall. He added that his strategy for the 3.1 mile race centered on achieving “small goals” that ultimately enabled him to pass competitors and “just get to certain points.”
“My main goal was to pick people off where they’re feeling weaker,” Schwartz said, adding that he passed a number of runners on hilly areas.
Lawrence High coach Kyle Morgison added that he was pleased with the boys’ sixth-place finish, while his girls squad has been battling various health ailments over the past few weeks — sidelining the team’s top two runners on Saturday.
“We did a lot better with grouping and pack running,” Morgison said. “Those are areas we’ve been building toward.”
For the Free State boys, Johnson said it was difficult to envision a top team finish just a few short weeks ago.
“It seemed unfathomable,” Johnson said, adding that the team has built a strong camaraderie. “We all love each other and there is never any negative talk within our teams about individual performances.”
In the girls race, Hulcher said her ability to navigate multiple steep inclines was key to her dazzling performance for the Firebirds.
“Once you get to the top of them, it’s smooth sailing from there,” she said.
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s girls cross country team earned a fourth-place finish at the Sunflower League meet.
Many of the runners competing for Free State and LHS said they felt the gravity of the moment, speaking glowingly of the revered venue. Specifically, Outka said she was grateful to have received a final opportunity to compete at the venue.
“We raced here three weeks ago but I didn’t finish the race,” Outka said, noting that she cut things short after tending to a runner experiencing a medical emergency. “I felt like this was kind of my comeback story since it’s my last time ever running Rim Rock — and the course was beautiful and well mulched.
Free State’s boys and girls collected first-place team finishes in the junior varsity event. Freshman Beau Hulcher conquered the rain-soaked course with a first-place finish, while teammate Addison Tenbrick trailed in the runner-up spot.
The younger Hulcher said she was “really proud” of her performance at vaunted Rim Rock.
“I felt better today than I usually do when I race,” she said. “And Addy pushed me, so that also helped me.”
The Free State girls’ C-team swept the top seven spots while coasting to the top finish. The Free State boys also posted a strong team showing with a second-place finish. Free State coach Steve Heffernan said was elated with the collective performances of his junior varsity and C-teams, who wrapped their 2025 campaigns on a high-note.
“We consider this a de facto state championship for the JV and C-teams, so it’s a good way to finish up a season,” he said. “They all ran hard last week and came in today with the same attitude — and the results showed a lot of great efforts.”
Free State will compete in the KSHSAA 6A regional meet Oct. 25 at Clapp Park in Wichita, hosted by Wichita East.
Lawrence High will compete the same day at the KSHSAA Class 6A regional at Haskell University, which will be hosted by Lawrence High. The 5A Regional Championships will also be held at Haskell that day.
“The big thing for us will be the mental prep,” Morgison said. “Not being overwhelmed in the moment and going in knowing what the job is and focusing on that.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Lawrence High’s Juliet Outka led the way for the Lions girls cross country team by finishing 60th in the Sunflower League championship meet at Rim Rock Farm.
RESULTS
Free State boys varsity, 2nd-place of 12 teams
• Nicky Johnson, 14th, 17:03.46; Anderson Bateman, 18th, 17:05; Jonah Frye, 19th, 17:08.26; Jasper Hansen Perry, 25th, 17:34.96; Stevie Jackson, 29th, 17:42.43; Kylie Sikes 36th, 17:51.93; Isaac Horner, 53rd, 18:09.90
LHS boys varsity, 6th-place
• Oliver Schwartz, 6th, 16:47.39; Logan Druen, 22nd, 17:28.37; Garrett Rhea, 44th, 18:00.91; Riley Swart, 47th, 18:04.17; Paul Radley, 56th, 18:12.32; Conner Popp, 65th, 18:28.41; Mateo Klish, 77th, 18:55.14; Jake Oldfather, 86th, 19:20.35; River Cunningham, 90th, 19:27.67
Free State girls varsity, 4th-place of 10 teams
• Taylor Hulcher, 5th, 19:38.86; Nadia Karadupa, 17th, 20:16.60; Eloise Frye, 21st, 20:38.52; Grace Christline, 31st, 21:22.02; Julia Velasco, 35th, 21:34.46; Amelia Brewer, 37th, 21:42.63; Mady Whitney, 48th, 22:22.74
LHS girls varsity, did not place
• Juliet Outka, 60th, 23:14.14; Hayley Swart, 64th, 23:54.60; Tessa Sanders, 79th, 25:50.02
Editor’s note: All photos in this story were taken at the Rim Rock Farm Classic on Sept. 27, 2025.
