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Free State’s Nicholas Johnson runs over the bridge leading toward Cemetery Hill on the Rim Rock Farm course Nov. 1 during the 6A state championship race for boys cross country.
Caleb Yang was the last of Free State’s four seniors to cross the finish line for the Firebirds’ boys cross country team in this year’s 6A state championship meet Nov. 1 at Rim Rock Farm.
Just like every other runner in the race, Yang’s main priority was completing the hilly slog through the 5K race as quickly as possible. But the moment he crossed the finish line at the 17:49.06 mark, Yang couldn’t help but feel like his final race on his team’s home course ended much too soon.
“It hasn’t fully hit me yet,” Yang said, as he stood near the finish line. “I would have these little thoughts like, ‘This is the last time we will warm up together as a team.’
“We were running for something bigger than ourselves individually.”
Added Free State junior Isaac Horner, “Just staying locked together as a team, pushing one another and fighting for each other is definitely the biggest challenger. But, it’s also the biggest reward.”
The Free State boys had high hopes for their team finish at state. Although the Firebirds ultimately did not bring home a team trophy, their squad did deliver a fifth-place finish in a stacked 6A field.
Before Yang crossed the finish line, it was senior Nicholas Johnson who paced the Firebirds with a 14th-place finish. Johnson finished with a time of 16:28.96, which was his career-best time at Rim Rock and just the second time he’s run a sub-17 minute time in his high school career. He set his PR of 16:17.50 during the Billy Mills Classic on Oct. 11 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.
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Free State’s Caleb Yang, back row third from left, leads a team huddle shortly before his team heads to the starting line for the 6A boys race at the state cross country championship meet.
The championship meet was the culmination of a long journey for Johnson after an injury sidelined him for most of his junior campaign.
“I just really wanted to have a good [senior season] to make up for last year,” Johnson said.
Johnson was followed by fellow senior Jasper Hansen-Terry in 29th with a time of 16:49.08. Anderson Bateman was the first non-senior to cross as the junior took 38th with a time of 16:58.16. Senior Jonah Frye did not quite have the time he hoped, but still delivered a mark of 17:13.48 to take 55th. Horner crossed at 17:25.03 in 67th place.
It was Frye’s fourth consecutive season qualifying for state. He placed 52nd as a freshman with a time of 17:11.6. He then shaved roughly 35 seconds off the time at the 2023 state title meet for a 39th-place finish. Frye also slotted into 39th at the 2024 state meet, but with a time 27 seconds slower than the previous year. Last year the Rim Rock course proved slower for many runners in the 6A boys race, with the rainy weather degrading the runners’ path into a muddy mess by the end of the day.
Hansen-Terry is a three-year state qualifier, placing 47th as a freshman with a time of 17:06.40. He followed up as a sophomore with a faster run, clocking a 16:35 for a 37th-place finish.
Free State runners also showed a marked improvement from their recent outings at the Sunflower League championship meet held at Rim Rock. Hansen-Terry shaved roughly 37 seconds off his time at the event. Horner achieved the biggest improvement by dropping 44 seconds off his previous time. Bateman topped his previous time by seven seconds, while Frye was five seconds faster.
“Once you go up those hills enough times it’s all just mental at that point,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s pacing was key to his overall success on a course known for its steep inclines. Johnson was running neck-and-neck with teammate Hansen-Terry, in 33rd-place through the first 1,600 meters. His patience paid dividends as he methodically moved up 19 spots over the final two miles.
“I knew that for the team to do well then I would have to do my part,” he said.
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Free State’s Jasper Hansen-Terry navigates through a tight pack of runners aftter crossing over the bridge leading to Cemetery Hill on the Rim Rock Farm course.
Although he had already run at this course countless times over his four years of high school cross country, this was the first time Johnson competed at Rim Rock in the state meet. He ended up registering his fastest time at this course by more than 34 seconds. Johnson ran a 17:03.46 just two weeks before during the Sunflower League championship meet.
Before that, Johnson’s best run on this course was with a time of 17:15.43 on Sept. 27 during the Rim Rock Farm Classic. His best time at Rim Rock before this year was 17:26.80 at the Sunflower League meet during Johnson’s sophomore campaign.
Johnson said the course frequently lulls runners into complacency through the first mile, and then “has a way of beating you down” over the homestretch.
“A lot of kids go out and push too hard [at the start], and have nothing left for the last mile,” he said.
Knowing it was the final race of his prep career, Johnson said he was able to find an extra gear.
“I think my [pacing] was really a testament to how you race this course,” he said, referencing his pacing strategy. “I knew what was ahead of me, so I didn’t get too worried.”
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Free State’s Taylor Hulcher looks ahead toward the group of front-pack runners gaining a modest lead over her and the other runners trailing her early on during the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
Freshmen phenoms leading Free State girls toward bright future
Free State freshmen Taylor Hulcher led the Firebird girls with a 14th-place finish and time of 19:33.14, helping deliver the team a sixth-place finish. Nadia Karadupa was the only other Firebirds’ runner to crack a sub-20 minute time, crossing the line at 19:55.66 and in 27th-place. Fellow freshman teammates Eloise Frye (40th, 20:10.83), and Beau Hulcher (48th, 20:26.88) also finished in the top half of a race that featured 97 competitors.
Also for Free State, Gracie Christline placed 69th with a time of 21:24.03, while Julia Velasco was the final Firebird runner to cross the finish line — placing 82nd (22:05.82).
Karadupa robustly improved on her time from the conference title tilt, crossing the finish line 21 seconds faster, while Taylor Hulcher was five seconds quicker than her finish two weeks prior at Rim Rock. For Hulcher, the Rim Rock Classic in September proved to be a turning point after her “disappointing” 41st-place finish (20:15).
“It really motivated me to push myself,” she said.
Hulcher said she began placing more of an emphasis on pacing at the start of races. She also developed a better awareness of running in packs by placing a focus on “racing with others around me and having them push me.” And at the state championship meet, Hulcher improved on her time from the Rim Rock Classic by nearly 43 seconds.
“As a freshman, you can be really naive about learning new things,” Hulcher said.
Also bolstering Free State’s late-season surge was strong showings from Beau, twin sister of Taylor — and Addyson Tenbrick. The duo solidified varsity spots after sweeping the top two spots in the junior varsity event at the conference championship meet. At the state championship meet, Hulcher improved upon her gold medal time by approximately 61 seconds, while Tenbrick trimmed more than 40 seconds from her runner-up finish, clocking a 20:57.
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Free State’s Nadia Karadupa attempts to chase down a Mill Valley runner ahead of her on the short stretch leading to the finish line of the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
Free State head coach Steve Heffernan said he was pleased by the strides made by both of his squads during the 2025 campaign. He noted that the boys defeated schools on Saturday that they had previously trailed in other events, including regional champion Manhattan. As another barometer of the team’s competitiveness, Washburn Rural, who placed one spot ahead of Free State at the regional meet with a runner-up finish, soared to a gold medal finish on Saturday.
The Free State girls, meanwhile, finished ahead of Olathe West and Washburn Rural, which were the top two teams at the state meet a year ago. Olathe West specifically had a five-year reign atop the 6A state meet before sliding back this season.
“So that’s something we can also hang our hat on,” he said. “We have a lot of seniors that we’re going to miss moving forward, but at the same time, we have some underclassmen who are ready to have their run at it.”
Heffernan has basically made it his life mission to carry on the legacy left by Bob Timmons — the former longtime University of Kansas cross country and track-and-field coach. Rim Rock Farm, considered by some as the mecca of cross country venues, is property that was donated by Timmons to KU.
Heffernan, a former pupil of the legendary coach, said the Timmons’ vision for the venue was to make it both “scenic and challenging.” He noted that Timmons began developing plans for Rim Rock in the late 1960s, with the first meet held in 1974.
“It was one of the original courses that was built for cross country,” Heffernan said, adding that Timmons’ blueprint was focused on devising a course that tested the endurance of competitors.
“You have to be disciplined enough to handle the last part of the course, because it’s the hardest part,” he said. “So if you overexert yourself early, you pay a price at the end.”
Results
KSHSAA 6A State Championship meet at Rim Rock Farm
Individual results
Free State boys: Nicky Johnson, 14th-place, 16:28.96; Jasper Hansen-Terry, 29th, 16:49.08; Anderson Bateman, 38th, 16:58.16; Jonah Frye, 55th, 17:13.48; Isaac Horner, 67th, 17:25.03; Caleb Yang, 86th, 17:49.06
Free State girls: Taylor Hulcher, 14th-place, 19:33.14; Nadia Karadupa, 27th,19:55.66; Eloise Frye, 40th, 20:10.83; Beau Hulcher, 48th, 20:26.88; Addyson Tenbrick, 61st, 20:57.17; Gracie Christline, 69th, 21:24.03; Julia Velasco, 82nd, 22:05.82
Team scores
Boys: Washburn Rural, 100; Blue Valley, 101; Olathe West, 111; Maize, 147; Lawrence Free State, 150; Garden City, 159; Manhattan, 166; Gardner, 169; Blue Valley West, 177; Olathe Northwest, 184; Shawnee Mission West, 194; Dodge City, 224
Girls: Manhattan, 61; Shawnee Mission East, 81; Blue Valley West, 93; Blue Valley, 114; MIlly Valley, 157; Lawrence Free State, 161; Washburn Rural, 173, Olathe West, 200; Olathe East, 225; Dodge City, 233; Maize, 234; Wichita North, 267.
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Free State’s Eloise Frye looks to hold off a Shawnee Mission East runner as they approach the finish line of the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Anderson Bateman looks to maintain his pace late in the 6A boys race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Beau Hulcher prepares herself for the upcoming Cemetery Hill section of the Rim Rock Farm course during the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Jonah Frye crosses the bridge leading to Cemetery Hill on the Rim Rock Farm course during the 6A boys race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Addyson Tenbrink runs along an uneven downhill section of the Rim Rock Farm course during the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Isaac Horner crosses the bridge leading to Cemetery Hill on the Rim Rock Farm course during the 6A boys race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Grace Christline runs alongside a couple of Blue Valley runners during the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Caleb Yang tries to hold off a Washburn Rural runner as they reach the straightaway heading to the finish line of the 6A boys race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Julia Velasco runs along an uneven downhill section of the Rim Rock Farm course during the 6A girls race at the state cross country championship meet.
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Free State’s Caleb Yang hugs his grandmother after completing the 6A boys cross country race at the state championship meet.
