The 2022 season didn’t quite have the happiest of endings for the West Platte boys’ cross-country team with tough weather conditions, but the Blue Jays were able to finish in the top-8 at the Class 2 State Meet on Nov. 5.
With aspirations of finishing all-state as a team – which is the top-4 teams overall – West Platte came away with an eighth-place finish, which was 46 points shy of fourth place. The Blue Jays averaged a time of 18:31.28 and earned 204 points to finish in the top-half of the 16 total teams competing.
The Blue Jays were led by Charlie Kinslow who entered with a shot at the individual title, but he fell short of becoming the second individual state champion in school history. Instead, Conner Diaz from Steelville led from the get-go for a first-place finish in 16:15.
“I’m so proud of the way he (Kinslow) ran, passing five of the top runners in the state to finish third overall,” West Platte head coach Mike Lowe said. “It was a great performance to wrap up the career of the best cross-country runner in school history. Charlie finished with the top career time and the top state course time in school history.”
West Platte senior Charlie Kinslow, above right, poses with a cardboard cutout of head coach Mike Lowe - who was unable to attend the Class 2 State Meet - after earning third place overall at Gans Creek on Nov. 5.
Kinslow dealt with some physical issues when he started to feel a severe side ache around the 3,000-meter mark, which knocked him back a few places. As the race progressed, the senior fell behind as far as 10th place, which is the farthest back Kinslow has been in any cross-country race since he was a sophomore.
“I turned the corner and actually tossed my cookies, so that kind of helped with the side stitch, but it’s my senior year so you’ve got to put it all out there,” Charlie Kinslow said. “You can’t have any regrets; thankfully I had enough to finish and pass some people.”
Kinslow had an impressive turnaround, making up for an uncharacteristic race where he wasn’t the top runner by having the fastest final 1,000-meter split by anyone in all of Class 2. The West Platte senior made his way up to third place, crossing the finish line in 16:57.3 on a rainy and cold morning.
“This was kind of the worst weather I’ve ever run in and not the best experience. I felt good going into it, I had a great week and we were all prepared and motivated, but you can never prepare for a race; it just has to work itself out and do its own thing,” Kinslow said.
Senior Tristan Newkirk and sophomore Jonah McGivern ran next for West Platte, finishing back-to-back in 34th and 35th places. Newkirk finished two tenths of a second faster than McGivern as they both ran in 17:49.
“This was about a 30-spot improvement for Jonah from last season and hopefully will carry him on to great things over the next two years. His sophomore season was very solid, and he will be looked at to carry the load and lead the next group of Blue Jay runners. Tristan ran for the Blue Jays for four seasons, and many would see him as the most improved runner from freshman to senior year in the history of the program. He’s a great example of how hard work can lead to outstanding success,” Lowe said.
Noah Rees finished his freshman campaign by finishing in his second-best time of the season in 19:19.2. Thomas Deffet, Hutch Bartee and Antonio Laguna closed the day out for the West Platte boys with times of 20:40.5, 20:43.3 and 26:59.8, respectively.
“There’s lots of potential left in these exciting young runners, so the West Platte cross-country fans will have a lot to enjoy over the next three seasons. Thomas (Deffet) will return for his junior campaign and be counted on and Hutch has worked hard the last four years and his contributions to the squad over those years are appreciated,” Lowe said.
Since 2000, West Platte has made it to state in all but one year – which was 2019 – so the Blue Jays will be expected to make another state-run next fall. West Platte will have to replace two of its top runners in Kinslow and Newkirk, along with Bartee who was a part of the last two state qualifying teams.