Despite significant returning postseason experience, Platte County ended up with a youthful lineup last fall. The graduation of a pair of seniors and another opening puts the Pirates in position for another youth movement this season.
A streak of five straight years qualifying a team ended in 2025 with Platte County bumped up to Class 5 District 4. The Pirates placed eighth as a team, while Tyler Stambersky became a two-time state qualifier, placing 24th and safely in the top 30 to earn one of the berths for individuals.
Stambersky returns as the most experienced runner on a Platte County roster with only three seniors, while fellow junior Madison Fuller and sophomores Mary Dellinger and Carlie Baker were also mainstays in last season’s lineup.
With postseason classification still to be determined, Platte County knows the difference in competition but still have high expectations.
“Key to success is their bond and caring for one another,” Platte County coach Courtland Ingram said. “If they are connected and compete with freedom and joy, they will perform at the highest level they can.”
One of only eight in program history to run a time under 20 minutes, Stambersky ended up with a DNF in the Class 5 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships, going to the ground between the three- and four-kilometer marks on the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia and could not finish the race after experiencing a drop in her blood sugar level.
Stambersky became just the fourth Platte County runner to reach state in the largest classification, joining Rebekah Geddes (2014-16), Jessica Clark (2016) and Taylor Giger (2019) — all three going in Class 4 before the increase to five classes in 2020 that coincided with the the Pirates’ recent run of team state berths that ended last fall.
In addition to Stambersky, Platte County Fuller (37th, 20:57.31) and Dellinger (39th, 21:03.98) contributed to the Class 5 District 4 team score a year ago, while Baker (65th, 22:25.92) also made her postseason debut. All three have a chance to be second-year contributors at the varsity level.
Fuller made a big jump in an impressive district debut, going under 21 minutes for the first time in her career but ultimately ended up 31 seconds out of the top 30. Dellinger’s standout freshman season ended just short of posting a fourth sub-22 minute time.
Platte County entered the season with five returning state qualifiers from previous seasons but only Stambersky, Madelyn Stewart and Arsema Ayiche were in the postseason lineup. Stewart (46th, 21:23.75) and Ayiche (48th, 21:31.38) were the Nos. 4 and 5 finishers for the Pirates, while Indigo Teufel (50th, PR of 21:32.26) also didn’t factor into the team total.
Stewart and Teufel graduated, as did previous state qualifiers Joanna Reil and Nora McCoy, while Ayiche did not return to this year’s roster.
Ingram expects senior Maggie Wagner and freshmen Claire Babcock and Lane Keraus to contribute for Platte County, which also enters this season as the three-time defending Suburban Conference White Division champions. The Pirates’ only other seniors on the roster are Thais Thompson and Elise Lundholm.
Platte County won the White Division title by placing seven in the top 12 of the championship race with Stamberskey (second), Stewart (third), Dellinger (fourth), Baker (seventh) and Fuller (eighth). Stambersky, Stewart and Dellinger were first-team all-conference with Baker and Fuller on the second team and Teufel and Ayiche honorable mention.
Stambersky won the individual conference title as a freshman.
