Minus a key contributor, Platte County finished 26th out of 30 teams in the Gold Division of the Gans Creek Classic on Saturday despite several impressive PRs from scoring runners. The Pirates again built around star junior Tyler Stambersky — a two-time state qualifier — and her 27th-place finish.
Stambersky posted the second-best time of her career at 19 minutes, 32.90 seconds and her fastest in multiple career races at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course. She previously ran 19:43.80 in the same race last season.
One of just eight runners in program history run sub-19 minutes, Stambersky posted the 37th-fastest Platte County time, just behind her 19:28.10 in the 2025 Tim Nixon Invitational.
In addition to Stambersky’s strong showing, Platte County sophomores Carlie Baker (75th, 20:42.30) and Brooklyn Niewald (184th, 22:56.60) plus freshmen Claire Babcock (135th, 22:04.90) and Lane Keraus (22:28.80) all set PRs. The Pirates were without both sophomore Mary Dellinger and junior Maddie Fuller, who has not run yet this year due to a shin injury.
Platte County ended up with a team total of 545, but was just seven points out of 23rd.
However, the positives were obvious headlined with Baker cutting more than a minute off of her previous season-best and going under 21 minutes for the first time in her career. Babcock, Keraus and Niewald are all first-year contributors.
Babcock ran under 23 minutes for the second time and nearly broke 22. Keraus bettered her previous PR by more than a minute while posting a time under 23 for the first time, and Niewald also went sub-23 in just her third career race.
Headed back to Class 5 District 4, Platte County’s lone potential returners from last postseason include Stambersky, Baker, Dellinger and Fuller. Stambersky medaled at state in Class 4 as a freshman and ended up with a DNF as the Pirates’ lone qualifier a year ago.
Teams were able to enter 10 runners in Saturday’s Gans Creek Classic, and junior Kensington Sturdy (197th, 23:21.40) and senior Alex Yurko (198th, 23:23.30) finished back-to-back to round out the top seven. Yurko and Elise Lundholm (202nd) have been the Pirates’ lone seniors used this season.
