Platte County didn’t have any challenge in winning the Suburban Conference White Division Championships team title for a third straight year. The Pirates continued to bunch finishers and put up an impressive team total of 30 in Friday’s race at Platte Ridge Park.
Platte County junior Tate Stone runs in the Suburban Conference White Division Championships on Friday at Platte Ridge Park.
Grain Valley finished second with 45.
Platte County ended up with three of the five first team all-conference performers in juniors Tate Stone (second) and Evan Backer (fourth) and senior Nick Flowers, while junior Landon McKinzie topped the second-teamers in sixth. The Pirates were not at full strength with senior Jacoby Keith (foot) still out, and sophomore Haddon Newsome rounded out the team score and made honorable mention all-conference in 15th place.
Stone continued a strong final stretch of the regular season and finished in 16 minutes, 49 seconds — second-fastest of his career and more than a full minute better than the time posted on Platte County’s home course in the Judge “Chris” Stubbs Invitational in mid-September. Flowers also made big improvements and jumped from honorable mention to the first team, posting a 16:55.80.
A first-year contributor, Backer continues to provide a welcomed boost to Platte County’s lineup and finished in 17:08.70, just off of going sub-17 minutes for the third time. Newsome (17:41.90) claimed the final honorable mention spot, while junior Josiah O’Rourke made his season debut and came in 16th at 18:09.70. He missed the majority of the season due to a knee injury in soccer.
With Keith out, Platte County senior Jackson Townsend returned to the lineup, having been in and out due to an ankle injury, and placed 22nd (19:21.10).
Raytown senior Josiah Smith claimed the individual title at 16:37.50, but the Blujays didn’t have another runner in the top 15. Grain Valley’s scoring runners were all in the all-conference or honorable mention slots (5-7-8-12-13) but not close to matching Platte County’s top-end firepower. The Pirates now have a break until Halloween and the Class 5 District 4 race. Flowers, Stone, McKinzie and Newsome all ran on last year’s postseason roster.
Keith and McKinzie both qualified for state in 2024, but Platte County’s jump up from Class 4 led to a much more difficult postseason field. The Pirates sent only Blake Herron to the Class 5 MSHSAA Cross County Championships last fall, and he graduated as part of a strong three-runner senior class that left spots to fill this season.
