There were only three schools with enough runners to post a team score in Thursday’s Suburban Conference White Division Championships, and Platte County easily proved the most dominant in the race at Jesse James Park in Kearney. The Pirates placed seven in the top 12 and posted an impressive total of 24 to finish well clear of runnerup Grain Valley’s 42. The Eagles did have the individual champion but not nearly enough depth in the team race.
Platte County freshman Mary Dellinger (644) runs in front of senior teammate Madelyn Stewart in Thursday’s Suburban Conference White Division Championships at Jesse James Park in Kearney.
Platte County claimed a third straight White Division title with sophomore Tyler Stambersky leading the way. She came in second at 21 minutes, 13.30 seconds, behind only Grain Valley freshman Evelynn Hay — a runaway winner at 20:14.90. However, the Pirates’ five scoring runners were all in the top eight with senior Madelyn Stewart in third, freshman Mary Dellinger in fourth, freshman Carlie Baker in seventh and sophomoree Madison Fuller in eighth.
In fact, Platte County senior Indigo Teufel (11th) and sophomore Arsema Ayiche (12th) both placed ahead of Grain VAlley’s final two scoring runners in 14th and 15th.
Stambersky entered as the defending champion and repeated as a first-team all-conference performer, while Stewart ran a season-best 21:26.10, a year after making the second team with a PR of 21:20.62 — good enough for seventh in 2024. The top five runners made the first team with Dellinger making an impressive debut in a field that included six freshmen in the top 15.
Baker (22:23.90) and Fuller (22:27.30) continued a trend of finishing back-to-back and made the second team for Platte County. Teufel (23:57.90) and Ayiche (23:58.30) were both honorable mention.
Teufel came in 18th as a junior in her first White Division race for the Pirates, while Ayiche matched her 12th-place finish from last season at conference.
This marked the final race before the postseason with Platte County set for a new challenge in Class 5 District 4 on Saturday, November 8 in Lee’s Summit. The Pirates have sent a qualifying team to state each of the past five seasons, but all of those were in Class 4.
Stambersky, Stewart and Ayiche were all on last year’s district championship team — the first for Platte County since 2006. The Pirates have five total runners with prior state experience, but Dellinger, Baker, Fuller and Teufel have earned additional time in the lineup.
Platte County hopes to place in the top four in Class 5 District 8 to earn another team berth with all individuals in the top 30, inclusive of the auto state qualifiers, also advancing.
