After a breakout junior season, Chanute senior Laney Hillmon enters the 2026 cross country season with another opportunity to establish herself among the top runners in Southeast Kansas.
Hillmon is the lone returning runner from a Chanute girls team that had only four runners last season. With two of those runners graduating, coach Brett Rinehart is hoping to build the program by bringing new runners into the fold.
“We are hoping to be able to recruit some new faces to the team,” Rinehart said.
While the Blue Comets work to add numbers, Hillmon gives Chanute an established front-runner capable of competing for championships.
Hillmon first joined cross country in 2024 to improve her conditioning for track and field. She returned in 2025 and produced a breakout season, winning the Southeast Kansas League individual championship and qualifying for the Class 4A state meet with a top-10 finish at regionals.
Hillmon finished 10th at the regional meet in Neodesha with a time of 23:54.85, earning her a spot at the state championships. She later finished 67th at the Class 4A state meet with a time of 22:54.79.
Her league championship came after a strong performance at the SEK meet, where Hillmon posted a winning time of 22:16.
“She ran a great race,” Rinehart said following the league championship. “Our strategy was the same — put the pressure on mid-race. That’s exactly what she did. She really put on a surge and made a big gap. She didn’t have to look back from there.”
Now entering her third season of cross country, Hillmon has spent the summer preparing for another run at the league title. Her goals include repeating as SEK champion, returning to the state meet and competing for a medal.
The challenge for Chanute will be building a team around its lone returning runner.
With four girls competing last season and two seniors graduating, the Blue Comets will need new runners to step forward. Rinehart said Hillmon’s experience provides a foundation for the program as it looks to grow.
“She has been working very hard this summer with the goal of repeating as SEK champion, and getting back to the state meet and going after a medal,” Rinehart said.
To nominate someone for a story email [email protected]
