The Boone girls’ cross country team put together a strong 2026 season highlighted by individual success at the state meet and several impressive team performances throughout the fall.
Led by a talented young core, the Toreadors showed improvement and positioned themselves for success in the years ahead.
Sophomores Whitney Chesnut and Briella Johnson represented Boone at the Class 3A State Cross Country Meet after qualifying out of district competition.
For Whitney Chesnut, it marked her second consecutive trip to state, while Johnson earned her first state berth.
Both runners delivered outstanding performances on the season’s biggest stage.
Whitney Chesnut posted a personal-best time of 19:30.5, finishing 29th overall in a field of 100 runners.
Johnson was close behind, running a personal-best 19:34.4 to place 33rd.
“State can be unimaginable,” head coach Cass Warson said. “There will be newcomers to the state meet where freshmen or first timers … will go out and try to run with the lead pack, and they can’t hang on.”
“That is something these two did not do … They know what they can handle when it comes to their pace and (were) patient to let some of those girls come back to them as they pick(ed) them off in that final mile.”
“I am very proud of how they executed their race …” he said.
As a team, Boone’s best finishes came with a pair of runner-up performances.
The Toreadors placed second at the Clear Lake Invitational on September 17 and followed that up with another second-place finish at the Ogden Invitational on September 28.
Several Boone runners turned in impressive season-best performances during the season.
Whitney Chesnut recorded the team’s fastest time of the year, running 19:30.5 at the state meet, while fellow sophomore Briella Johnson was close behind with a 19:34.4 at state.
Senior Emma Thomas posted a season-best 19:38.1 at the Wartburg Invitational, and sophomore Reagan Morgan ran 20:43.2 at Johnston.
Among Boone’s younger runners, eighth grader Chloe Chesnut turned in a top time of 23:43.3 at Wartburg.
Senior Bry Morgan recorded a season-best 25:08.5 at Wartburg, while freshman Lauren Erickson ran 25:27.5 at Clear Lake.
Junior Morgan Chesnut posted a 25:45.75 at the district meet in Winterset.
Sophomore Elin Selby finished with a season-best 26:14.4 at Johnston, and freshman Aubrey Erickson recorded a top time of 26:59.9, also at Johnston.
While the team will graduate seniors Emma Thomas and Bry Morgan, the return of Whitney Chesnut, Johnson and several other young contributors gives the Toreadors a strong foundation heading into next season.
Jill Lutz reporting
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