Runners place at league meets, head to regionals
Staff writers
Marion
Marion’s boys captured third as a team at the Heart of America league championships Thursday in Hutchinson.
Gavin Wasmuth medaled in seventh place with a time of 17:55. Luke Wessel was right behind him in eighth place with a time of 17:59. Eli Klenda finished 17th with a time of 18:51.
“The high school boys came in today ready for the challenge, and our top three ran well,” coach Jason Hett said. “This group has come a long way, and we will look to take a regional championship next week in Council Grove.”
Marion will be running in the 2A regional starting at 10:35 a.m.
Hillsboro
Hillsboro girls placed second out of four teams scored at the Central Kansas League meet Thursday in Pratt.
Quinlyn Funk finished fourth with a time of 21:28:64. Teammate Riley Richert was right behind her in fifth with a time of 21:44.87. Jaidyn Frantz finished in 18th with a time of 24:57.52. Trudy Hein finished 25th, and Nora Hein finished 26th.
Mariah LaPlante placed 31st and Grace Hein took 35th.
On the boys side, Ben Werner finished in 58th, and Gavin Bennett placed 60th.
Hillsboro will be running in the Council Grove regional Saturday.
Centre
Kaitlynn Bina placed second overall at the Heart of the Prairie League meet as well as second in the Wheat State League meet Friday.
Sixth grader Aaron Carlson placed fourth overall and first in the Wheat State League.
“It was a windy meet, but I am proud of how they finished the regular season,” coach Emma Jacobson said. “The runners have put in daily effort in practice during speed workouts and long mileage practice, and it has paid off.”
Bina is ranked sixth in the state in Class 1A and will be hoping to qualify for state at regionals at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wichita Trinity Academy course.
Goessel
The Wheat State League and the Heart of the Plains League raced together at Wedgewood Golf Course at Halstead.
Eli Gaeddert finished first among the Wheat State competitors with a time of 18:14.55, and Javin Schmidt came in third. Levi Olson finished seventh. Aidan Impson came in eighth.
For the Goessel girls, Delaney Gibson finished in fifth place; Finnja Kula, ninth; and Braylyn Hoopes tenth.
Goessel will race on Saturday at Wichita Trinity Academy at the 1A regional Meet. The top four teams at each regional and several individual runners will advance to the state cross-country meet on Oct. 28 at Wamego.