Star-Journbal Editor
Most coaches who develop state-caliber cross country teams do it the old-fashioned way — by training their athletes month after month, mile after mile, several seasons at a time.
But not Goessel coach Greg Bontrager, who turned the Kansas high school running world upside down Saturday, when his Bluebird girls placed second at the Class 1A state meet at the Wamego Country Club.
Goessel was paced by junior foreign exchange student, Lisa Rohner, who led the entire 83-runner field for most of the four-kilometer race before placing third in 15:50.
Senior Lindsey Wedel clipped more than a minute off her regional time, placing 20th in 17:08; Wedel's freshman sister, Lindsey, ran her best ever, placing 33rd in 17:58; and freshman Sara Bowman overcame a serious case of the pre-race jitters to run an impressive 18:32 for 43rd. In girls' cross country, four runners score team points. Goessel's fifth runner, German exchange student Friederike Noltenius, finished 68th in 20:04.
Of the 104 Class 1A teams that started the season, and the 12 that ran Saturday, powerhouse Tribune was the only team standing higher than Goessel.
The team's second place finish left other coaches trying to figure out how they might imitate Bontrager's success.
But Bontrager himself isn't sure how everything worked out so incredibly and amazingly well this season.
"I never would've believed it in a million years," Bontrager said. "I was astounded."
Bontrager might've had a hint that his once-in-a-million-years' season was afoot back in August, when five (FIVE!) female runners showed up for cross country practice. Goessel would have enough girls to field its first full team since the late 1990s.
But the freshmen, Bowman and Lindsey Wedel, had no experience. Rohner had run sprints in Germany, but had never jogged further than two miles. Noltenius, also would be running for the first time.
The only runner with any cross country experience was returning senior Janessa Wedel, who had performed admirably as Goessel's lone girl runner by making it to the state meet twice and placing 21st last year.
The team practiced this season on the hilly, green, pastures between Goessel and Hillsboro. It paid off Saturday when the course at Wamego seemed like fields back home.
Even though Bontrager had enough runners to field a team, the coach still wasn't convinced it was a good idea to let the freshmen run in varsity meets; preferring instead to let them feel the success and get medals at the JV level, to build confidence.
But the younger Wedel and Bowman improved quickly and so the coach decided to see what might happen if he ran a full varsity team.
"Everything I do is geared toward regionals, especially," he said. "The other races are just preparation for post season."
The coach went to the regional race at Lake Afton two weeks ago hoping that Rohner and the older Wedel might run well enough to place in the top 10 and qualify for state as individuals.
But the once in a million year season continued when Rohner won the race and led the Bluebirds to their first-ever regional team title. Janessa Wedel took seventh, Bowman was ninth, and Lindsey Wedel was 10th.
"I was astounded," Bontrager said. "It came down to those two freshmen girls who figured it out at the right time."
On Saturday in Wamego, the older Wedel was geared up and confident for her third appearance at a state meet, but event was somewhat stressful for others, especially freshman Bowman.
"Sarah was extremely nervous going into the race," Bontrager said. "She hurled coming off the bus a couple of times before we got to camp. She was sicker than a dog nervous."
At the gun, Rohner sprinted to the lead and never looked back.
"When she came out for cross country, she didn't believe she could run so far," Bontrager said. "Within a week, I couldn't keep up with her anymore, so she started running with the boys.
"I seriously don't know that she knew she had it in her. She has shown more surprise in herself than any runner I've worked with."
In the boys' race, German exchange student Martin Koppitz finished 31st in 19:51 and first-year senior runner Wade Wilson was 38th in 20:06.
Girls Class 1A
Cross Country
at Wamego
Teams: 1. Tribune 21; 2. Goessel 65; 3. Olpe 71; 4. Stafford 74; 5. Hanover 74; 6. Fairfield 89; 7. Troy 96; 8. Macksville 116; 9. Pike Valley 133; 10. Quinter 173; 11. Northern Valley 185.
Individuals: 1. Shanon Robertson, Tribune, 15:43.58; 2. Kelli Crittenden, Tribune, 15:43.99; 3. Lisa Rohner, Goessel, 15:50.15; 4. Sharon Zeller, Olpe, 15:57.34; 20. Janessa Wedel, Goessel, 17:08.42; 33. Lindsey Wedel, Goessel, 17:58; 43. Sara Bowman, Goessel, 18:32; 68. Friederike Noltenius, 20:04.
