By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Rylee Ismert followed up her Centennial League individual cross country title with a Class 6A regional win on Saturday at Kanza Park, leading Washburn Rural to the team championship.
Washburn Rural senior Rylee Ismert claimed the individual title in Saturday's Class 6A cross country regional. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Ismert took individual honors with a five-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 06.7 seconds, one of four Junior Blues in the top eight spots as Rural took the team title by a 45-55 margin over Lawrence Free State.
Washburn Rural senior Payton Fink finished third in Saturday's Class 6A cross country regional, helping the Junior Blues win the team crown. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Rural senior Payton Fink finished third in 18:17.3 while junior Emily Graf was fifth (18:58.9) and senior Brooklyn Nolte eighth (19:32.6). Junior Kenzie Maddox finished 29th (21:55.2) to round out the Junior Blues' scoring runners.
Ismert used the same strategy Saturday that had produced a league title a week earlier, staying with Fink early before taking control of the race over the final mile.
"My goal was pretty much the same as last week, to run together and then just to see when it felt right to push,'' Ismert said.
Ismert said she feels like she's running the best she's ever run over the past few weeks.
"Honestly, I just really started having more faith in myself and I've been training really hard all week,'' Ismert said.
Rural's girls have now swept city, league and regional team titles and are on the short list of state title contenders next Saturday at Rim Rock Farm, north of Lawrence.
"That's where we want to be, that's the plan,'' Washburn Rural coach Matt Swedlund said. "We have a few things to figure out. We'll work on tweaking some stuff this week and want to be competing for that title next Saturday.''
The Junior Blue boys tied Manhattan for second place with 86 points and finished third on a tiebreaker to garner the final team berth for state. Centennial League champion Junction City earned the team championship with 60 points, led by senior individual champion Ethan Fontaine, who clocked a time of 15:51.1.
Washburn Rural freshman Henry Laubach (1935) posted a third-place individual finish in Saturday's Class 6A regional cross country meet, helping the Junior Blues earn a Class 6A state berth. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Henry Laubach finished third in 16:06.0 to pace Washburn Rural while junior Brooks Kehoe finished eighth (16:24.3), senior Bodie King 15th (16:33.7), freshman Clayton Fink 28th (17:09.1) and senior Chris Quarles 32nd (17:20.0).
"It's survive and advance,'' Swedlund said. "We got a good look at Junction City and Manhattan last week at league, so we knew if we could be competitive with those two teams and stay as close as possible that would give us a good shot. I felt we ran well, I was happy with that.''
The 6A girls race is scheduled for an 11:10 a.m. start next Saturday at Rim Rock while the boys race is the final race of the day at 12:55 p.m.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
At Kanza Park
GIRLS
Team scores
Washburn Rural 45, Free State 55, Manhattan 62, Junction City 85, Derby 125, Wichita East 155, Topeka High 204.
Individual results
1. Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural, 18:06.7; 2. Linden Pickler, Junction City, 18:15.6; 3. Payton Fink, Washburn Rural, 18:17.3; 4. Anna Fontaine, Junction City, 18:27.0; 5. Emily Graf, Washburn Rural, 18:58.9; 6. Andie Strathman, Manhattan, 18:59.2; 7. Cayman Barnes, Free State, 19:23.8; 8. Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural, 19:32.6; 9. Brylee Burns, Free State, 19:38.7; 10. Elle Cormaney, Free State, 19:44.9; 11. Scarlett Williams, Manhattan, 19:44.9; 12. Addyson Tenbrink, Free State, 19:53.7; 13. Lauren Perry, Manhattan, 20:01.0; 14. Rebekah Pickering, Manhattan, 20:11.4; 15. Bethany Dibben, Junction City.
Other Washburn Rural -- 29. Kenzie Maddox, 21:55.2; 33. Kate Muir, 22:28.8; 38. Reese Beardslee, 22:54.4.
Topeka High -- 36. Juliahnna Savago, 22:48.8; 37. Emma Womack, 22:51.1; 41. Victoria Reynaga, 23:05.5; 49. Kimberly Cortez, 28:49.9; 50. Mackynzie Murray, 28:58.5.
BOYS
Team scores
Junction City 60, Manhattan 86, Washburn Rural 86, Free State 111, Wichita East 119, Derby 138, Wichita Southeast 177, Wichita Heights 194, Topeka High 229.
Individual results
1. Ethan Fontaine, Junction City, 15:51.1; 2. Jack Harty, Wichita Heights, 15:59.2; 3. Henry Laubach, Washburn Rural, 16:06.0; 4. Lucas Kreutzer, Derby, 16:12.2; 5. Jack Spiegel, Manhattan, 16:16.5; 6. Evan Arnold, Manhattan, 16:16.7; 7. Anthony Testa, Junction City, 16:20.4; 8. Brooks Kehoe, Washburn Rural, 16:24.3; 9. Brayden Pauler, Wichita Southeast, 16:24.7; 10. Evan Benoit, Wichita East, 16:24.7; 11. Everett Pickler, Junction City, 16:26.3; 12. Jonah Frye, Free State, 16:27.7; 13. Trey Pauler, Wichita Southeast, 16:30.5; 14. Sam Muehling, Wichita East, 16:32.8; 15. Bodie King, Washburn Rural, 16:33.7.
Other Washburn Rural -- 28. Clayton Fink, 17:09.1; 32. Chris Quarles, 17:20.0; 37. Connor Olsen, 17:31.1; 42. Duke Graf, 18:02.9.
Topeka High -- 30. Stuart Campbell, 17:15.8; 31. Easton Davis, 17:17.9; 55. Matthew Hanes, 19:53.6; 56. Oliver Snethen, 19:54.0; 57. Gregory Njoroge, 20:08.6; 58. Tayleon Flores, 20.13.3; 62. Meeko Tinoco, 21:06.7.
.
