By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Saturday's city girls cross country meet at Kanza Park went about as expectected, with one noteworthy change.
Washburn Rural won its fifth straight team championship in a tight battle with Seaman while two of the state's best runners, Seaman sophomore Ryin MIller and Rural junior Payton Fink battled it out for the individual championship.
Seaman sophomore Ryin Miller (589) and Washburn Rural junior Payton Fink (709) finished one-two in Saturday's city girls cross country meet while Rural won its fifth straight city team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But this time if was Miller that took the individual title after finishing second to Fink in the 2022 city meet, winning by nearly 11 seconds with a five-kilometer time of 17 24.3.
Matt Swedlund's Junior Blues, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, went 2-3-4 and put all of their top five in the top 13 places as Rural took the team title by a 27-36 margin over Seaman, No. 4 in 5A.
Washburn Rural sophomore Emily Graf (704) and Rural junior Rylee Ismert (710) finished third and fourth individually to help the Junior Blues win their fifth straight city team title. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Fink finished second for Washburn Rural in 17:35.1 while sophomore Emily Graf was third (18:46.1) and junior Rylee Ismert fourth (18:59.7).
Junior Brooklyn Nolte finished sixth (19:28.8) and sophomore Kenzie Maddox 13th (20:56.5) to round out Rural's top five.
Swedlund said he appreciated the tough team battle the Junior Blues got from Seaman.
"We like that, that's what we were looking for,'' Swedlund said. "It's nice getting into October and we love competing against Seaman. The've got a good team tnat gets us kind of primed for league, regionals, state.''
Miller pushed Fink throughout the early stages of Saturday's race before pulling away down the stretch to beat the Junior Blue star for the first time.
"I know that I have more experience on this course than she does and I figured that usually she sits on me the first mile and then she kicks and just goes,'' Miller said. "I thought maybe if I could get out hard enough the first mile that would maybe intimidate her enough to where she wouldn't be able to kill me as hard the second and I'd be able to hopefully stay with her.''
But even though Miller was able to open up some distance over Fink entering the home stretch, she still looked back multiple times to make sure Fink wasn't gaining on her.
"I saw her shadow behind me and it was freaking me out,'' Miller said. "I kept looking behind me and I was like, 'Oh, she's coming.' ''
Miller said she feels like a race like Saturday can help both her and Fink heading into the biggest meets of the season.
"Absolutely, because it doesn't give you any time to sleep,'' she said. "You're constantly going, going, going. Otherwise they're going to be gone.''
Seaman also got a fifth-place finish from freshman Brynn Spencer (19:22.4) and a seventh-place showing from junior Stella Appelhanz (19:37.9), while senior Savannah Sampson was 11th (20:35.3) and freshman Alex Richardson 14th (21:02.4) for the Vikings.
Hayden finished third in the team standings with 75 points, led by eighth-place junior Elliot Wrench (20:06.9) and ninth-place freshman Sofia Harper (20:16.3)..
Topeka High got a top-10 finish from freshman Juliahnna Savago, who was 10th in 20:19.8.
Washburn Rural, Hayden and Topeka High will be back at Kanza Park next Saturday for the Centennial League meet while Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in the United Kansas Conference meet on Thursday at Shawnee North Community Center.
CITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
At Kanza Park
Team scores
Washburn Rural 27, Seaman 36, Hayden 75, Topeka West 111, Shawne Heights 119.
Individual results
1. Ryin Miller, Seaman, 17:24.3; 2. Payton Fink, Washburn Rural, 17:35.1; 3. Emily Graf, Washburn Rural, 18:46.1; 4. Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural, 18:59.7; 5. Brynn Spencer, Seaman, 19:22.4; 6. Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural, 19:29.8; 7. Stella Appelhanz, Seaman, 19:37.9; 8. Elliot Wrench, Hayden, 20:06.9. Sofia Harper, Hayden, 20:16.3; 10. Juliahnna Savago, Topeka High, 20:19.8; 11. Savannah Sampson, Seaman, 20:35.3; 12. Payton Rice, Topeka West, 20:47.3; 13. Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural, 20:56.5; 14. Alex Richardson, Seaman, 21:02.4; 15. Kate Muir, Washburn Rural, 21:05.0; 16. Elinor Stallbaumer, Seaman, 21:20.7; 17. Hannah Wempe, Seaman, 21:21.4; 18. Elaina Wolff, Hayden, 21:45.7; 19. Jordyn McKinzie, Topeka West, 21:48.5; 20. Kinley Robinson, Seaman, 21:50.3.
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