By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural won its sixth straight girls team championship in Saturday's city cross country meet at Kanza Park while Seaman junior star Ryin Miller won her second straight individual title.
Seaman junior Ryin Miller remained undefeated on the season while winning her second straight city title Saturday at Kanza Park. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Seniors Payton Fink (left) and Rylee Ismert finished second and third individually on Saturday to lead Washburn Rural to its sixth straight city girls cross country team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Miller, who set a state record at at Kanza earlier in the fall, won the individual title by a minute and 13 seconds with a five-kilometer time of 17:08.3 on the newly-reworked course while Matt Swedlund's Junior Blues went 2-3-4 and put all of their top five in the top nine places as Rural took the team title by a 24-31 margin over Seaman.
Undefeated on the season, Miller said she didn't feel completely comfortable on Saturday, but was just pleased to get the job done.
"I'm not sad, but I'm not happy either,'' Miller said. "I was hoping to PR (personal record). Obviously they added a little onto the course (approximately 80 meters) and I think that had something to do with it and it was a little hotter than we anticipated I think.
"I just didn't feel my best today, but I still ran a good time so I'll take it.''
Fink, a former city champion, finished second for Washburn Rural in 18:21.2 while senior Rylee Ismert finished third (18:43.8) and junior Emily Graf was fourth (19:15.2).
Senior Brooklyn Nolte finished eighth (19:55.9) and junior Kenzie Maddox ninth (20:28.7) to round out Rural's top five.
Swedlund said he appreciated the tough team battle the Junior Blues got from Seaman.
"That's kind of been the story the last several city meets, you've got Seaman and Washburn Rural up there battling it out,'' Swedlund said. "Our girls are fast but their girls are fast so you've got to get it done on the day.''
Seaman also got a fifth-place finish from senior Stella Appelhanz (19:26.9), while sophomore Brynn Spencer was seventh (19:36.8), sophomore Kinley Robinson 11th (21:38.9) and freshman Avery Villines 12th (21:42.7) for the Vikings.
Hayden got a pair of top-10 individual finishes, with senior Elliot Wrench finishing sixth (19:36.7) and sophomore Sofia Harper 10th (21:08.8).
Washburn Rural, Hayden and Topeka High will be at Washburn Rural next Saturday for the Centennial League meet while Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in the United Kansas Conference meet on Thursday hosted by Kansas City Turner.
CITY GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
At Kanza Park
Team scores
Washburn Rural 24, Seaman 31, Shawnee Heights 85.
Individual results
1. Ryin Miller, Seaman, 17:08.3; 2. Payton Fink, Washburn Rural, 18:21.2; 3. Rylee Ismert, Washburn Rural, 18:43.8; 4. Emily Graf, Washburn Rural, 19:15.2; 5. Stella Appelhanz, Seaman, 19:26.9; 6. Elliot Wrench, Hayden, 19:36.7; 7. Brynn Spencer, Seaman, 19:36.8; 8. Brooklyn Nolte, Washburn Rural, 19:55.9; 9. Kenzie Maddox, Washburn Rural, 20:28.7; 10. Sofia Harper, Hayden, 21:08.8; 11. Kinley Robinson, Seaman, 21:38.9; 12. Avery Villines, Seaman, 21:42.7; 13. Kate Muir, Washburn Rural, 21:47.0; 14. Hannah Wempe, Seaman, 21:55.1; 15. Chloe Phelps, Topeka West, 22:33.9; 16. Abigail Cooper, Seaman, 22:42.2; 17. Juliahnna Savago, Topeka High, 22:44.5; 18. Emma Womack, Topeka High, 22:46.2; 19. Kennedy Gatewood, Seaman, 22:52.1; 20. Reese Beardslee, Washburn Rural, 22:53.0.
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