The Olathe Twilight meet last Saturday was an exceptional one. But now it's business as usual for the Great Bend High School cross country runners. Thursday night in Buhler, the Lady Panthers returned to the top spot of the team standings, and senior Kaiden Esfeld won the boys' race.
The Lady Panthers scored 37 points for the win. Reigning Class 3A champion Southeast of Saline finished second with 54 points, and Winfield scored 67 points for third.
Southeast of Saline won team and individual 3A titles in 2021, placing three in the top-11 at state. Senior Ashley Prochazka was that 11th-place finisher a year ago, and she won the Buhler Invite by four seconds in 20:59. Lady Panther junior Addy Nicholson ran behind her in 21:03.4, and sophomore Marissa Boone ran fourth in 21:32.1, 22 seconds behind SES's top-six state finisher from a year ago.
Eliana Beckham ran sixth for Great Bend in 22:01.7, Morgan Beckwith finished 12th in 22:35.1, and Reese King claimed the final team points in 13th with a time of 22:38.7. Sienna Smith and Kate Welcher also ran the varsity race, placing 33rd and 35th, respectively, in 24:19 and 24:31.
Esfeld beats competitive field
The boys' race featured several of the premiere smaller schools in Kansas. Southeast of Saline had its streak of three-straight 3A titles ended last year, but won Thursday's meet with 36 points. Berean Academy has won two 2A titles in three years and finished second Thursday with 60 points. Four-time reigning 4A champion Buhler finished third with 69 points, and Great Bend placed eighth with 206 points.
Esfeld slowed a bit from his first two races but still beat the Buhler field by nine seconds in 16:46.1. Berean's Andrew Harder, the 12th-place finisher in 2A last fall, won the silver by two seconds in 16:55.
Freshman Ismael Ramirez finished next for the Panthers in 19:59 for 44th. Tavon Stroup placed 47th in 20:11, and Thomas Henrikson finished 55th in 20:33. Braylon Moore scored the final team points in 63rd in 21:03. Bradon Suppes ran 68th in 21:34, and Brantley Vsetecka placed 77th in 24:06.