The Great Bend Panther Boys and Girls have qualified for the 5A State meet in August next Saturday.
Running on their home course at Lake Barton, the Panther boys found their way into next week’s state field with their best overall performance of the season. Sophomore Kaiden Esfeld won the Regional title with a 20-second victory (16:33.12 10) over William Schaeffer from Maize South.
The Panther girls were led by Emilia Diaz who finished sixth in a time of 19:52.20. Great Bend then bracketed their next five runners between 13th and 25th to finish comfortably in second place behind Maize South and in front of Valley Center.
Both teams will run at Augusta next Saturday. The boys race will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the 5A girls race to follow at 10:05.
5A Girls Team Scores
1 Maize South HS 24
2 Great Bend HS 68
3 Valley Center HS 84
4 Hays HS 90
5 Salina-South HS 105
6 Newton HS 163
7 Salina-Central HS 184
Great Bend Results
6 Diaz, Emilia 11 Great Bend HS 19:52.20
13 Beckwith, Morgan 9 Great Bend HS 20:40.70
15 Loomis, Emma 11 Great Bend HS 20:47.73
18 Nicholson, Addy 9 Great Bend HS 20:56.82
23 Jackson, Eliana 9 Great Bend HS 21:28.21
25 McCormick, Haley 10 Great Bend HS 21:28.81
47 Loomis, Hannah 11 Great Bend HS 24:28.27
5A Boys Team Scores
1 Maize HS 43
2 Maize South HS 46
3 Great Bend HS 107
4 Newton HS 110
5 Salina-Central HS 142
6 Hays HS 143
7 Valley Center HS 155
8 Salina-South HS 207
Great Bend Results
1 Esfeld, Kaiden 10 Great Bend HS 16:33.12 1
22 Huslig, Matthew 12 Great Bend HS 18:10.12 22
23 Wasson, Malachi 11 Great Bend HS 18:14.14 23
30 Johnson, Apolos 9 Great Bend HS 18:36.70 30
31 Feist, Brody 11 Great Bend HS 18:44.00 31
48 Suppes, Bradon 9 Great Bend HS 19:57.03 48