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Battle
at Stateland
Ten MHS Runners Nab All-League
Honors
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIPS
MHS Results
| Splits
2009 Team Pictures
Boys
| Girls
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A funny thing happened at the Centennial League
Cross Country Championships last Saturday at Stateland Course.
The masses came to see the league’s 10 teams
battle for bragging rights. Instead, what transpired was a great
dual between league heavyweights MHS and Washburn Rural.
And while the Blues won this battle – taking
3 of 4 team titles – MHS still brought home a pair of landmark
finishes.
For the girls varsity, the runner-up finish
symbolized the 30th time since 1976 that the Lady Indians have
finished in the top two of the league championships.
And the boys notched the program's 20th top-two
finish at league since 1975. Together, that’s 50 times that MHS
has finished first or second at the league championships -- adding
to a tradition that gets longer and longer by the year.
Washburn Rural won boys and girls varsity, and
the girls JV races, with Manhattan placing second in each of those
divisions. Manhattan’s Daniel St. Amand won the boys JV individual
title, and led MHS to the team title – beating Washburn.
Ten MHS runners earned all-league honors, which
go to the top 20 finishers in each varsity division.
On the tough Stateland course, junior Reid
Buchanan ran just five seconds off his season-best, placing fourth
overall in 16:26 for 5K. Also making the all-league team were Peter
Ramundo (16:40, 6th place), Lorenz Bossman (17:08, 9th), and Tyler
Smith (17:15, 11th).
Zach Poulson placed 31st in 18:21 to round out
MHS’ team score.
The varsity girls put up a pack time of 42
seconds, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome a fast start by
Washburn Rural, which won 51-56 over MHS. The Lady Indians charged
down the finish stretch, catching several runners from Rural and
other league schools, but Rural got out quick early and had enough
breathing room at the end.
The top 5 finishers for MHS at league were
Christina Smith (15:35, 6th), Emily Beach (15:44, 8th), Onyeka Ehie
(15:48, 10th), Emily Van Natta (15:52, 13th), and Abbi Wilson
(16:17, 19th). Also earning all-league was Emilie Liebe, who placed
20th in a time of 16:23.
St. Amand covered the 5K course in 18:28 to win
the JV race. The sophomore raced to an early lead, and gradually
padded the cushion throughout the race. Anfernee Kelly nearly
completed the 1-2 sweep, eventually ending up in third place at
18:55.
Mindi DePaola and Danielle Phillips finished second and
third in the girls JV race, but Washburn Rural held off the Lady
Indians’ JV, 36-38.
The Indians head to Wichita this weekend for the
regional meet. The first race begins at 3 p.m.
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