Panther girls capture WAC cross country title

Nicholson first, Boone, Esfeld second

Western Athletic Conference cross country champion Addy Nicholson

GARDEN CITY – Great Bend’s Addy Nicholson (16:16.5) captured Thursday’s Western Athletic Conference cross country championship to spark the Panthers (33 points) to back-to-back WAC titles. Nicholson earns WAC Most Valuable honors.

Panther Marissa Boone (16:23) earned the runner-up medal for the second consecutive season. The Panthers had six finishers in the top 11. The Panthers other top 12 finishers earned scond-team All-WAC honors — ninth-place Eliana Beckham, 17:21.6; 10th-place Morgan Beckwith, 17:21.9; 11th-place Sienna Smith, 17:27.5; and 12th-place Reese King, 17:37.7.

Panther third-place 5A state finisher Kaiden Esfeld (16:24.3) placed runner-up behind WAC champion Devin Chappel (16:15.9). Esfeld edged Chappel for the 2021 WAC cross country title.

Great Bend will compete at a 5A regional at Lake Barton Oct. 22.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

GARDEN CITY

GIRLS TEAM SCORES—1—Great Bend 33; 2—Garden City 52; 3—Hays High 71; 4—Liberal 92; 5—Dodge City 115.

GIRLS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Addy Nicholson, GB, 16:16.5; 2—Marissa Boone, GB, 16:23; 3—Cerda, Liberal, 16:50.9; 4—Sosa, GC, 16:56.7; 5—Gere, DC, 16:57.5; 6—Wiese, GC, 16:58.2; 7—Guevara, GC, 17;14.4; 8—Maldonado, Hays, 17:21.6; 9—Eliana Beckham, GB, 17:21.6; 10—Morgan Beckwith, 17:21.9

GREAT BEND—11—Sienna Smith, 17:27.5; 12—Reese King, 17:37.7; 26—Kate Welcher, 18:42.4

GIRLS JV—1—Aguilera, GC, 19:09.1

WESTERN ATHLETIC

GARDEN CITY

BOYS TEAM SCORES—1— Garden City 21; 2—Dodge City 58; 3—Liberal 64; 4—Hays High 107

BOYS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Devin Chappel, GC, 16:15.9; 2—Kaiden Esfeld, GB, 16:23.4; 3—Munoz, GC, 16:34.3; 4—Pavia, Liberal, 16:49.0; 5—Foster, Liberal, 16:54.6; 6—Nemechek, GC, 16:56.5; 7—Weilert-Beymer, GC, 17:10.6; 8—Gurrola, GC, 17:12.2; 9—Castro, GC, 17:28.5; 10—Lamas, DC, 17:34.4

GREAT BEND—19—Tavon Stroup, 18:30.9; 31—Braden Suppes, 21:24.2; 33—Brantley Vsetecka, 22:06.7