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Great Bend runners compete at Rim Rock
panther emilia diaz2.jpg
Great Bend Panther Emilia Diaz places 12th at the 5A state cross country meet at Lawrence's Rim Rock Farms. - photo by COURTESY PHOTO Huey Counts

LAWRENCE — Great Bend placed fifth in the Crimson girls division and the Panther boys finished 11th in the Gold boys division at Saturday’s Rim Rock Farms Cross Country Classic.

Emilia Diaz led the girls with a 22nd-place finish (20:22.4) after she placed 32nd at 5A state last year. Other finishers who counted were 48th McKenna Esfeld (21:02.1); 60th Haley McCormick (21:12.8); 74th Regan Huslig (21:27.8) and 105th Emma Loomis (22:12.6).

Bishop Kelley, Tulsa, Okla. placed first (121) and Iowa City West paced second (159). Blue Valley’s Tori Wingrove earned medalist honors (19:19.5). 

Great Bend’s boys were paced by 37th-place Sage Cauley (16:56.0), who placed 27th at 5A state last year. Collin Hammond placed 43rd (17:00.9) after a 28th-place state finish. Kaiden Esfeld placed 44th (17:02.3), Alex Smith, 77th (17:26.0) and Evan Hammond, 102nd (17:52.4).

Fayetteville, Ark. (62) placed first and Johnston, Iowa finished second (173). Denver East’s Will Daley earned medalist honors (15:39.8). 

The Panther boys have placed fifth, sixth and seventh the past three years at the 5A state cross country meet. 

RIM ROCK GOLD CLASSIC

BOYS TEAM SCORES

1—Fayetteville, Ark. 62

2—Johnston, Iowa 173

3—Washburn Rural 193

4—Blue Springs, Mo. 196

5—Mill Valley 206

11—Great Bend 258

TOP 10 MEDALISTS

1—Daley, Denver East, 15:39.8

2—Kinnane, Andover, 15:59.6

3—True, Andover, 16:04.4

4—Harkin, Manhattan, 16:05.2

5—Lueders, Blair, Neb. 16:08.1

6—Sturdy, DeSoto, 16:10.6

7—Williams, Fayetteville, 16:11.0

8—Betts, Fayetteville, 16:11.7

9—Grover, Blue Springs, 16:16.7

10—Craig, Fayetteville, 16:18.3

GREAT BEND

37—Sage Cauley, 16:56.0

43—Collin Hammond, 17:00.9

44—Kaiden Esfeld, 17:02.3

77—Alex Smith, 17:26.0

102—Evan Hammond, 17:52.4

121—Matthew Huslig, 18:07.2

RIM ROCK CRIMSON CLASSIC

GIRLS TEAM SCORES

1—Kelley, Tulsa, Okla. 121

2—Iowa City West, 159

3—Derby, 216

4—Blue Valley, 238

5—Great Bend 272

TOP 10 MEDALISTS

1—Wingrove, Blue Valley, 19:19.5

2—Curtis, KMC, 19:44.4

3—Kalb, Derby, 19:49.9

4—Eureste, Kelly, 19:56.2

5—Meyer, SM Miege, 19:57.0

6—McGlocklin, Olathe NW, 19:58.8 

7—Hills, Kelley, 20:00.5

8—Kaempfe, DeSoto, 20:02.3

9—Lopez, Carthage, Mo. 20:06.0

10—Giger, Platte Co. Mo. 20:11.4

GREAT BEND

22—Emilia Diaz, 20:22.4

48—McKenna Esfeld, 21:02.1

60—Haley McCormick, 21:12.8 

74—Regan Huslig, 21:27.8

105—Emma Loomis, 22:12.6

164—Hannah Loomis, 23:11.5

200—Briana Perez, 23:56.2