Panthers run with a passion
BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
One of the greatest senior classes in Great Bend girls cross country history graduated with a runner-up, third-place and fifth-place 5A finish the past three years. The all-star cast of Addy Nicholson, Premer, Eliana Beckham and Morgan Beckwith has graduated.
Great Bend coach Lyles Lashley likes what he sees after three consecutive WAC and three consecutive regional championships.
Three-time state medal winner Marissa Boone joins Kate Welcher, 13th-place state medalist Sienna Smith, Bella Long, Teah King, Teegan Guerra and newcomer Reese Bullard.
“We graduated four of top six, but that senior class prepared the team to take over this year,” Lashley said. “The girls will carry on our team process. They’ll see the hard work pay off.”
Lashley liked the summer progress.
“We’ve got a good group coming back and they put in a good summer,” he said. “Marissa Boone, Bella Long, Teah King, Sienna Smith and Reese Bullard worked hard.”
Tavon Stroup led the Panther boys with a 50th-place state, ninth-place WAC and fifth-place regional finish last year.
Lashley said Stroup, ‘Izzy’ Ramirez, Diego Pasos and freshman Brogan Lashley were among runners who pushed to improve during the summer. The boys are boosted by a 7-runner freshman class.
“The boys ran a strong summer, and we’re excited about that,” Lashley said.
PANTHER ROSTER
SENIORS—Marissa Boone (S 8TH, 8TH; 17TH; R 2ND; 5TH, 8TH; WAC 2ND, 2ND, 5TH); Kate Welcher (S 64TH, 86TH; R 10TH; 16TH, 38TH; WAC 13TH, 26TH); Diego Pasos
JUNIORS—Reese Bullard; Sienna Smith (S 13TH, 45TH; R 4TH, 6TH, 13TH; WAC 11TH); Ryan Oden; Ismael Ramirez (WAC 13TH); Tavon Stroup (S 50TH; R 5TH, 20TH; WAC 9TH); Monte Velasco
SOPHOMORES—Teegan Guerra (WAC 10TH), Teah King (WAC 22ND), Bella Long (R 14TH, WAC 14TH) Parker Coleman (R 49TH, WAC 36TH), Anthony Lawrence (R 36TH, WAC 30TH), Santiago Velasco
NINTH-GRADERS—Sophia Bauer, Sydney James, Samanatha Neegaard, Alyssa Prendergast, Isaac Aldana, Alexis Garcia, Lennon Johnson, Noah Kaiser, Brogan Lashley, Sullivan Luttrell, Randy Weber
