BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
LAKE BARTON — Great Bend's girls captured their fourth consecutive 5A regional cross country championship at Lake Barton's regional Saturday. The Panthers (37) placed five runners in the top 14 to beat Valley Center (65) for first place. The Panthers will compete at 10 a.m. Nov. 2 at Lawrence's Rim Rock course.
Third-place Panther medalist Reese Bullard (19:39.87) enjoyed a career-best race to lead the Panthers. Bullard ran superbly after missing two weeks with a torn adductor muscle.
"I had that race in my head and it happened. It was all a mental game," Bullard said. "I felt amazing considering I was off two weeks. It was a complete surprise. I'm glad to be back."
Bullard improved last year's regional time by 80 seconds in Saturday's 50-degree weather.
"I loved the weather. It helped me," she said. "Someone different running first for us is like a cool game where you never know what's going to happen."
She was followed by top 15 medalists fourth-place Bella Long (19:45.79); sixth-place Marissa Boone (19:59.6); 10th-place Sienna Smith (20:30.27) and 14th-place Teah King (20:43.29).
Long matched Bullard with one of her best races of the season. She had confidence Saturday was her day.
"I felt really good throughout the race, and I relaxed today," Long said. "It helps our team when any one of us can go out and run really good that day."
The No. 5 ranked Panthers have finished second, third and fifth in 5A the past three years at Lawrence. Boone (8th, 8th, 17th), Smith (13th, 45th) and Kate Welcher (64th, 86th) return with 5A state experience.
Salina Central's regional champion Kaylie Schultz edged her teammate -- 2-time 5A state champion Katelyn Rupe.
5A LAKE BARTON
GIRLS TEAM QUALIFIERS—1—Great Bend 37; 2—Valley Center 65; 3—Salina South 74
TOP 15 QUALIFIERS—1—Shultz, SC, 18:10.38; 2—Rupe, SC, 18:10.4; 3—Reese Bullard, GB, 19:39.87; 4—Bella Long, GB, 19:45.79; 5—Treaster, Newton, 19:55.54; 6—Marissa Boone, GB, 19:59.64; 7—Ellis, VC, 20:08.64; 8—Hooper, VC, 20:21.71; 9—Williams, VC, 20:28.44; 10—Sienna Smith, GB, 20:30.27; 11—Powell, Newton, 20:39.23; 12—Wille, 20:42; 13—Hamel, SS, 20:42.65; 14—Teah King, GB, 20:43.29; 15—Brownell, Goddard, 20:48.07
GREAT BEND—21—Kate Welcher, 21:35.47; 24—Samantha Neegard, 21:41.56
