In a sport that is all about beating your best time, it’s important to set goals.
With the Class 5A state cross-country meet coming up, Great Bend High School senior Chon Chavez has set his goal.
“Originally, I wanted to get in the top 3 or 5,” Chavez said. “Realistically, I’m just going for a (personal-best time). Hopefully, that will be good enough to get up there. I want to get as high as I can for the team.”
Chavez ran his career-best time of 16 minutes, 27 seconds at an El Dorado meet on Oct. 6.
The Great Bend boys’ and girls’ teams will be heading to the state meet for the second straight season. The boys finished seventh, and the girls finished ninth last year.
The meet will be on Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. The boys start at 10 a.m., and the girls run at 11:30.
Chavez injured his hamstring during a Western Athletic Conference meet earlier in the season.
He ran with the injury in a regional meet at Great Bend’s home course at Barton Lake Golf Course. He took third (16:47.03) at the meet, and he said that the injury is getting better.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Chavez said. “It’s just weak. It kind of hurt going up the hills, and toward the last mile it got a little tired. It felt a lot better than it did at the WAC meet.”
Chavez has been working with Great Bend trainer Ryan Zink.
“I’ve been working a lot with Ryan,” Chavez said. “He’s been helping a lot. Before the regional meet, I ran maybe an easy, five-minute jog before the meet. (Tuesday), I ran on my own, and (Wednesday), I ran with the team.”
Chavez isn’t the only boy looking to make waves at the state level around here.
Ellinwood’s Pedro Montoya is gearing up for the 2A state meet at Wamego Country Club in Wamego on Saturday.
The defending state-champion Eagles will run at 10 a.m. The Lady Eagles, who have been the state runners-up the last two seasons, will run at 11:30.
Montoya has finished first in every meet he has run in this season, something he attributes to his training.
“During the season, I run about 40 to 50 miles a week,” Montoya said. “I didn’t run until I was in eighth grade and my basketball coach told me about it. He told me I should try it and see if I like it.
“I liked it and kept going. Now, I have to run every day. It feels weird if I don’t.”
Montoya’s goal is simple.
“I was just going to do my best,” Montoya said. “I just train hard, and take it one race at a time. I have the same goal that I always do — run my best.”
Montoya’s best so far was a 16:11, a course record he set earlier in the season at Sterling.
He ran 16:38 at a regional meet in Hill City for an individual championship.