For the second straight year, the Great Bend High School boys’ cross-country team captured a Class 5A regional runner-up trophy while hosting on a Saturday morning at the Barton Lake Golf Course.
The Lady Panthers finished in third place, as both teams qualified for the state meet, which will be held at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence next Saturday. The boys race at 10 a.m., and the girls follow at 11:30.
“Things ended up the way I thought they’d end up,” GBHS head coach Todd Kaiser said. “I knew the girls were going to have to run for third, and that’s what they did. They ran a good team race.
“The boys finished runner-up for the second year in a row, so that’s something they can hang their hats on. I know they wanted first, but they get to race again. That’s the important thing.”
Senior Chon Chavez, who has been slowed with a hamstring injury, led GBHS with a third-place finish, crossing the finish line at 16 minutes, 47.03 seconds.
“It’s unfortunate that Chon wasn’t 100 percent,” Kaiser said. “If Chon was 100 percent, it might have been a different race because it was that close. It’s nothing negative, but I think a healthy Chon would’ve been the difference between first and second for us.
“That kid ran on pure adrenaline and guts, and I’m really proud of what he’s done today and the career he’s had so far.”
Great Bend finished with 59 points, just two behind first-place Liberal.
Senior Kole Stiner finished ninth with a time of 17:42.25 to medal.
“Kole got himself another medal,” Kaiser said. “He got one as a sophomore, so he finishes his career as a two-time regional medalist. That’s a good accomplishment for him. He was a little upset at the end because he wanted our team to get first. We get to race another day, that’s the main thing.”
Mariah Stein led the Lady Panthers with a time of 16:43.60, claiming 13th place.
The Lady Panthers finished with 103 points. Valley Center (32) finished first, and Maize South (35) captured second.

PREP CROSS-COUNTRY
Class 5A regional meet

Saturday

At Great Bend
Barton Lake Golf Course

GIRLS

Team standings
1. Valley Center, 32; 2. Maize South, 35; 3. Great Bend, 103; 4. Salina South, 128; 5. Liberal, 129; 6. Newton, 132; 7. Hays, 153.

Medalists
1. Morgan Wedekind, Valley Center, 14:47.90; 2. Mady Nestor, Maize South, 15:44.12; 3. Kalee Owens, Valley Center, 15:50.44; 4. Morgan Schaefer, Maize South, 15:52.68; 5. Katie Trumble, Maize South, 16:09.18; 6. Veronica Sowder, Maize South, 16:10.97; 7. Kayla Barton, Valley Center, 16:21.29; 8. Destyni Lucerro, Liberal, 16:24.09; 9. Kasey Stucky, Newton, 16:26.19; 10. Shelby Marten, Valley Center, 16:27.36.

Other state qualifiers
14. Emilee Holloway, 16:49.79; 15. Mercy Perz, Liberal, 16:52.20; 16. Megan Holloway, 16:53.91.

Great Bend results
13. Mariah Stein, 16:43.60; 17. Kaitlynn Tuey, 16:54.40; 21. Morgan Harwood, 17:12.13; 23. Mary Williams, 17:14.10; 29. Ashley Weingrad, 18:00.92; 33. Abby Stiner, 18:13.42; 34. Grace Ball, 18:18.70.

BOYS

Team standings
1. Liberal, 57; 2. Great Bend, 59; 3. Hays, 63; 4. Maize South, 108; 5. Newton, 120; 6. Valley Center, 153; 7. Salina South, 172; 8. Salina Central, 193.

Medalists
1. Angel Viveros, Liberal, 16:37.11; 2. Derek Drees, Hays, 16:46.78; 3. Chon Chavez, Great Bend, 16:47.03; 4. Tristan Irish, Salina South, 17:16.78; 5. Daniel Frazier, Liberal, 17:25.29; 6. Sammy Obando, Liberal, 17:29.23; 7. Colton Dunham, Valley Center, 17:31.16; 8. Joshua Brungardt, Hays, 17:37.90; 9. Kole Stiner, Great Bend, 17:42.25; 10. Daniel Villarreal, Salina Central, 17:44.84.

Other state qualifiers
12. Jake Brashler, Maize South, 17:51.12; 14. Layne Hardin, Maize South, 18:07.39.

Great Bend results
13. Cristian Garcia, 18:03.67; 15. Genesis Rose, 18:08.82; 19. Christian Graham, 18:23.58; 23. Cole Mulch, 18:31.00; 24. Bobby Chavez, 18:35.20.