JUNCTION CITY — The Great Bend High School boys’ cross country team took third place at the Junction City meet on Saturday.
GBHS head coach Todd Kaiser said that both the girls and the boys ran well.
“Both teams ran really smart races,” Kaiser said. “We’re at the point in the season where we know what regional we’re going to, and we know who will be there. Our focus now is if we are up against any team in our regional, we need to run at them.
“There were three other teams from our regional at the meet (Saturday), and both of our teams beat all three of them, so that’s good.”
The Panthers were led by Chon Chavez, who took eighth place with a time of 17 minutes, nine seconds. His time was the best for any GBHS runner at Milford Lake outside of Junction City. Chavez also holds the second fastest time for a Great Bend boy, set last season.
Kaitlyn Tuey, who led the girls’ team with a time of 15:38 to take fifth place, recorded the fastest time for a GBHS girl on the Junction City course.
The girls finished in fourth place.
“A number of our kids had (personal best times) for the season at this meet,” Kaiser said. “The boys ran their best team race that I’ve seen in two or three years.
“The girls are continuing to get stronger. They are buying in to what we’re teaching them, and they are really taking care of business.”
HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
At Junction City
Saturday
BOYS
Team standings
1. Manhattan, 47; 2. Maize, 56; 3. Great Bend, 100; 4. Junction City, 102; 5. Hays, 122; 6. Derby, 125; 7. Salina South, 193; 8. Salina Central, 199; 9. Clay Center, 224
GBHS varsity results
8. Chon Chavez, 17 minutes, nine seconds; 16. Cristian Garcia, 17:41; 17. Kole Stiner, 17:49; 29. Ky Heeke, 18:30; 30. Christian Graham, 18:30
GBHS junior varsity results
23. Anthony Valenzuela, 19:58; 39. Zach Gregg, 20:43; 44. Michael Sullivan, 20:59; 50. Daniel Banda, 21:32; 56. Adam Jacobs, 21:43; 58. Jeremy McFann, 21:45; 61. Grant Harris, 21:50; 69. Walter Helms, 22:29

GIRLS
Team standings
1. Derby, 43; 2. Manhattan, 49; 3. Maize, 64; 4. Great Bend, 94; 5. Salina South, 129; 6. Hays, 169; 7. Clay Center, 177
GBHS varsity results
5. Kaitlyn Tuey, 15:38; 13. Mariah Stein, 16:02; 22. Hannah Wondra, 16:17; 27. Lakin Hulse, 16:42; 30. Morgan Harwood, 16:53; 47. Ali Heilman, 18:05; 48. Sarah Niederee, 18:09
GBHS junior varsity results
48. Mari Erb, 19:27; 56. Chandra Gray, 19:53; 68. Alyssa Dowson, 20:54