BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
HUTCHINSON — After competing against reigning state champions for two meets, Great Bend's Sienna Smith cruised to her first career cross country victory in Thursday's Buhler Invitational at Prairie Ridge.
Smith (20:33.6) improved 29 seconds from 2023 with a steady pace to lead from start-to-finish on the 5-kilometer course in 80 degree weather and humid conditions.
"It was a challenge to pace myself," Smith said. "I'd glance at my watch every once in a while. My goal is to always run a steady pace from the start."
Smith finished five seconds ahead of Buhler's Corbin Starkweather (20:38.4).
"That's my first cross country victory," Smith said. "That was a nice accomplishment."
Third-place Panther Reese Bullard (20:38.5) led five top 10 Great Bend medalists. She was followed by fifth place Marissa Boone (21:15.0), sixth-place Bella Long (21:38.7) and eighth-place Teah King (21:48.0). King improved 64 seconds and Long sliced 44 seconds from last year's Buhler race.
Bullard achieved a career-best third-place medal.
"I surprised myself. That felt like the best race I've ever run," said Bullard, still adjusting to the 5-kilometer distance. "I've put in the work. I just had to perform."
Bullard excelled in the third mile moving from the top 10 into third place.
"I started passing people after the second mile," she said. "I went after it."
Great Bend coach Lyles Lashley said, "That was Reece's best race. She ran aggressive and finished strong. I was happy with everybody. Our motto today was go out and compete."
Ismael "Izzy" Ramirez (17:30.5) improved 59 seconds from last year to earn seventh medalist honors. He missed some training time when he sustained a leg injury at Lake Barton after a spill.
"Coming back from an injury, I competed out there today," he said. "I pushed myself good today. My first two miles were good. My last mile I felt some fatigue. Our team is looking to do better things the rest of the year.
Lashley said, "Izzy got beat by really good runners today. Our meet schedule is one of the best in the state. It's nice to see all those kids earn medals today."
Diego Pasos (19:03.3) finished 29th. Panther 40th-place Anthony Lawrence (19:23.9) improved 29 second and 64th-place Parker Coleman (20:18.7) improved seven seconds from last year.
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
GIRLS TEAM TOTALS—1—Great Bend 20; 2—SE Saline 64; 3—Berean Academy 99; 4—Buhler 112; 5—Newton 123
GIRLS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Sienna Smith, GB, 20:33.6; 2—Starkweather, Buhler 20:38.4; 3—Reese Bullard, GB, 20:38.5; 4—Hennessy, Andale 20:59.1; 5—Marissa Boone, GB, 21:15.0; 6—Bella Long, GB, 21:38.7; 7—Treaster, Newton, 21:39.0; 8—Teah King, GB, 21:48.0; 9—Brown, SE, 21:53.6; 10 —Newcome, HCC, 21:53.9
GREAT BEND—31—Kate Welcher, 23:50.2; 32—Samantha Neegard, 23:51.7
JV GIRLS—1—Alyssa Prendergast, 24:41.2; 19—Sydney James, 29:59.5
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
TEAM TOTALS—1—SE Saline 59; 2—Buhler 107; 3—Hutchinson Trinity 117; 4—Andale 123; 5—Berean Academy 128; 8—Great Bend 177
BOYS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Brayden Walker, SE, 16:48.4; 2—Muehler, McPherson 17:11.9; 3—Griffith, Goddard 17:13.9; 4—Deniau-Young, SC, 17:20.9; 5—Bircher, SE, 17:22.0; 6—Lindahl, Buhler 17:28.9; 7—Ismael Ramirez, GB, 17:30.5; 8—Elder, Mc, 17:41.6; 9—Briscoe, Berean, 17:51.9; 10—Tonne, SE, 18:00.7
GREAT BEND—29—Diego Pasos, 19:03.3; 40—Anthony Lawrence, 19:23.9; 50—Isaac Aldana, 19:41.5; 57—Tavon Stroup, 20:04.1; 64—Parker Coleman, 20:18.7
JV BOYS—5—Sullivan Luttrell, 20:56.3; 7—Noah Kaiser, 21:02.6; 18—Randy Weber, 22:04.1; 25—Lennon Johnson, 22:31.7; 35—Monte Velasco, 23:14.6; 42—Alexis Garcia, 23:47.9
