4,3,2-1A cross country: Northern Heights, Olpe defend
It may not for a few years, either.
Heights, the defending Class 3A girls' cross country state champion, and Olpe, the defending 2-1A champ, took different routes to their title defenses but wound up in the same place Saturday at the Wamego Country Club.
The Wildcats held off Southwestern Heights for the second straight year, winning by seven points with 86 points. Olpe eliminated any drama in its defense, registering 43 points -- 67 better than runner-up Osborne.
"We were hoping to win it, but we certainly did not expect to dominate," Olpe coach Tom Camien said. "To win two in a row and to completely dominate the way they did, you can't imagine how it feels."
Both teams are young, too. Heights has just one senior; Olpe none.
"Riley County had the three-peat a few years ago and we're hoping for at least that," Heights coach Kristi Lockyear said. "This group we have now is young and into it."
Olpe's only loss this season was to Heights, yet the Eagles were ranked just third entering state. They made an emphatic statement by placing three in the top 14 and five in the top 30.
Michelle Stueve -- one of four freshmen on the Olpe team -- nearly made it a title sweep for the Eagles. Stueve had the lead coming into the final 100 meters, but Osborne's Ashley Noel tracked her down and edged her by .34 seconds.
"I'm a little disappointed because she beat me by two steps," said Stueve, who was followed in 10th by fellow frosh Mandy Cole and 14th by sophomore Allison Samuels. "It makes me feel better because we have a lot more years to go at it again. I'm ready for next year."
Heights was paced by Amy VanGundy, who was fifth, and Kari Robidou (13th) and Ashley Johnson (14th).
• The streak continues for the Mortimers.
Riley Couty junior Erin Mortimer made it six 3A titles in a row for her family, winning her second straight in dominating fashion. Mortimer posted the fastest winning time in any class, covering the two-mile Wamego course in 11 minutes, 32.50 seconds. Runner-up Blair Spencer of Mission Valley was nearly 35 seconds behind.
Erin's sister, Amy, won four straight crowns from 1995-98.
"They're very talented, self-motivated and intelligent," Falcon coach Garry Sigle said. "I'm the fortunate one who gets to coach them."
• Mission Valley picked up a trophy with a third-place finish. Spencer was runner-up to Mortimer and Tina Todd, the team's lone senior, was 10th.
"I couldn't ask for more as a team than we gave," Viking coach Alan Webb said. "We want to make it a haibt of competing here year-in, year-out."
• Hayden's Stacy Marshall earned all-Class 4A status, finishing ninth in 12:28.22, The Wildcats were sixth as a team with 165 points.
"I felt like I competed well today," Marshall said. "I beat all the girls that beat me at regionals, so that was good."
• It's only chance that Megan Noonan wears a No. 1 on her back.
"I just picked out the smallest jersey," the Baldwin senior said.
Oh yeah, it's also fitting. Noonan won her second 4A crown in three years, winning Saturday in surprisingly easy fashion. Noonan's winning time of 11:52.24 was more than 10 seconds faster than runner-up Brittany Hill of Hugoton.
An anticipated showdown with Burlington's Trisha Culbertson, who denied Noonan a repeat last year and had beaten her in their meetings this year, vanished when Culbertson's legs locked up on her in the final half-mile. Culbertson could do little more than hobble to the finish and wound up 27th.
Baldwin was second as a team, scoring 74 points. El Dorado won with 61.
CLASS 4A
At Wamego
Team scores -- El Dorado 61, Baldwin 74, Clay Center 110, Chaparral 148, Concordia 160, Hayden 165, Mill Valley 171, Lansing 188, Coffeyville 201, Labette County 202, Ulysses 206, Santa Fe Trail 338.
Top 20 -- 1. Megan Noonan, Baldwin, 11:52.24; 2. Brittany Hill, Hugoton, 12:02.98; 3. Lisa Morrisey, Ottawa, 12:14.42; 4. Kara Griffith, ED, 12:15.72; 5. Jamie Lyle, Parsons, 12:20.10; 6. Andrea Meierhoff, Ulysses, 12:20.92; 7. Erica Ogle, Baldwin, 12:25.49; 8. Ashley Kimble, Mulvane, 12:27.66; 9. Stacy Marshall, Hayden, 12:28.22; 10. Chelsey Horkman, Concordia, 12:28.85; 11. Kristi Parry, CC, 12:29.33; 12. Kelly Burdette, Lyons, 12:35.10; 13. Michelle Brenner, Coffey, 12:40.11; 14. Laura Artman, ED, 12:40.70; 15. Seana Griffith, ED, 12:43.34; 16. Stephanie Rohner, Girard, 12:43.76; 17. Melissa Becker, Chanute, 12;45.27; 18. Carly Horkman, Concordia, 12:45.62; 19. Megan Williams, CC, 12:46.03; 20. Angie Matlack, Mill Valley, 12:46.85.
Other area results -- Hayden: 48. Randee Laha, 13:30.29; 52. Amanda Geist, 13:32.35; 69. Amy Geist, 13:56.27; 72. Gena McGivern, 14:01.01; 86. Jessica Herrera, 14:37.26; 90. Jeanine Lacore, 14:54.06. Santa Fe Trail: 82. Courtney Thompson, 14:18.40; 84. Erika Kraus, 14:22.18; 85. Christa Baird, 14:31.96; 96. Krystal Anderson, 15:03.22; 15:03.22; 101. Carolee Dale, 15:52.51.
CLASS 3A
At Wamego
Team -- Northern Heights 86, Southwestern Heights 93, Mission Valley 105, Mt. St. Scholastica 113, Hoisington 129, Wellsville 164, Halstead 173, Riley County 184, Sabetha 193, Horton 205, Wakeeney 232, Trinity Academy 285.
Top 20 -- 1. Erin Mortimer, Riley County, 11:32.50; 2. Blair Spencer, MV, 12:07.14; 3. Ashley Chapman, Royal Valley, 12:12.17; 4. Erin Locke, Wakeeney, 12:23.16; 5. Amy VanGundy, NH, 12:26.54; 6. Trista Barnett, SW Hts, 12:31.79; 7. Desiraye Osburn, Lyndon, 12:36.20; 8. Megan McClain, Lakin, 12:39.16; 9. Rachel Boyd, Medicine Lodge, 12:39.91; 10. Tina Todd, MV, 12:40.57; 11. Leah Cox, Halstead, 12:45.08; 12. Jesi Osburn, Lyndon, 12:45.70; 13. Kari Robidou, NH, 12:46.32; 14. Ashley Johnson, NH, 12:46.91; 15. Hope Inglehart, Wells, 12:47.75; 16. Nicole Heptig, Rock Creek, 12:51.28; 17. Tami Dreitz, SW Hts, 12:52.43; 18. Wendy Dinkel, Hois, 12:53.67; 19. Lindsey Christian, St. Scholastica, 12:55.57; 20. Jackie Carathers, Wells, 12:57.46.
Other area results -- Lyndon: 39. Paige Richister, 13:18.23. Mission Valley: 38. Megan Ross, 13:17.63; 48. Annie Browning, 13:34.63; 51. Sarah Browning, 13:39.57; 80. Valerie Logan, 14:38.08; 86. Kristen Zielke, 14:51.25. Northern Heights: 34. Morgan Howard, 13:12.84; 59. Brenda Pracht, 13:49.08; 60. Megan Hedberg, 13:51.11; 66. Sarah Lockyear, 14:01.33. Riley County: 23. Melissa Visser, 13:03.64; 63. Adrienne Williams, 13:58.47; 77. Gayle Hoffman, 14:17.84; 85. Ashley Cunningham, 14:50.23; 87. Lela Larson, 15:10.58; 100. Angie Smith, 17:50.96. Royal Valley: 36. Laura Thurman, 13:15.33. Wabaunsee: 49. Coye Crenshaw-Kleve, 13:35.80.
CLASS 2-1A
At Wamego
Team scores -- Olpe 43, Osborne 110, Lebo 135, Dighton 138, Syracuse 139, Stanton County 146, Hill City 160, Oxford 165, Remington 186, Northern Valley 198, Pratt-Skyline 243, Hanover 244.
Top 20 -- 1. Ashley Noel, Osborne, 12:15.99; 2. Michelle Stueve, Olpe, 12:16.33; 3. Becky Nelsen, South Gray, 12:20.01; 4. Jolene Mick, Osborne, 12:30.61; 5. Aniessa Slack, Oxford, 12:33.44; 6. Maggie Foss, Hutch-Trinity, 12:35.05; 7. Tonya Newton, Sacred Heart, 12:40.86; 8. Courtney Edmonds, McLouth, 12:45.61; 9. Christina Green, Hutch-Trinity, 12:50.35; 10. Mandy Cole, Olpe, 12:51.78; 11. Mackenzie Ostmeyer, NV, 12:53.65; 12. Adriane Ohlde, Linn, 12:54.64; 13. Abbie Obermueller, Lincoln, 13:00.07; 14. Allison Samuels, Olpe, 13:01.33; 15. Sarah Astle, St. John, 13:03.45; 16. Carrie Elliot, Sterling, 13:05.49; 17. Misty Reed, Meade, 13:06.80; 18. Jamie Noll, Jefferson North, 13:09.82; 19. Krisa Ubelaker, Osborne, 13:10.31; 20. Holly Koehn, SC, 13:10.76.
Other area results -- Lebo: 37. Nichole Combes, 13:44.07; 42. Megan Novotny, 13:49.75; 44. Scarlett Colstrom, 13:53.00; 48. Skye Egan, 13:58.23; 67. Casey Strawder, 14:27.26; 87. Angela Sullivan, 15:41.31. Olpe: 29. Sheila Zeller, 13:25.97; 30. Moncia Zeller, 13:26.45; 68. Cathy Slater, 14:30.46; 69. Natasha Stevenson, 14:31.60.