Staff writer
Marion cross-country runners Jordan Hett and Ryan Jones led the Mid-Central Activities Association League race at Hesston Golf Club as the group of competitors ran around the pond at the farthest corner of the white-line course.
Jones, a senior, was helping push Hett, a freshman, through the most difficult part of the race. Runners that were once tightly packed were now separated by yards instead of feet, no longer connected to a group but in solitude toward the finish line.
Eventually Hett, as he has done earlier in the season, distanced himself from Jones and was all alone in first, entering the final curve of the course toward the finish line.
Even though Hett’s stride was still long and fluid, he was laboring toward the finish. He was still in the lead down the final straight-line stretch but was caught by Zach Weber of Hesston. Hett said that he was out of gas at the end of the race.
Weber finished first, 17 minutes, 12 seconds into the race. He did not even beat Hett by a second.
Hett has been on an astonishing run for a freshman runner. He has finished second, third, and second in his last three races. He was painfully close to winning his first varsity race Thursday and at Marion County Lake three weeks ago.
Two of the runners on the Marion girls’ team also fared well at Hesston. Jaclyn DeForest and Monica Spachek finished seventh and 11th respectively.
DeForest, a senior, and Spachek, a freshman, like Hett and Jones, try to run together throughout a race, often finishing back-to-back at the end of a competition. However, on Thursday, DeForest had to abandon Spachek because Spachek struggled coming back from the flu she battled last week.
DeForest said she just tried to start out at a good pace and keep that pace, although sometimes it is difficult throughout a long race.
“I’m usually thinking don’t die now, keep going,” she said.
Marion and Hillsboro Girls finishes
7. MAR — DeForest — 16:44.50*
11. MAR — Spachek — 17:21.40*
31. HILL — Samantha Ens — 19:08.30
39. MAR — Jessie Taylor — 20:23.60
40. MAR — Cassandra McPhail — 20:27.30
BOys Finishes
2. MAR — Hett — 17:12.90*@
7. MAR — Jones — 17:20.30*@
11. HILL — Bret Mueller — 17:45.80*
12. HILL — Nathan Vogel — 17:49.90*
15. HILL — Jonathan King — 18:21.40*
21. HILL — Dimitri McClelland — 18:43.80
35. HILL — Justin King — 19:12.70
46. MAR — Jacob Cope — 19:54.40@
51. HILL — Michael Christian — 20:13.60
52. MAR — Derek Stuchlik — 20:15.70@
54. MAR — Brandon Meierhoff — 20:19.30
Boys Team finishes
3. Hillsboro
7. Marion
*denotes medal winner
@denotes personal best