Cross country runners bring home nine medals
Staff reporter
Nine members of Marion High School cross country team came home Thursday with individual medals from the Abilene Invitational.
The girls' team placed fourth with senior Danielle Cope coming in sixth with a time of 15:52.
The boys' team placed fifth with senior Daniel Goentzel coming in eighth with a time of 17:47.
Eighth grader Brandon Meierhoff placed sixth in his first race with a time of 5:40.
Individual medals were given to the top 30 runners in each of the races. Team medals went to the top two varsity teams.
Fifty-three girls and 75 boys competed from six teams in the high school race. Thirty-two boys and 27 girls competed from middle schools.
"This was a tough meet," said Coach Bethany Carlson, "considering three of the teams that beat the Warriors were ranked in the top eight in the state for their division."
Beginning this year, high school girls ran 4K (2.48 miles) instead of two miles.
Coach Carlson was pleased with the overall performances of the teams.
"Danielle (Cope) ran a solid race," Coach Carlson said. "She ran the entire race with the lead pack."
Katie Hett is bouncing back from surgery last spring on her Achilles tendon.
Freshmen and sophomore runners also responded well to their first race, with five of them receiving medals.
"Brandon (Meierhoff) ran an excellent race," Coach Carlson said. She also was pleased with the strong race Jesse Taylor and Samantha Eickleberry ran.
Results:
High school girls: 1. Sacred Heart, 52; 2. Wamego, 46; 3. Abilene, 72; 4. Marion, 79; 5. Southeast of Saline, 125; 6. Chapman, 163.
Danielle Cope, 15:52, sixth place; Tacy Taylor, 16:49, 10th; Camille Christensen, 16:49, 11th; Jaclyn DeForest, 19:11, 27th; Katie Hett, 19:40, 29th; and Brooke Johnson, 20:06, 34th.
High school boys: 1. Wamego, 37; 2. Southeast of Saline, 59; 3. Abilene, 80; 4. Sacred Heart, 97; 5. Marion, 103; 6. Chapman, 164.
Daniel Goentzel, 17:47, eighth; Louis Holt, 18:57, 20th; Luke Bowers, 19:18, 25th; Ryan Jones, 19:19, 26th; Matt Kirkpatrick, 20:52, 39th; Ben Leppke, 21:50, 49th; Logan Richmond, 22:08, 53rd; Bryce Nelson, 22:43, 61st; Marshall Ragland, 22:58, 62nd.
Middle school girls: Jesse Taylor, 7:09, 20th; and Samantha Eickleberry, 7:29, 22nd.
Middle school boys: Brandon Meierhoff, 5:40, sixth.
