The Marion High School cross country team is state-bound following the boys? third-place finish at the 3A regional meet ran at the Cessna Activity Center Saturday.
Wichita Indendent won the regional with 36 points, followed by Hillsboro (80), Marion (80), Hutchinson Trinity (106), Halstead (134), Belle Plaine (150), Remington (156), Southeast of Saline (175), Douglass (246), and Bluestem (277)
Four runners medaled for the boys? team and one for the girls? team. Jordan Hett ran to another top-five finish at fifth in 17:37. Patrick McCarty finished 13th in 18:40. Jacob Cope was 16th in 19:00, followed by Micheal Kilpatrick in 17th in 19:01.
?The whole race was a nail biter, especially the first half,? coach Bethany Carlson said. ?We knew we really had to cheer on our fifth runner because we needed him closer to the front. The fifth runner was Timothy Knolla, and boy, did Timothy pick it up a notch. He set a PR by over a minute from the entire season.?
Elizabeth Goentzel placed 13th in 17:46 for the girls.
?Elizabeth had a wonderful run,? Carlson said. ?We were nervous as to whether she would get to take the trip to state. KSHSAA rules are: ?Within the top 10 going to state there has to be five ladies from non-qualifying teams.? Because of this rule she gets to go.
?The best part was seeing her glowing face when the announcer announced the 13th runner will be going to state. I think all the Marion fans were beaming for her.?
The Warrior runners will travel to Wamego for state Oct 30. The boys? race begins at 9 a.m., the girls? at 10 a.m.
