HUTCHINSON -- It was as simple as 1-2-3.
Great Bend's terrific trio of medalist Decorah Schroeter (20:05.3), runner-up Bella Long (20:26.8) and third-place finisher Sydney Stein (20:36.1) powered the Panthers to first place (67), six points ahead of Buhler at Thursday's Buhler cross country invitational at the Evergy Prairie Ridge course.
The Panthers also counted 16th-place Samantha Negaard (22:09.2) and 60th-place Sydney James (25:55.9) to win the title at the 5-kilometer course.
Panther returning state qualifier Tavon Stroup (17:20.4) rounded into form with a season-best eighth-place finish that sparked Great Bend (116) to fifth place.
Also counting were 17th-place Brogan Lashley (17:48.8); 33rd place Isaac Aldana (18:38.8) and 37th-place Noah Kaiser (18:57.0).
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
EVERGY PRAIRIE RIDGE
GIRLS TEAM SCORES—1—Great Bend 67; 2—Buhler 73; 3—SE Saline 76; 4—Elbing Berean 92; 5—McPherson 115
TOP 10 GIRLS—1—Decorah Schroeter, GB, 20:05.3; 2—Bella Long, GB, 20:26.8; 3—Sydney Stein, GB, 20:36.1; 4—Starkweather, Buhler, 20:36.9; 5—Friesen, Buhler, 20:43.6; 6—Brown, SE Saline, 21:04.8; 7—Chalmers, Winfield, 21:11.1; 8—Prescott, Mc, 21:15.8; 9—Turner, Winfield, 21:21.4; 10—Kramer, Mc, 21:27.7
GREAT BEND—16—Samanatha Negaard, 22:09.2; 60—Sydney James, 25:55.9; 71—Alyssa Prendergast, 27:42.9
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
BOYS TEAM SCORES—1—SE Saline 60; 2—Andale 76; 3—Hutchinson Trinity 81; 4—McPherson 108; 5—Great Bend 116
TOP 10 BOYS—1—Caleb Muehler, Mc, 16:29.8; 2—Walker, SE Saline, 16:31; 3—Lindahl, Buhler, 16:49.3; 4—Bircher, SE, 16:56.2; 5—Cutler, Andale, 17:01.6; 6—Lindstrom, Hutchinson Trinity, 17:15.1; 8—Tavon Stroup, GB, 17:20.4; 9—Bennett, Wichita Defenders, 17:20.7; 10—Elian Moreno, SS, 17:21.9
GREAT BEND—17—Brogan Lashley, 17:48.8; 33—Isaac Aldana, 18:38.8; 37—Noah Kaiser, 18:57.0; 43—Parker Coleman, 19:15.9
GREAT BEND JV—3—Sullivan Luttrell, 19:22.5; 11—Julian Hernandez, 20:09; 13—Evan Mason, 20:41.2; 16—Eli Leech, 20:59.8; 32—Alexis Garcia, 22:13.8; 39—Monte Velasco, 22:53.3; 47—Rocky Montanez, 23:22.4
