BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
HUTCHINSON — After competing against reigning state champions for two meets, Great Bend's Sienna Smith cruised to first place for her first career cross country victory in the Buhler Invitational at Prairie Ridge.
Smith (20:33.6) improved 29 seconds from 2023 with a steady pace to lead from start-to-finish on the 5-kilometer course.
"It was a challenge to pace myself," Smith said. "I'd glance at my watch every once in a while. My goal is to always run a steady pace from the start."
Smith finished five seconds ahead of Buhler's Corbin Starkweather (20:38.4).
"That's my first cross country victory," Smith said. "That was a nice accomplishment."
Third-place Panther Reese Bullard (20:38.5) led five top 10 medalists followed by fifth place Marissa Boone (21:15.0), sixth-place Bella Long (21:38.7) and eighth-place Teah King (21:48.0). King improved 64 seconds and Long sliced 44 seconds from last year's Buhler race.
Bullard achieved a career-best third-place medal
"deal with it. everybody in the same situation. it helps. our meet schedule is one of the best. it's great. tough course. gets the kids. it's nice to medal. JV kids medals.
bullard best race; she coming into her own; she's never run 5k distance; reese was really strong finishing the race. she ran aggressive. i was happy with everyone. whole thing today, see how we compete.
izzy. ankle. he competed well. got beat by really good runners. lost to good people.
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
GIRLS TEAM TOTALS—1—Great Bend 20; 2—SE Saline 64; 3—Berean Academy 99; 4—Buhler 112; 5—Newton 123
GIRLS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Sienna Smith, GB, 20:33.6; 2—Starkweather, Buhler 20:38.4; 3—Reese Bullard, GB, 20:38.5; 4—Hennessy, Andale 20:59.1; 5—Marissa Boone, GB, 21:15.0; 6—Bella Long, GB, 21:38.7; 7—Treaster, Newton, 21:39.0; 8—Teah King, GB, 21:48.0; 9—Brown, SE, 21:53.6; 10 —Newcome, HCC, 21:53.9
GREAT BEND—31—Kate Welcher, 23:50.2; 32—Samantha Neegard, 23:51.7
BUHLER INVITATIONAL
TEAM TOTALS—1—SE Saline 59; 2—Buhler 107; 3—Hutchinson Trinity 117; 4—Andale 123; 5—Berean Academy 128; 8—Great Bend 177
BOYS TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Brayden Walker, SE, 16:48.4; 2—Muehler, McPherson 17:11.9; 3—Griffith, Goddard 17:13.9; 4—Deniau-Young, SC, 17:20.9; 5—Bircher, SE, 17:22.0; 6—Lindahl, Buhler 17:28.9; 7—Ismael Ramirez, GB, 17:30.5; 8—Elder, Mc, 17:41.6; 9—Briscoe, Berean, 17:51.9; 10—Tonne, SE, 18:00.7
GREAT BEND—29—Diego Pasos, 19:03.3; 40—Anthony Lawrence, 19:23.9; 50—Isaac Aldana, 19:41.5; 57—Tavon Stroup, 20:04.1; 64—Parker Coleman, 20:18.7
