WAMEGO – There was no pain Saturday morning as Golden Plains junior Emma Weiner changed her shoes after winning her second consecutive Class 1A girls cross country title. Just a smile.
 
Besides the venue, that was how the Bulldog standout differentiated last October’s victory at Victoria’s Sand Plum Nature Trail from what she achieved Saturday on the hills of Wamego Country Club.
 
“This one, it’s just better because I know I can keep running tomorrow,” Weiner said after posting a 30-second victory with her time of 19 minutes, 37.01 seconds. “I can go out and run. Last year, I was like, ‘I’m going to be held up for a little bit.’”
 
Weiner discovered after last year’s state race she had run with a fractured left fibula, an injury she suspected was the result of tripping on some stairs at school a few days prior to the meet. She spent the next several weeks on crutches and later wore a walking boot, and was sidelined during Golden Plains’ basketball season.

 
Weiner’s track season was even disrupted, as a hip ailment on her right side surfaced and kept her from going full tilt until May. She eventually won the Class 1A title at 3,200 meters.
 
“That was very emotional for me, because running means so much to me,” Weiner said.
 
Weiner presented overwhelming evidence throughout the fall of no lingering effects, winning all of her cross country races and setting a personal best of 19:03.36 at the Norton Invitational. On Saturday, she closed the case by pulling away from Wichita Classical freshman and fellow regional champion Hailey Walden, who crossed the line in 20:07.27.
 
“I didn’t even look at any rankings coming into this,” Weiner said. “Usually I just try not to.
 
“My mom always says they don’t matter anyway. Just go out and run your race, give it to God and everything will turn out fine. So far, it’s held true.”
 
Weiner, who won the 1A race last year with a time of 20:04.70, comfortably cracked the 20-minute mark in each of her final three races this season. Saturday’s run was her first at Wamego.
 
“This was a fun one to run on,” said Weiner, who preceded her two titles with a third-place finish in 1A as a freshman. “I enjoyed it.”
 
Classical’s Walden was part of a trio of freshmen who followed Weiner across the line. Crest’s Josie Walter finished third in 20:24.76, while Olpe’s Lillian Skalsky was fourth in 20:38.34.
 
South Gray’s sophomore duo of Kylie Stapleton and Gwyn Jantz claimed the next two spots and led the Rebels to their first girls cross country team title. Elyria Christian freshman Laney Reiff finished seventh and Doniphan West’s Claire Cole took eighth.
 
Cole and cross country teammate Belle Smith also helped Doniphan West earn third place in the Class 1A-Division I state volleyball tournament Friday and Saturday in Dodge City. After playing in Friday’s pool-play matches, the two were transported by plane across the state to run in Saturday’s meet, then returned to Dodge City in time for the volleyball semifinals.
 

SOUTH GRAY BUILDS A CHAMPION FROM SCRATCH
 
South Gray may not have been a long shot to win the 1A girls title, not after wedging itself between Quinter and Ness City – the co-No. 1s in last week’s Kansas Cross Country Coaches rankings – for a second-place finish at the Ness City regional.
 
But the Rebels were certainly improbable champions given their starting point under first-year head coach Alex Granados.
 
With a trio of rookie runners posting personal-best times, South Gray scored 40 points to add a girls title to the Rebels’ three 1A boys championships from 2004-07. Ness City, led by top-20 finisher Emma Petersilie, finished second with 58. Quinter, the 2021 team champion, was fourth behind the freshmen-led, Wichita regional winners from Crest.
 
“We told them polls and predictions are just like weather forecasts,” said Granados, whose team entered the state meet ranked No. 4 in 1A. “It could or could not end up raining. If it’s up to us, let’s create our own storm.”
 
Sophomore Kylie Stapleton finished fifth individually in 21:17.67 to lead the Rebels. Right behind her was classmate Gwyn Jantz, who took sixth with a PR of 21:23.97.
 
Freshman Jacee Deges ran a season-best 21:55.14 to take 15^th and sophomore Reegan Meairs crossed the line with her top time of 23:52.75 for a 46^th-place finish, but also top 25 among the schools competing for the team championship.
 
Granados assisted with South Gray’s track program last spring and needed runners to field a cross country team with Stapleton, the Rebels’ lone competitor at regionals last season. Jantz, Deges, Meairs and Granados’ daughter, Alleris, came on board and were quick studies, winning the Southern Plains-Iroquois Athletic Association title.
 
“I witnessed some of their ability during track, and these girls are just strong group of competitors,” Granados said. “It was just convincing them to be part of it. A lot of athletes have this fear of the long distances, so they steer away from it.”
 
Evidence of South Gray’s competitiveness was on full display Saturday. Jantz, who broke 22 minutes for the first time at regionals, cut nearly 30 seconds off that time at state and stayed close to Stapleton, giving the Rebels a solid 1-2 punch.
 
Deges’ run was her first under 22 minutes and more than 48 seconds ahead of her regional showing. Meairs also cut more than 40 seconds off her regional time.
 
“Our second and third runners just found a different gear,” Granados said. “You’ll find that’ll happen with some kids once they get to competing in that type of environment. Those two certainly did.”
 
In addition to Petersilie, who earned an individual medal in her first state meet, freshman Stephany Esparza and sophomore Savannah Buller finished in the top 30 for Ness City. Crest was led by freshman Josie Walter, who matched her third-place regional finish with a time of 20:24.76. Walter’s classmate, Peyton Schmidt, ran a personal-best 21:51.91 to finish 14^th.


CLASS 1A GIRLS
Team scores
South Gray 40, Ness City 58, Crest 74, Quinter 84, Pretty Prairie 92, Wichita Classical 109, Osborne 114, Hodgeman County 118 (39), Doniphan West 118 (54), Lebo 135, Clifton-Clyde 157, Frankfort 164.
 
Individual results
1. Emma Weiner, Golden Plains, 19:37.01; 2. Hailey Walden, Wichita Classical, 20:07.27; 3. Josie Walter, Crest, 20:24.76; 4. Lillian Skalsky, Olpe, 20:38.34; 5. Kylie Stapleton, South Gray, 21:17.67; 6. Gwyn Jantz, South Gray, 21:23.97; 7. Laney Reiff, Elyria Christian, 21:27.70; 8. Claire Cole, Doniphan West, 21:29.32; 9. Destiny Mitchell, Otis-Bison, 21:42.38; 10. Kaitlynn Bina, Centre, 21:44.44; 11. Meleah Talley, Centralia, 21:44.46; 12. Audrey Bunce, Kiowa County, 21:45.08; 13. Ryah Bertuccelli, Osborne, 21:49.98; 14. Peyton Schmidt, Crest, 21:51.91; 15. Jacee Deges, South Gray, 21:55.14; 16. McKenzie Baker, Washington County, 21:59.06; 17. Breanna Fast, Natoma, 21:59.43; 18. Kennah Speer, Lebo, 22:01.31; 19. Cady Hemphill, Attica, 22:02.05; 20. Emma Petersilie, Ness City, 22:04.28.