With Ryin Miller coming off a sophomore 2023 track season that saw her post times in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 that ranked in the top four all-time in state history, Seaman coach Rick Brading no longer is surprised by anything his standout runner does.
 
Yet as Miller crossed the finish line at last Saturday’s season-opening Manhattan Invitational and Brading looked at the clock, he couldn’t help but still be amazed.
 
The time once again put Miller among the state’s all-time great. The Viking junior finished the demanding course in 16 minutes, 59.46 seconds – a time that ranks No. 4 all-time in state history.
 
“After coaching Ryin for a couple of years, I have become conditioned to expect amazing things,” Brading said. “I thought she would break 18 minutes. I did not think she would break 17 minutes on Manhattan’s course.”
 
Miller’s time ranks only behind a 16:45.75 from Girard’s Callie Logue, a 16:49.30 from Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Molly Born and a 16:56.00 from Free State’s Emily Venters – all three times run in 2016 with both Born and Venters posting their times at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional.
 
A year ago at the Manhattan Invitational, Miller finished in 19:29.10 and runner-up to Junction City’s Lorna Rae Pierce, who was a senior last fall. She followed with a 17:41.04 in her next meet and posted a season-best time of 17:24.30, capping her season with a third-place finish at the Class 5A state championship behind Salina Central teammates Katelyn Rupe and Kaylie Shultz.
 
Only days after Rupe opened this season with a 17:14.86 at the Great Bend Invitational, Miller answered right back with her run at Manhattan.
 
“Ryin is driven like no one I have ever coached or even met before,” Brading said. “She is truly unique. As she finds herself at the national level of ability, she seems even more motivated to excel at that level.”
 
Miller’s win at Manhattan was by more than a minute over Washburn Rural’s Payton Fink, who crossed in 18:14.98. Fink was the state runner-up in Class 6A last fall and entered this season as one of the favorites for the state title this year.
 
"Breaking 17 minutes was a goal, but I thought it would be at Kanza," Miller said of the Topeka course where she ran her best times last year. "I didn’t think it was attainable here. To have that goal knocked out here, I feel good about it.”

With such a blazing start, it’s easy to wonder just how fast Miller can go this season. And Brading thinks better times are certainly possible.
 
“Knowing that we run on the Kanza course at least twice, and possibly three times this year, I predict great races are yet to come,” Brading said.
 
OTHER CROSS COUNTRY STANDOUTS

• Clay Center swept the individual titles at the Concordia Invitational. Lauren Smith and Kylie Pfizenmaier went 1-2 in the girls race with Smith winning in 20:56.62, 21 seconds ahead of her teammate. Justice Holte won the boys’ race in 18:36.80, eight seconds ahead of Beloit-St. John’s Jonas Letourneau.
• Central Heights’ boys dominated the Burlington Invitational, putting seven runners in the top nine. Connor Burkdoll and Cody Hammond finished 1-2 with Burkdoll winning in 10:25.01 to beat Hammond by 10 seconds – the duo finishing ahead of defending 1A state champion Caleb Durst of Lebo. Owen Miller was fourth, while Stetson Miller, Jotham Meyer, Josiah Meyer and Christian McCord finishing 6-7-8-9.
• Olpe’s Lillian Skalsky won the girls’ two-mile race at Burlington in 13:50.56.
• Wabaunsee’s Payton Wurtz got her senior season off to a strong start with a win at the Silver Lake Invitational, finishing in 19:15.11 to beat Osage City’s Emory Speece by just over a minute. West Franklin’s Hunter Bailey was the boys’ winner by nearly a minute and a half in 16:44.69.
• Sabetha’s Charlie Lukert won the title at the Marysville Invitational in 16:53.11, beating Nemaha Central’s Harry Langill by 12 seconds. Riley County’s Anna Lambert was the girls’ winner in 21:14.71.