Johnson County cross country notebook

St. Thomas Aquinas came away encouraged from the Southern Stampede last weekend with what coach Justin Wrigley unofficially estimated to be a third-place finish for his boys team and an eighth-place showing for his girls.

There was an error in the chip scoring system, so official results were still not available early this week.

“I was pretty darn happy,” Wrigley said. “I thought going into a meet of this caliber and this size, a top-10 finish would be good, a top-five would be great and top-three would be outstanding.”

By Wrigley’s count, senior P.J. Greer led the boys team with a sixth-place finish in the several hundred-runner field. And junior Ashley Washburn led the Saints’ girls team with a fourth-place finish.

Aquinas will compete at the Rim Rock Invitational this Saturday in Lawrence, getting a trial run, so to speak, on the same course where the 5A state meet will be held.

Sheridan wins againIt looks like the De Soto cross country program has another standout.

Sophomore Ellie Sheridan earned her second first-place finish of the short season Saturday, winning the Bonner Springs Invitational by 51 seconds. She finished the 12-team, 4-kilometer race in 15 minutes, 20 seconds.

So far this season, she has also won a similar-sized meet at Anderson County and placed second at Emporia.

As a freshman last season, a foot/ankle injury limited Sheridan to about half of the team’s meets and kept her from competing at state.

“I think she’s just scratching the surface,” De Soto coach Chris McAfee said.

RUNNER OF WEEK •Ellie Sheridan, De Soto, sophomore. Sheridan won her second meet of the season, taking first at the Bonner Springs Invitational on Saturday with a 4K time of 15 minutes, 20 seconds. She won the 12-team race by 51 seconds.

MEET OF WEEK •Rim Rock Invitational, Sept. 27, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. One of the largest meets of the regular season, run on the same course as the 6A and 5A state meets, this one always promises good competition.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2008-09-23 13:28:02

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