Wedge’s drive lifts Lawrence in cross country

Source: The Star

ALLISON LONG | THE Kansas City Star

SM Northwest’s Lisa Imgrund led the way to the finish line in the girls race Saturday at the Kansas 6A cross country regional in Lawrence.

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LAWRENCE | Throughout this cross country season, Lawrence senior Roy Wedge has run like he is chasing the state championship he missed by less than a second last year.

Or, as he simply put it, “I always do my best to not let people beat me.”

He’s doing a fine job of that. Wedge continued his impressive season Saturday by winning his Kansas 6A regional cross country meet at Haskell Indian Nations University in a 5-kilometer time of 15 minutes, 41.83 seconds.

According to Lawrence coach Brian Anderson, Wedge has placed first in six of his eight races this season — and finished second in the other two.

But Wedge didn’t seem to want to talk much about his latest feat or his own quest for that state title.

“I think what my team did was more important than what I did today,” he said.

The Lawrence boys, the defending 6A state champions, won the regional title with a score of 37, while Shawnee Mission Northwest (56) and Lawrence Free State (72) also advanced to the state meet next Saturday at Rim Rock Farm.

Olathe East senior Ryan Hocker placed second (15:52.67) individually after pushing Wedge all race, while SM Northwest junior Aaron Thornburg was third (16:11.82).

The top three teams and next five individuals all qualified for state.

In the girls race, SM Northwest seniors Lisa Imgrund and Christine Nelson finished first and second, respectively — just as they did last week at the Sunflower League meet.

Imgrund won in a 4K time of 15:18.90, while Nelson finished in 15:33.98.

“We’ve been together all four years of high school, and we’re training buddies and all that,” Imgrund said. “So it’s just been great to have that other person to train with and race with and to push us through the race.”

The Olathe East girls, meanwhile, won the meet with a score of 43 and advanced to state for the seventh consecutive season. Freshman Brenna McDannold paced the Hawks with a third-place finish (15:36.35).

The SM Northwest (55) and Olathe South (89) girls also qualified for state.

6A at Shawnee Mission ParkSM West’s Alli Cash won the girls race in 15:36, while the Blue Valley West, SM South and SM West girls qualified for state as teams. SM South won the boys race, led by Andrew Stevens’ first-place individual finish (16:10). SM West and BV West also qualified their boys teams.

5A at Wyandotte County ParkThe St. Thomas Aquinas boys and girls each placed first. Bonner Springs’ Brooks Ballou won the boys race in 16:55, while Mill Valley and Turner also qualified as teams. Aquinas’ Ashley Washburn won the girls race in 15:27, as the Saints recorded a perfect score of 15. The Bishop Miege girls also advanced.

5A in TopekaGardner Edgerton’s Clarissa Johnson won the girls regional in a time of 15:23.26. The Lansing girls won the regional team title, while Gardner-Edgerton advanced both its girls and boys teams to state.

4A at Wyandotte County ParkSt. James Academy’s Bridgette McCormick placed first (15:27), while De Soto and St. James finished second and third in the team standings to advance to state. De Soto won the boys race, and Paola placed third to advance to state.

3A in BurlingtonThe Kansas City Christian boys and girls teams each took first place. Eli Alholm (sixth place) and Kristin Tippin (fourth) were the team’s top finishers in the respective races.

2A in Mound CityThe Maranatha Academy girls, the reigning 2A state champs, placed second as a team to return to state. Bethany Zarda was the top local finisher, taking third place for Maranatha.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-10-24 21:54:01