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Cool runnings: Weather doesn't hinder top runners at Lakin

Published 10/13/2008 in None : Area High Schools

By BRETT MARSHALL

bmarshall@gctelegram.com

LAKIN -- For the first time this fall, high school runners faced the additional challenge of the weather on Saturday during the Lakin Invitational cross country meet.

Despite the inclement conditions -- temperatures in the mid 40s, wind gusting up to 20 mph and intermittent rain showers -- the favored runners came through to post impressive individual victories.

Janni Meierhoff of Ulysses, who continues to dominate the girls division, breezed around the 2.4-mile course at Lakin Country Club in a winning time of 16:33.02 in the junior-senior race. Ness City's Coltin McNinch claimed the boys junior-senior division with a winning time of 16:38.65 over the three-mile course.

Meierhoff's victory was 44 seconds faster than runner-up Kayla Thomas of South Gray. McNinch's triumph was nearly 26 seconds ahead of Eric Ruth of Stanton County (17:04.54). South Gray's Weston Koehn was third at 17:13.94.

In the ninth-10th grade competition, Enrique Sanchez of Southwestern Heights claimed first in the boys division with a time of 17:10.34 while Katherine Kaus of Colby won the girls division in 16:31.41.

For Meierhoff, the triumph continued her effort to be in tip-top condition for the upcoming regionals later in the month, and she didn't mind the chillier weather.

"It is always kind of exciting to run in different conditions," Meierhoff said. "The times are not quite as good, but it (the weather) does take the focus off the pain and gives you something else to focus on. The wind was kind of refreshing, and I don't mind the rain as long as it's not a downpour. It lightened up for us, so that didn't make it too bad."

Meierhoff took an early lead in the race and never looked back.

"I guess I felt a little tight at some points of the race," Meierhoff said. "After the first mile, there was one steep hill. I probably didn't warm up and get as loose as I usually do. There's only two of us (on the Ulysses team) now, and it does make getting ready a little different."

For Ness City, it was an opportunity to get a first-hand look at rival South Gray. It was South Gray that won the 1A state championship a year ago while the Eagles finished 12 points back in second place. This year, though, the Eagles return the nucleus of that runner-up team while South Gray lost key runners from its championship team.

McNinch led the way for Ness City, but he had support from Dustin Schuler (fourth place), Kyle Calvin (fifth place), Dustin Foster (ninth place) and Case Beckman (12th place). It was a performance that had Ness City coach Patrick Younger smiling.

"I'm very pleased with what we did today," Younger, in his second season, said. "The kids were ready for today. Last week, they all got their personal bests at our own meet so I felt they would run well today. We're trying to get our kids to run within two minutes of our lead runner, and I think we were just about there (actually 1:43) today for our top four runners. Colton put in a huge summer of workouts, and it is paying off."

The Eagles, who have yet to drop a meet to a 1A team, is pointing to the state meet in three weeks.

"Our No. 1 goal all year has been to win state," Younger said. "We're still pretty young, and I think we can improve our times, but the kids are working hard. If we can keep our grouping together I think we'll be hard to beat."

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