The new No. 1? EHS boys knock off top-ranked Aquinas
Monday, September 10, 2007
Just two races into the 2007 season, the Emporia High boys cross country team can stick a huge feather in its collective cap.
In a battle of the state’s top-two ranked teams in Class 5A between No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas and No. 2 Emporia, the second-ranked Spartans blew by the defending State-champion Saints Saturday at the Emporia Invitational at Jones Park to win the team title.
Led by the second- and third-place finishes of seniors Jacob Davies (16:42.53) and Asher Delmott (16:43.72), respectively, EHS totaled the lowest team score of the day with 46 points, 16 points better than Aquinas (62).
“That (beating Aquinas) was the goal,” said Davies, who raced for the first time this season after sitting out last weekend’s race with a swollen ankle caused by a spider bite. “We showed what we are. It’s great, and we’re only going to get better.”
With Aquinas’ Kyle Hanson taking the individual title, two other Saints finishing in the top 11 and Emporia’s Tyler Anliker (17:08.51) coming in 12th, the race for the team title came down to both teams’ No. 4 and No. 5 finishers. The top-five scores are counted out of seven runners.
That’s when Emporia’s depth came in handy. Senior Mike Robinson (17:14.26) and sophomore Lance Sadler (17:17.56) finished 14th and 15th, respectively, while Aquinas’ fourth and fifth runners placed 18th and 25th.
“That was the difference in the race,” EHS coach Mark Stanbrough said. “Our four and five men were beating St. Thomas Aquinas’ four and five men. Through three men, we were fairly close.
“We’ve got some good depth this year. We’ve got six, seven, eight guys that we’re going to be able to run in there, and so our depth is going to pay off for us this year.”
Rounding out the entrants for the Spartans were Andrew Wayman (17:37.72) in 21st and Tavo Dikin (17:55.01) in 31st.
With Emporia and Aquinas set to square off twice in the coming weeks — Saturday at the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin (Mo.) and Sept. 29 at the Rim Rock Invitational in Lawrence — the Spartans will have a couple more chances to prove themselves against the top-ranked — for now — Saints before the State meet in late October.
Davies, though, was optimistic he and his teammates would be up for the challenge.
“This was just a first,” he said. “Nobody’s hit their (personal records) yet this year. It’s just a matter of time.”
On the girls side, Manhattan’s Marley Crusch continued to be a thorn in the side of Emporia’s Michaela Reynolds, as two of the top distance runners in the state squared off for the second week in a row, and like last weekend, Crusch came through with a commanding victory over Reynolds.
Reynolds kept pace with Crusch for the majority of the 4-kilometer race, but in the latter stages of the course, Reynolds said Crusch simply “broke me mentally.”
“I tried to hang with her as long as I could,” Reynolds said. “She’s just really tough, and it’s going to be really tough to beat her at the end of the season at League.”
Crusch pulled away to win in a time of 14:42.78, while Reynolds crossed the finish line in second with a time of 14:56.59.
The Indians, who finished second at last year’s Class 6A State meet, went on to win the Emporia Invitational.
Reynolds was the only medalist for the third-ranked EHS girls, as they finished sixth in the team standings with 149 points.
Jenna Stanbrough returned after sitting out last week and finished 31st in a time of 17:24.12, while Abby Lake was right behind her in 32nd with a time of 17:28.28. Katie Weaver (17:38.33) finished 38th, Tanya Morales (17.53.21) was 46th, Caesie Reynolds (18:25.09) placed 53rd and Joslyn Barton (18:35.06) was 55th.
Of the five teams that placed ahead of the Lady Spartans, only one — No. 1-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas, which came in third — was a 5A school, a fact that Stanbrough liked.
“I was really pleased with the girls,” he said. “We ran much better than we did last week.”
Emporia High Invitational
Saturday at Jones Park
Boys Teams Scores
1. Emporia 46, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 62, 3. Manhattan 91, 4. Lawrence 124, 5. McPherson 139, 6. Shawnee Mission North 150, 7. Maize 167, 8. Shawnee Heights 190, 9. Great Bend 206, 10. Wichita South 285.
Boys Individual Results
1. Kyle Hanson, STA, 16:32.39; 2. Jacob Davies, EMP, 16:42.53; 3. Asher Delmott, 16:43.72; 4. Josh Richardson, GB, 16:48.09; 5. Dylan Hedges, LAW, 16:50.14. Others: 12. Tyler Anliker, EMP, 17:08.51; 14. Mike Robinson, EMP, 17:14.26; 15. Lance Sadler, EMP, 17:17.56; 21. Andrew Wayman, EMP, 17:37.72; 31. Tavo Dikin, EMP, 17:55.01.
Girls
1. Manhattan 36, 2. Maize 93, 3. Thomas Aquinas 101, 4. Lawrence 104, 5. Olathe South 107, 6. Emporia 149, 7. Shawnee Heights 160, 8. McPherson 187, 9. Shawnee Mission North 221, 10. Great Bend 262, 11. Wichita South 299.
Girls Individual Results
1. Marley Crusch, MAN, 14:42.78; 2. Michaela Reynolds, EMP, 14:56.59; 3. Caroline Hale, SH, 15:28.66; 3. Kelly Renfro, LAW, 15:44.29. 5. Grieger, MAN, 15:56.05. Others: 31. Jenna Stanbrough, EMP, 17:24.12; 32. Abby Lake, EMP, 17:28.28; 38. Katie Weaver, EMP, 17:38.33; 46. Tanya Morales, EMP, 17.53.21; 53. Caesie Reynolds, EMP, 18:25.09; 55. Joslyn Barton, EMP, 18:35.06.