Matt Schwartz
Free State’s Jonah Frye, left, and Nicholas Johnson run together during the Billy Mills Classic cross country race on Oct. 11 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.
Free State’s boys and girls varsity cross country squads blazed to first-place finishes at the Billy Mills Classic on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.
Lawrence High’s junior varsity and C-team squads were also among the schools on hand for the competition, while the Lions’ varsity runners were idle.
The Free State boys notched the second, third and fourth-place finishes in the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) event. Jonah Frye and Jasper Hansen Terry clocked an identical time of 16:15.90 — with Frye ultimately awarded the runner-up finish. Hansen Terry was followed by Nicky Johnson in fourth with a time of 16:17.50. Other top finishers for the Firebirds included Anderson Bateman, 7th-place, 16:25.00; Kyle Sikes, 9th, 16:42.50, and Isaac Horner, 10th, 16:51.20. Also lacing them up for the Firebirds were Steve Jackson, 18th, 17:05.80; Moses Minor, 22nd, 17:11.00; Caleb Young, 28th, 17:21.40; Elliot Ramsey, 31st, 17:28.20; Kaspar Foat, 37th, 17:39.50; Joseph Clossen, 45th, 17:54.50; and Hudson McCullough, 62nd, 18:21.60; and Joseph Blumenstiel, 18:29.60.
“The toughest part was during that middle mile, thinking I need to just keep pushing and work through the pain,” Johnson said. “Not only for myself, but for the team.”
Johnson, a senior, said he was elated about the top finish after battling through adversity this season. “The team has had some setbacks this year; we’ve had some health challenges.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Jasper Hansen Terry, left, tied teammate Jonah Frye for the second-best time at the Billy Mills Classic..
Frye added that the Firebirds have “worked hard to bring our team together this year, and I think today’s finish is a testament to that.”
Free State coach Steve Heffernan said the meet typically serves as a tuneup for the homestretch of the season.
“We didn’t race last week, but we worked out pretty hard,” he said. “We had a lot of fast times today and the kids are eager to get to the next race.”
Heffernan said the school has been competing in the event, previously known as the Haskell Invitational, since the early 2000s. He added that his runners are battletested and were up for the challenge due to a difficult early-season schedule.
“So when we come to this one it feels fast,” he said. “Typically, we call this our ‘personal-record course,’ and we had quite a few of those today.”
Sikes, another senior, said the team appears to be peaking at the right time.
“These past few weeks have really been confidence-boosters for us,” he said. “And that confidence really showed up today with how well we ran together.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Taylor Hulcher led the Firebirds girls cross country team to a first-place finish Billy Mills Classic as she took runner-up in the race.
The Free State girls thoroughly dominated the event, as seven runners finished in the top 13 spots.
Freshman Taylor Hulcher paced the Firebirds with a runner-up finish and time of 18:53 — while fellow frosh Nadia Karapuda, 5th-place (19:30.10) and Eloise Fry 7th-place (19:49.60) jetted to personal bests.
Other Free State runners competing included Grace Christline, 10th, 19:58.50; Julia Velasco, 11th, 20:06.80; Madison Whitney, 12th, 20:07.60; Amelia Brewer, 13th, 20:10.20; Aleia Kemp 18th, 20:31.50; Addyson Tenbrink, 19th, 20:35.30; Beau Hulcher, 20th, 20:49.30; Ellie Dunn, 21st, 21:14.70; Dylan Tenbrink, 25th, 21:20.50; Bennett Ada, 28th, 21:25.40; and Kinsley Mullinix, 31st, 21:44.30.
Taylor Hulcher said the course’s 1.1 mile backstretch and a steep incline leading to the finish line presented the biggest challenges.
“It’s pretty bare and there are not a lot of people there to cheer you on, so you’re just kind of by yourself,” Hulcher said, adding of her finish that “I feel like all my hard work is paying off and I’m definitely stoked about that.”
Heffernan noted that the backstretch is “you versus the runner next to you — and for the most part, I think our runners did a really good job of handling that.”
Eloise Frye and Karapuda said they went all-out for the final 400 meters.
“This is one of my favorite courses we’ve run,” Frye said. “But I did feel like I really slowed down coming up the final hill.”
Matt Schwartz
Lawrence High’s Tyler Urban leads the way for the Lions JV squad who ran in relief of the varsity runners during the Billy Mills Classic cross country race Oct. 11 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.
LAWRENCE HIGH CROSS COUNTRY VARSITY SQUADS OPT FOR REST WEEK HEADING INTO POSTSEASON; JV BOYS RUNNERS GET EXPERIENCE IN VARSITY RACE
The Lawrence boys placed seventh of eight teams in the combined varsity/junior varsity 5K — and were led by junior varsity runners Tyler Urban 51st (18:07.10); Sam George, 80th (18:54.10); Murphy Burquist-Haxton, 53rd, 18:10.10; Torin Yung, 86th (19:12.50); Ky Smith, 87th (19:15.40); Flynn Isaacs, 90th (19:24.00); Logan Miescher-Lerner, 93rd (19:37.71) Michael Crocker, 95th (19:53.00); Asher Gaines, 96th (20:01.40); Max Casey, 97th (20:07.80); Desi Hart, 106th (21:18.90).
Lawrence High coach Kyle Morgison said he afforded his varsity squads a much needed reprieve Saturday. Additionally, Lawrence did not have any junior varsity runners compete.
“Having our varsity runners take this week off in particular allows them to have that mental recovery,” he said. “This also allows our junior varsity to have the spotlight on them.”
Morgison said his squad “competed well” against strong varsity competition, and the results were “less so about times.”
“They put themselves in a position to compete against the kids next to them, and that’s what we like to see,” he said.
The Sunflower League Championships at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Oct. 18. Both Free State and LHS are slated to compete in the event.
Matt Schwartz
Lawrence High’s Adelaide Chaney led the way for the Lions in the C-team girls cross country race at the Billy Mills Classic, earning a 14th-place finish.
