By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Veteran Seaman girls cross country coach Rick Brading has seen enough meets to know that Thursday's United Kanas Conference meet was going to be a nail-biter between his Vikings and De Soto.
And Thursday's league meet at Shawnee Heights was every bit as tight as Brading through it would be, with Seaman taking the league team championship by 31-35 margin over the Wildcats.
Seaman's girls cross country team edged De Soto 31-35 for the United Kansas Conference title, giving Seaman a sweep of the league titles in the four girls sports contested in the fall. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Ryin Miller finished second individually in Thursday's UKC meet, helping Seaman win the team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We thought it could even be a tie,'' Brading said. "We thought it was going to be that tight, so it was pretty exciting.''
Seaman freshman Ryin Miller, who clocked a five-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 16.8 seconds and senior Bethany Druse (20:02.5) finished two-three individually to lead the Vikings while sophomore Stella Appelhanz placed seventh (20:37.5), senior Leah Spurlock ninth (20:59.8) and junior Savannah Sampson 15th (21:19.1) to round out Seaman's top five.
"We thought things would shake out different in the (number) four-five area but Bethany kind of trumped that by beating all three of (De Soto's) frontrunners,'' Brading said. "It didn't happen the way I thought it would shake out but man, I'm telling you, we're excited.''
Junior Elinor Stallbaumer was 19th (21:51.4) and sophomore Anna Becker 20th (21:52.5) for the Vikings.
Adding luster to Thursday's win was the fact that it capped a Seaman sweep of the four United Kansas Conference girls league titles contested in the fall.
The Vikings earlier took league crowns in golf, volleyball and tennis.
"They definitely knew that we were the fourth step of possibly sweeping the fall sports, and there was pressure,'' Brading said of his team. "People at school have been telling them, 'Hey, you guys have to win,' and that is a little pressure because that's all your peers, all your friends, but they didn't shy away from it.''
Shawnee Heights finished fourth in the UKC, with junior Verena Trollman leading the T-Birds with a 21-place individual finish (21:53.0).
Freshman Payton Rice led Topeka West with a 25th-place finish (22:14.5).
Piper senior Grace Hanson was the individual league champion in 18:41.0.
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Team scores
Seaman 31, De Soto 35, Lansing 78, Basehor-Linwood, 102, Shawnee Heights 144, Leavenworth 145.
Individual results
1. Grace Hanson, Piper, 18:41.0; 2. Ryin Miller, Seaman, 19:16.8; 3. Bethany Druse, Seaman, 20:02.5; 4. Brooke Bundt, De Soto, 20:10.1; 5. Sophie Landrum, De Soto, 20:15.9; 6. Addison Gillespie, De Soto, 20:17.5; 7. Stella Appelhanz, Seaman, 20:37.5; 8. Adddion Manley, Leavenworth, 20:46.7; 9. Leah Spurlock, Seaman, 20:59.8; 10. Tessa Turner, Basehor-Linwood, 21:04.5; 11. Hope Marriott, De Soto, 21:08.7; 12. Rebekah Tanner, Lansing, 21:16.3; 13. Sophie Kurz, Lansing, 21:17.1; 14. Kat Meyer, De Soto, 21:19.0; 15. Savannah Sampson, Seaman, 21:19.1; 16. Isabelle Butler, De Soto, 21:36.4; 17. Anya Anderson, Lansing, 21:38.6; 18. Mary Archambault, Lansing, 21:51.3; 19. Elinor Stallbaumer, Seaman, 21:51.4; 20. Anna Becker, Seaman, 21:52.5.
Other Seaman -- 32. Joslynn Grace, 23:06.8; 34. Tara Spencer, 23:30.8.
Shawnee Heights -- 21. Verena Trollman, 21:53.0; 33. Elizabeth Hogan, 23:21.4; 38. Molly Busenitz, 23:53.0; 39. Addison Cooper, 23:54.0; 40. Brynne Liedtke, 23:59.5; 51. Ella Myers, 25:47.2; 57. Mckenna Haltom, 27:17.7.
Topeka West -- 25. Payton Rice, 22:14.5; 36. Chloe Phelps, 23:44.2; 56. Mikayla Jeffries, 27:13.9; 58. Hannah Allen, 29:00.5.
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