Emporia High School
Cross Country
Five-time State Champions
1969, 1988, 1991, 1993, 2007
STATE WRAp-UP
Grass blanketed in frost and a sunrise as the team arrived at the course is how State started. Fall fell perfectly on 4 Mile Creek Resort as temperatures gradually rose from the upper-30s into the 60s without a trace of wind to catch a bib number like a sail. The Running Spartans sent a full girls squad and two members of its boys team to test their mettle against the state's best in the 5A division.
The girls executed strong performances, and Elizabeth Willhite was able to grab All-State honors with a 10th place finish. On the boys side, the two individual qualifiers showed exactly what toughness is as Jon Laudie scored a 30th place finish and Daghyn True struggled through an injury to cap off his freshman season. See full results here.
Our annual season-ending banquet will be on Thursday, November 4th.
Now is the time to rest, recover, and recuperate. But, soon, runners must scratch the itch and join forces to train together through the harsh Kansas winter. Runners should see Coach Robinson's winter training suggestions posted in Google Classroom for ideas to get them out the door! Remember, the hardest part is simply...getting out the door.
Photos are posted of the State Meet, thanks to the wonderful parents who always come through. Without their support and selflessness, much of what makes EHS XC special wouldn't exist. Thanks for everything to parents, grandparents, and teachers who supported these runners for the past three months!
REGIONALS WRAp-UP
Regionals week is one that culminates, oddly, in both closures and creation. Seasons and senior years, unfulfilled by failures to advance to the State Meet, come to a conclusion. Culture is created, conversely, by being crafted and creased like a properly folded pair of trousers. But, the latter only occurs when a team sees itself advance to the final week of the cross country season. Individual advancement, while well-deserved and definitely honorable, feels strikingly similar to opening a birthday card from your grandparents with no money inside; it makes you smile while people are watching, but you know deep down you wanted something more. Regionals is the end of a season and the launching point of what will be. It is the sunset that leads to rest and recovery, but it's also the Big Bang that spurs dedication (not motivation) to mastering the craft 5km racing.
Spartan runners went into this weekend knowing there was no room for error. The ladies pulled of a third place finish to qualify as a team against stout competition to continue their season into next week. On the boys side, everyone knew chances were slim for team success. Yet, on a team comprised of three freshmen, outnumbering the two seniors, the boys capitalized under pressure and pulled out a hard-fought fourth place finish. All said, the Spartans burned the box today. Congratulations to the girls team (Elizabeth Willhite, Sofia Ruvalcaba, Micah Sheffy-Harris, Maryn True, Avery Gutierrez, Lily Heinen, Leanna Lewis, Allison Curtis, Ariana Estrada, and Ashlyn Garriott) and to Jon Laudie and Daghyn True for their qualifications into the State Championships.
See our results page for the full rundown of places and scores. Next week, any runners not participating at State should plan to turn in washed equipment on Monday. Meet after school in the classroom off the JV gym. It'll take 15-20 minutes for those needing a ride.
Runners who are competing at State, you will turn in your equipment after your races on Saturday, Oct. 30. Make sure to pack a change of clothes for the ride home. Here is the itinerary for the day.
As always, Coach Robinson continues to provide a dinner to State qualifiers, and so a team dinner will take place at his home for all athletes to which this applies. Check your e-mail for details on the time and address.
Week 9 Wrap-Up
Championship season is in full swing! The Centennial League Championships were contested at Milford Lake this morning as crisp autumn weather finally greeted the runners, some in their last attempts at personal records for the season! We saw efforts worthy of repeating week after week. See full results from today's action here.
This week, we head to Lake Afton in Goddard for the 5A Regional Championship. The top three teams will compete at the State Championship. See the itinerary for more details about qualifications. The Running Spartans competed (well) on the Lake Afton course in 2019. See the course maps section of our site to plan your viewing.
For those athletes who aren't on the Regional roster; they should wash their warm-ups, uniforms, and reflective vests so they can turn them in on Monday, Oct. 18th. During this time, they should also plan to complete their end-of-season goal sheet. See here for full information.
Remember that routines are essential right now as there is very little else that can be controlled. Exercise COVID precautions so runners, many of whom have been training for 9+ months, can see the end of their goals they set in August. By the way, sleep and sleep some more.
Anyone else who did not move on to the Regional team should see this document for information about how to end their season. There will bet a banquet at Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on November 4, 2021.
Thanks to all the parents who provide us with photos!
Week 8 Wrap-Up
The Running Spartans headed south to El Dorado State Lake. Typically, this race is the ultimate signal of autumn in Kansas as reds and yellows flare around the lake and the course and a light layer of frost lays on the grass. This year, however, strong winds and warm temperatures were the recipe for success for the racers.
A plethora of first-place finishes showed themselves today as two Emporia runners claimed top individual honors and three teams brought home top spots. Elizabeth Wilhite and Lily Heinen each won the varsity and JV girls races, respectively. The JV boys scored a coveted perfect score (15 points) as they brought home the win. See all results here.
Championship season begins next week! The Centennial League Meet will be held at Milford Lake. See the itinerary here and the course map here.
Wildly enough, this also means the end-of-season banquet is fast approaching. Here is more information regarding it.
Lastly, pictures are getting updated and uploaded, so be sure to check out the photos page for this week! Thanks for parents for help with this.
Week 6 Wrap-up
The weather is cooling down and the competition is getting hotter. The taste of a spot on a post-season team is lingering for many runners. The Running Spartans headed to Augusta to compete in the Allie-T Invitational today so they could preview the state course. What the weather lacked in humidity, it brought out in sunshine. Numerous runners medaled, set season best times, and some even ran personal records! A productive day all around!
Next week brings the final Thursday meet of the season with the annual trip down to Winfield. This will be a split squad venture, and runners who do not compete on Thursday will have a workout suggested to complete after school on Thursday. The week wraps up with our 4th annual Crow's Flight run. Be sure to complete the Google Form to participate if you are a runner!
Week 5 Wrap-Up
This week was the first with a Thursday meet as our sub-varsity crew headed to The Orchard for the Northern Heights Karr Classic. Runners competed well in warm conditions to show out for the many friends and family who could make the hometown meet.
The varsity squads, and a split JV team, headed to the Bonner Springs Invite to test their skills on a tough rhythm-breaker course. The conditions were warm and still, but runners competed hard and the varsity skills nabbed a 2nd place plaque in a tight competition with Blue Valley.
The JV boys also ran well as a pack to take a second place finish in their races. Things are looking interesting for the coming seasons on the boys side as there are many runners competing at a similar level!
Next up for the running Spartans is a new meet, The Allie-T Invitational in Augusta, as they sample the new 5A State Meet course. The first year it was used was 2020, and it is the home course of the Wichita State University Shockers.
Lastly, parents and runners should start thinking about if they want to participate in our fourth annual Crow's Flight Run. It is optional. See Coach Robinson's e-mail regarding more details.
Week 4 Wrap-up
On September 11, the Spartans unvieled their home course to their 2021 opponents. With some minor changes due to water damage in previous years, the course displayed its best self! Thanks to ESU Track & Field and Cross Country for their help in course design and marking. Speaking of help, each year the help parents offer is astounding! This year, our course clean-up was possibly the fastest it's ever been, and we even had the lead vehicle donated by parents! It goes to show that this sport and its culture is all about family!
Head to our results page to see this week's placings. Thanks to Zach DeLoach from the Emporia Gazette for writing up an article about this year's home event. Lastly, head to the photos page to see what was submitted this week. Thanks to everyone who helps with this.
Next week is busy as there are two meets scheduled; one on Thursday and another on Saturday. On Thursday, some members of the JV and C teams will head to The Orchard to run at Northern Heights. On Saturday, the rest of the Varsity and JV runners will head to Bonner Springs to race. Head to the Meet Info page to learn more.
Week 3 Wrap-up
The first meet of the season came and went in a far wetter and cooler manner than normal! The Manhattan Invitational is typically unbearably hot, but today runners got a true taste of cross country course conditions. Mud was caked onto legs as runners spiked up after their warm-ups, and the course was altered in the minutes leading up to the gun firing off the start of the varsity races.
Freshman runners showed great guts as they threw down stellar efforts in their introduction to high school competition! Also, there were a slew of top-20 performances. Jonathan Laudie and Daghyn True went 9th and 11th respectively in the varsity boys race. Elizabeth Willhite placed 13th in varsity girls. Noah Coltrane (6th), David Tucker (10th), and Hayden Basler (20th) rounded out the day in the C team boys race.
In the upcoming week, Labor Day will be off. Runners who have spoken with a coach about getting in some miles can do so on their own or with teammates; most runners need a day off. The week will end with one of the largest meets of the season. It's our home meet at Jones Park! Let's PACK the PARK on Saturday, September 11. Races start at 9:00am with middle school action taking place beforehand. See the itinerary here.
Lastly, thanks to all the parents who send in photos of our meets! Follow this link to see photos from Kelli Proehl. If you have photos you would like to have live on our website, please contact Coach Kucza.
Week 2 Wrap-up
All of a sudden, cross country is back! We began the season this morning with our annual intrasquad time trial. Lots of toughness was on display as runners charged down the long straightaway at Jones Park to cap off a hot week of training. With an early season hard effort, there are also many areas for improvement.
Next week, the regular season starts in full throttle mode. Head to our schedule page to plan ahead for the season. See the Manhattan itinerary at our Meet Information page, as well. Coming up on Labor Day, there will be an optional practice opportunity. Stay tuned for more details.
Thanks to any parents willing to send pictures so we can put them on the website! Head to our photos page to see the recent photos of Intrasquad, thanks to Donna True!
Fan & Athlete Gear and EHS Invitational Shirts
We're going electronic this year! Head to this Google Form to make your gear purchases for family, friends, and athletes! Included on the form are the NEW running hat, hoodies, t-shirts, and Emporia High Invitational meet shirts! Contact Darby Wilson (620-794-5596) with questions.
Measuring Mileage
Many athletes are curious about their daily run distance. Here is a helpful website that allows them to trace their running routes so they can get an accurate mileage update for their journals!
Twitter
Be sure to follow the Spartan cross country Twitter page (@EmporiaHighXC) to stay up-to-date. We will post reminders, schedule changes, and other tidbits throughout the season!
Facebook
New for the 2018 season is our Facebook page. Click the link or enter the URL: www.facebook.com/EmporiaHighXC/. Be sure to follow it for updates and information, as well!