Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Buhler Meet - September 13, 2007
Balanced BuhlerEL Dorado finishes 1-2, but depth earns Buhler title at its own invitational
By Matt Gorney - The Hutchinson News - mgorney@hutchnews.com
The Buhler girls cross country team has never lost its home invitational.A top-heavy El Dorado team made it a tight race Thursday at Prairie Hills Middle School, taking the top two spots en route to 69 points. But the Crusaders had 68 points and finished in first place. Buhler coach Ivan Torres looked at the final numbers, saying he knew El Dorado would be a tough opponent and that the Buhler Invitational is always a challenge. "We don't invite people we can beat," Torres said. "We invite people we're going to have to run our guts out to beat."
El Dorado's Laura Nightengale set a brisk pace and won the race in 15 minutes, 33 seconds, followed 30 seconds later by teammate Molly Milbourn. The Crusaders' first runner across the line was senior Lauren Pauls with a time of 16:26. "It was a pretty fast pace," Pauls said. "(Seventh) is the highest I've finished yet this year, so, I'm pretty excited." Torres said he told Pauls before the race that she had to run well on Thursday. "I told her today that she needed to step it up big time," Torres said. "So she went from finishing sixth for us at Wamego last week to first today for us on our team, and that's pretty much what that girl can do. "Junior Jaci Willse - who came in 12th place and was the second Buhler runner to finish - said she expected to do better. "I was expecting to do a little better, but it was hot and there was good competition here," Willse said. "So I'm a little disappointed, but I'm OK with it. "Torres said Willse has the ability to gut-out a race, even when conditions are as hot and still as they were Thursday. "I don't really think about it, I just go," Willse said. "And it hurts, but you just have to go."
Both teams had three runners finish in the top 15, but it was the Buhler tandem of Katy Winter (16:59) and Julie Miller (17:00), which finished in 17th and 18th that gave the Crusaders the one-point victory. "I think we run together really well," Pauls said. "We're pretty strong this year I think." Torres said he knew his team had to finish deep and together to have a chance to beat El Dorado. "El Dorado is always a wonderful nemesis for us," he said. "They're a great team with a great coach who is just as wily as can be."
The Buhler girls returned home after running a hilly Wamego course on Saturday and placing sixth. Torres said his team has been running a bit conservative, but is in a building process where they are increasing the intensity each week. "Our legs were not with us (Thursday)," he said. "We felt the hills from Wamego. ... We've got to get over that. "On the boys side, Buhler finished third behind McPherson and champion El Dorado. But Torres said the third-place finish was the goal he set for his team.Senior Ben Appel and junior Brendan Issacson both finished in the top 15. Appel finished fourth in 17:06; Issacson 15th in 17:58.
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