With the Bluejays over the hump in their running schedule as far as the regular season schedule goes, but one of the largest meets to compete in all year was the spot for this week. Sabetha traveled to Rim Rock Farm on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Lawrence to run with athletes from near and far on one of the most challenging and picturesque courses in the state. Two Bluejay boys finished in the top 50 with one Lady Jay running toward the front of the pack.

Freshman Charlie Lukert has been a top 15 contender in the first half of the season, and he continued to run well in Lawrence and finished 14th overall in a field of 350 male athletes. Lukert finished with a time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds to be the first of the Bluejays to finish the race.

Junior Kalvin Evans finished the course in 18 minutes, 18 seconds, which was good enough to give him 34th place. 

Freshmen Josh Enneking finished in 140th and Korbyn Stinnett in 215th place. Sophomore Tabor Bachelor finished in 315th place.

In the boys division, there were 350 individual runners and as a team, the Bluejays took 22nd place out of 46 teams. Sabetha’s total time was one hour, 40 minutes and nine seconds, with an average team time of 20 minutes, one second. In the top of the team standings for this race was Bishop McGuinness with a total time of one hour, 31 minutes and six seconds, with a team average of 18 minutes, 13 seconds. An athlete from Wichita-Collegiate finished first overall individually with a course time of 16 minutes, 11 seconds.

Sophomore Laura Metzger continued to be the front runner on her team and ran another strong race. She grabbed 40th place individually. Metzger ran the course in 22 minutes, 29 seconds.

Freshman Jyllian Stapleton completed the race in 24 minutes, 51 seconds, which gave her a 142nd-place finish individually. Sophomore Lauren Bowles and junior Emerson Montgomery finished 246th and 276th, respectively, and sophomore Elly Clinton finished the day in 285th place.

The race included 292 runners and the Lady Jays finished 33rd of 36 teams participating with a total time of two hours, 19 minutes and 39 seconds, with an average time of 26 minutes, 28 seconds. Christ Preparatory took the top spot in the broad spectrum of teams, finishing with a total team time of one hour, 48 minutes and 32 seconds, while the average team time was 21 minutes, 42 seconds.

“This is the biggest meet that our kids will ever compete in,” said Head Coach Doug Leiker. “We just need to work hard for the next three weeks to get better for the Big Seven League meet.”

Sabetha’s harriers’ next race will be on Thursday, Sept. 29, when they travel to Horton.