Chase Pfalzgraf, Mackinzie Heacock qualify for Class 4A State Cross Country meet
Mackinzie Heacock
Chase Pfalzgraf
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Chase Pfalzgraf and Mackenzie Heacock will be running this Saturday on the very hilly terrain in northeast Kansas. Both runners advanced to the Class 4A State Cross Country meet in Wamego after Pfalzgraf finished seventh in the boys with a 17:23.13 time and Heacock placed 10th with a 21:53.45 time at the regional meet in Chanute this past Saturday.
Overall, the Wellington boys team finished fourth, just outside making the top three and qualifying in state as a team. Wellington accumulated 98 points. Circle won the event with 49 points, Chanute, the host, placed second with 62 and Augusta qualified with a 73. Other cross country runners include: 5. Winfield 102, 6. Labette County 164, 7. Independence 164 8. Coffeyville 200.
Wellington had three girls run and did not have enough to field a team.
Pfalzgraf, who won the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV the week before, had another outstanding run to advance to the state meet.
“When they changed the classification format, we were competing in a 36-team field as opposed to 64,” Wallace said. “That opens a lot of possibilities. But at the very top the cream is still there. Pfalzgraf is right there.”
His 17:23.13 time was the seventh best among 53 runners. Winfield’s Craig LaBrue won the event with a 16:17.48 time.
Wellington had two freshmen make a significant contribution with the team score.
Camden Parkey came out of nowhere as a freshman and scored Wellington’s second best time of 18:19.81, good for 17th place.
“He’s like a Pac-Man out there the way he runs,” Wallace said. “He just started running cross country this year and has vastly improved throughout the year.”
Toby Henning finished 19th with a 18:35.97 run as Wellington’s second fastest runner.
Sonny Lipton, the other freshmen, would finish 29th with a 19.17.55 time. William Walker was right behind him at 19:30.04 for 30th place.
Braeden Ybarra had a 19.54.06 time for 35th and Tyler Brown finished with a 20:36.60 for 39th place.
On the girls side, Heacock finished 10th out of 39 girls. Hope Maxwell placed 21st with a 23:25.14 time. Kaitlyn Hain finished 30th with a 25:08.96.
