The 31st running of The Great Race is Saturday; here’s everything you need to know
Click to enlarge. The roster is also listed below.
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The 31st running of the Slate Creek Relay, better known as the Great Race, is this Saturday at Woods Park. The race begins at 5 p.m. Here is all the things you need to know about the upcoming race this Saturday.
•There are nine teams this year.
The rosters have been set. Here is who is running for who:
Manila Gorillas
1- 360 Sprint – Dylan Dickinson, Wellington.
2- 3/4 Mile – Destini Eskridge, Wichita.
3- X-Country – Zane Aguilar, Wellington.
4- Motocross – Tyler Pettigrew – Wellington.
5- 3/4 Miler – Eric Enriquez – Wichita.
6- Horse Race – Travis Whaley – Wellington.
7- Racing Bike – Bill Mott – Wellington.
8- One Mile – Britte Magnuson – Maize.
9- One Mile – Ben Flowers – Wichita.
10 – Canoe #1 – Shane Holverson – Wellington, Sage Aguilar – Wellington.
11 – Canoe #2 – Heath Carroll – Wellington, Austin Hamilton – Belle Plaine.
12 – 1/2 mile – Zane Winter – Andale.
13 – 360 Sprint – Blake Rausch – Wellington.
SSB Big Bucks
1- 360 Sprint – Clayton Cook, Burden.
2- 3/4 Mile – Corbin Priest, Burden.
3- X-Country – Jason Braun, Burden.
4- Motocross – Garrett Foster, Wellington.
5- 3/4 Miler – Ben Long, Burden.
6- Horse Race – Brandi Morgan, Belle Plaine.
7- Racing Bike – Amy Mott, Wellington.
8- One Mile – Broc Wilson, Burden.
9- One Mile – Garrett Toon, Burden.
10 – Canoe #1 – Kyle Smith, Wellington; John Hensley, Wellington.
11 – Canoe #2 – Devin Robinson, Wellington; Dray Meridith, Wellington.
12 – 1/2 mile – Ana Mercy, Burden.
13 – 360 Sprint – Logan Brown, Burden.
Dore Enchies
1- 360 Sprint – TBA.
2- 3/4 Mile – TBA.
3- X-Country – TBA.
4- Motocross – TBA.
5- 3/4 Miler – TBA.
6- Horse Race – TBA.
7- Racing Bike – TBA.
8- One Mile – TBA.
9- One Mile – TBA.
10 – Canoe #1 – TBA.
11 – Canoe #2 – TBA.
12 – 1/2 mile – TBA.
13 – 360 Sprint- TBA.
Impact Bank Dashing Dukes
1- 360 Sprint – Tayshawn Washington, Wellington.
2- 3/4 Mile – Colin Reichenberger, Wellington.
3- X-Country – Caleb Reichenberger, Wellington.
4- Motocross – Houston Sober, Emporia.
5- 3/4 Miler – Hunter Lough, Wellington.
6- Horse Race – Gabrielle Faimon, Wellington.
7- Racing Bike – Sammie Brown, Wellington.
8- One Mile – Jaxon Irey, Wellington.
9- One Mile – Ryan Bacon, Wellington.
10 – Canoe #1 – Nick Norris, Wichita; Tyler Norris, Wellington.
11 – Canoe #2 – Ben DeJarnett, Wellington; Silas Scott, Wellington.
12 – 1/2 mile – Jared Brown, Wellington.
13 – 360 Sprint – Kami Reichenberger – Wellington.
Ragin Rhabdos
1- 360 Sprint – Alex Stallbaumer, Wellington.
2- 3/4 Mile – Austin Ledbetter, Wellington.
3- X-Country – Jeff Brungardt, Wellington.
4- Motocross – Chris Jesina, Caldwell.
5- 3/4 Miler -Brooklyn Cunningham, Wellington.
6- Horse Race – Cole Wiens, Wellington.
7- Racing Bike – Julia Dreiling-Smith, South Haven.
8- One Mile – Molly Clark, Wellington.
9- One Mile – Sarah Freeland, Wichita.
10 – Canoe #1 – Preston Carroll, Wellington; Zach Popplewell, Wellington.
11 – Canoe #2 – Bryan Smith, South Haven; Chad Gill, Wellington.
12 – 1/2 mile – Ashley Cashier, Wellington.
13 – 360 Sprint – Britt Downing, Wellington.
Axis of Awesome
1- 360 Sprint – Xandrine Carbajal, Wichita.
2- 3/4 Mile – James Mackay, Wichita.
3- X-Country – Mason Ryherd, Kansas City, Kans.
4- Motocross – Colston Whitley, Wichita.
5- 3/4 Miler – Jake Farris, Andover.
6- Horse Race – Addie Henning, Wichita.
7- Racing Bike – Dave Farris, Andover.
8- One Mile – Josh Mehl, Wichita.
9- One Mile – Rodney Flair, Andover.
10 – Canoe #1 – Buck Hale, Wichita; Seth Hale, Wichita.
11 – Canoe #2 – Derek Farris, Wichita; Taylor Ryherd, Iola.
12 – 1/2 mile – Bob Wells, Andover.
13 – 360 Sprint – Hollywood Treaux, Wichita.
D00-Dah Flying Circus
1- 360 Sprint – Jesse Nichols, Valley Center.
2- 3/4 Mile – James Nichols, Valley Center.
3- X-Country – Zane Downing, Wichita.
4- Motocross – Doc Foley, Wichita.
5- 3/4 Miler – Robbie Valliere, Valley Center.
6- Horse Race – Addy Klausmeyer, Wichita.
7- Racing Bike – Geri Ford, Wichita.
8- One Mile – Amanda Youngers, Clearwater.
9- One Mile – Jenna Poynter, Clearwater
10 – Canoe #1 – Darin Weers, Wichita; Eric Perry – Wichita..
11 – Canoe #2 – Iain Milmine, Wichita; Troy Schneider, Wichita.
12 – 1/2 mile – Cherie Schneider, Wichita.
13 – 360 Sprint – Sheena Sanders, Clearwater.
Greeno Flameouts
1- 360 Sprint – Gator Lira, Wellington.
2- 3/4 Mile – John Lee Menefee, Wichita.
3- X-Country – Tyler Ybarra, Wellington.
4- Motocross – Tracy French, Wellington.
5- 3/4 Miler – Nathan Huck, Wellington.
6- Horse Race – CeCe Trent, Wellington.
7- Racing Bike – Tonner Finch, Wellington.
8- One Mile – Ashlen Hearson, Wellington.
9- One Mile – James Hearlson, Wellington.
10 – Canoe #1 – Weston Eckermann, Caldwell; Trayson Probst, Wellington.
11 – Canoe #2 – Kenny Byers, Wellington; Sebastian Fletcher, Wellington.
12 – 1/2 mile – Ben Rosewicz, Wellington.
13 – 360 Sprint – Chase Rosewicz, Wellington.
The Muddy Water
1- 360 Sprint – Brad Giesen, Anthony.
2- 3/4 Mile – Luke Thornton, Harper.
3- X-Country – James Gates, Harper.
4- Motocross – Brandon Gerber, Anthony.
5- 3/4 Miler – Jacob Clark, Anthony.
6- Horse Race – Eli Gates, Anthony.
7- Racing Bike – Jenny Johnston, Harper.
8- One Mile – Levi Gates, Anthony.
9- One Mile – Drew Meachum, Harper.
10 – Canoe #1 – Eric Gates, Harper; Ted McDermott, Anthony.
11 – Canoe #2 – Elise LeGrand, Harper; Luciana Thornton, Harper.
12 – 1/2 mile – Curt Clark, Anthony.
13 – 360 Sprint – Blake Lepard, Anthony.
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The map shows the running of the various legs of the race. The race runs more than 9 miles.
The Great Race map. (Click to enlarge)
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•Nine teams are about average for The Great Race. The race high is 12 teams while the race low is seven teams. Great Race organizer Jack Potucek said eight, nine, or 10 teams is the preferred number. Seven is too few while 12 is too many, he said. This year’s race will have 135 race participants.
•There are over 100 volunteers pulling off the event not counting the assistance of employees from the City of Wellington and Sumner County.
•The first race was on July 4, 1977 at the Slate Creek Depot, a fine dining restaurant, two miles west of Wellington. It is estimated there have been over 4,000 athletes who have participated in the 31 events.
•The Great Race had an original six-year run at the supper club west of Wellington. In 1982, the Depot burned down. It then was held from 1983 to 1986 at the Depot site with a party thereafter at the Elks Club.
•There was a 14-year gap from 1987 to 2001 when there was no race. In 2001 the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce asked Potucek to revive the race again. It was moved to Woods Park and has been there ever since.
•2020 was the only year it hasn’t been run since it was resurrected, which, of course, was the pandemic.
•2001 was the only year in which the Great Race was run in conjunction with the Wheat Festival. Potucek learned quickly that the race needed to be on its own to get an adequate number of volunteers.
•The first five winners of the Great Race were: 1977 – Potwin Athletic Club Jets; 1978 – Potwin Athletic Club Jets; 1979 – Greeno Flameouts; 1980 – Renn’s Rockets; 1981 – Stalcup Steelheads.
The Great Race in 2016 was the most exciting finish.
•The Great Race winners since 2001 are as follows:
2001 – Renn’s Rockets.
2002 – Anders Spinalators.
2003 – Anders Spinalators.
2004 – Commodore Enchies.
2005 – Commodore Enchies (50:39 finals time)
2006 – Commodore Enchies (45.19).
2007 – Yunker’s Wheat Whackers (45.49).
2008 – Commodore Enchies (44:28).
2009 – Yunker’s Wheat Whackers (44:25).
2010 – Commodore Enchies (42.24).
2011 – Commodore Enchies (42:26).
2012 – Commodore Enchies (42:03)
2013 – Anders Spinalators (43:30)
2014 – Dore Enchies (43:49).
2015 – Anders Spinalators (44:30).
2016 – Anders Spinalators (44:53)
2017 – SSB Big Bucks (44:23.98)
2018 – Dore Enchies (44:48)
2019 – Dore Enchies (44:58)
2021 – Manila Gorillas (45:50).
•The Greeno Flameouts and the Black Oak Striders were the longest-tenured teams for years. The Striders have not fielded a team in the past two years.
•The Commodore Enchies still owns the course record with a 42:03 time in 2012.
•The most exciting finish? That would be 2016 when the Anders Spinalators and Dore Enchies were neck and neck at the finish line. Taylor Parker of Wichita for the Spinalators and Vince DeGrado of Corbin for the Enchies were at the finish line simultaneously. The Spinalators were deemed the winners.
