GOODLAND, KS — After a pretty solid season in 2021 the Goodland cross county hopes to build off that success here in 2022.
“We didn’t qualify anyone for state but we had some outstanding moments in the season,” sixth-year head coach Jake Stout said.
The girl's team, for the first time in the Stout era, earned a first-place finish as Ulysses last fall. Meanwhile, then junior now senior, Noah Schears won the Norton Invitational to become the first Goodland individual to win a meet under Stout.
Schears and one of the ladies' top runners Claire Scheopner will be looked on to lead this year's team. Schears is hoping to make it back to state after going there two years ago as a sophomore. While Scheopner is hoping to return to the form she had during her best year as a Sophomore as well.
“I placed pretty high last year but just not as high as I would have liked,” Scheopner said.
Overall, like a lot of high school sports, it’s been up and down for GHS cross county over the past few years but the real reason for the excitement this year for Goodland is that they have enough runners to score in both the boys and girls races.
Getting into the swing of the season has been difficult due to the hot temperatures that the kids are trying to run in. “It’s been a balance between what the weather will allow and how much the kid can do,’ Stout says.
“I just want the kids to grow, because if they grow and as runners they can grow as a team.“ Goodland begins its season on September 1st hosting the Goodland XC Invite at Sugar Hill Golf Course.
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Head Coach Jake Stout
Seniors Noah Schears & Claire Scheopner
PHOTO CREDIT: Jackie Elliott