The cross country team traveled to Newton on Oct. 20 to compete in the Kansas 5A Regional Championship. The Lady Indians took first out of the eight teams with 63 points.

Senior Ady Albers was very proud with how hard the team has been working and how they competed.

“The girls have been practicing to the best of their abilities,” Albers said. “It really showed in regionals.”

The girls had two individual qualifiers, freshman Landri Dotts taking 6^th with a time of 21:27 and junior Yesenia Maldonado finishing in 9^th with a time of 21:32.

Coming in 18^th with a time of 22:20 was freshman Lainey Hardman followed by sophomore Claire Shippy, 19^th, 22:23; sophomore Allison Shubert, 20^th, 22:24; sophomore Cristina Leos, 33^rd, 23:33 and senior Ady Albers, 39^th, 24:24.

“We were able to do this through hard work, team work, and belief in ourselves and the team,” Leos said.

The boys took eighth with junior Grant Brungardt leading them with a 26^th place finish in 19:03. Others who competed were freshman Brayden Hines, 38^th, 19:38; junior Conner Cunningham, 42^nd, 20:01; senior Johnny Fuller, 46^th, 20:07; junior Nathan Erbert, 52^nd, 20:25; freshman Landon Viegra, 53^rd, 20:29 and freshman Chris Isbell, 59^th, 20:59.

20ymaldonado@usd489.com