By HUEY COUNTS
Special to Salina311
The sun is shining on an early morning and things are beginning to get toasty at Bill Burke Park, where Salina Central is prepping for a 3-mile time trial around the ballfields.
A pony-tailed blonde stands at the front of the starting line, in the midst of her male teammates, awaiting the tweet of the whistle.
Looking down the start of the dirt trail, she thinks of the hundreds of laps around the park, the countless hill repeats at nearby Indian Rock and the hundreds of miles leading up to this point.
She tells herself, "I'm prepared, I'm confident, and I'm going to enjoy this." She's fully in control.
Actually, she's been in control for some time.
Katelyn Rupe is the two-time defending Class 5A state cross country champion, unbeaten in her 14 races in Kansas.
And there's more. Lots more.
The Mustang senior has run course records at meets in Junction City, Manhattan, Lawrence and Great Bend as well as Salina. She's a two-time Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year and plans to run for North Carolina following graduation.
"I'm in a great spot right now," said Rupe after tempoing her way to about 16 minutes, 53 seconds in the time trial. "I feel the most fit I've ever been and I'm excited for what the season holds."
Two seasons ago, as a sophomore at state, Rupe conquered Lawrence's famed Rim Rock Farms in a course record time of 17:13.84, more than a minute ahead of her closest competitor.
Rupe had hoped to lower her record during her junior campaign but fell short in two attempts, and she's scheduled for two more tries this season.
"I talk about my goals with my coaches and parents," she said, keeping the specifics to herself. "I have a general overall outlook. And I have A goals, B goals and C goals and little goals along the way."
Her competition classification is arguably the toughest in the state, with at least three girls capable of upending Rupe, the best of whom may be her own teammate, sophomore Kaylie Shultz.
Last season, as a wide-eyed freshman, she chased her elder teammate all season, the talented tandem going 1-2 in all of the eight races they ran together, including 5A state where Rupe ran 17:36.20 for gold and Shultz snagged silver at 17:58.90, her second time under 18:00.
"I didn't know how I'd do as a freshman," said Shultz, unable to run the time trial because of illness. "I'd run cross country the previous two years (in middle school) and then I just went out with the attitude to just do my best.
"This last year having Katelyn was a good push for me and that helped so much. I didn't know what high school would be so it was mostly me just going out there and pushing myself on every course."
The two Mustangs, as they have for multiple years, did the majority of their off-season training together, eyeing more 1-2 finishes, not overly concerned with whom nabs which.
"I think I have a lot better of a mindset," Shultz said. "Having positive thoughts and using positive affirmations – I know it sounds silly – but it definitely does help. My mindset of beating my past times and not comparing myself to others will definitely help."
The Central duo's run for 5A supremacy is just one of the storylines for Salina County distance runners entering the 2024 season.
Others include:
Southeast of Saline's girls push for a fifth consecutive Class 3A championship took a hit when two of its top placers at last year's state meet, junior Breckyn Alderson (11th) and senior Abby Commerford (16th) chose not to run this fall.
The Trojans will now lean on its two returning state medalists, sophomores Piper Brown (14th) and Anna Jackson (19th), along with sophomore Regan Duran and freshman Ava McGraw, who turned in the fastest mark at the team's time trial.
Sacred Heart's girls are in a rebuilding mode after capturing last season's Class 2A title, their first since 2004, as major contributors Gracyn Dorzweiler, Eva Matteucci and Lauren Mikkelson graduated.
Sophomore Mia Hamilton, 14th at state a year ago, is back and should receive some support from seniors Libby Kierscht, Caroline Stone and Bethany Campa.
Two-time state medalist Brayden Walker and fellow junior Jacob Bircher are the leaders on another solid Southeast of Saline boys' team. They were 15th and 19th, respectively, at last season's 3A state meet as the Trojans were runners-up to Wichita Trinity.
Gone are its top two placers from that meet in Cayden Walker (eighth) and Levi Allen (14th), but new to the roster is senior Jacob Tonne, a transfer from Smoky Valley Home School who finished fourth at the KSHSAA Approved Home Schools Championships a year ago.
Ell-Saline senior Garrison Zerger looks to continue his move up the rankings at the Class 1A state meet. He placed 21st at a freshman, 11th as a sophomore and last season jetted up to fifth.
