Catching up on Cross Country: Both boys and girls cross country teams prepare for regionals, previous boys 5K record broken

On Oct. 16, junior Wyatt Haughton broke the East boys cross country record for 5K — a record set earlier this year by himself. 

The new record is 15:34.9 and was set at the Sunflower League Cross Country Championship meet held at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan.. The previous record Haughton set was at the Olathe Twilight Invitational meet, and his time was 15:35.2. 

At the Sunflower League meet, the East boys team placed third out of 14 schools and the girls team placed ninth. Both teams are now officially going to compete in the regional meet this weekend at Johnson County Community College on Oct. 23, which will advance them to the State Championship meet in Augusta, Kan. on Oct. 30.

“It doesn’t take one person, though I speak about [Haughton] as a great runner,” head cross country coach Tricia Beaham said. “It takes those great runners, to be able to be selfless, and sometimes to spur on and get everybody else excited because we have a great deal of talent, both on the girls and boys side. And it takes a team to make a success, not just one individual.”

Senior Grace Meyer, the top runner on the girls team, also placed high at fourth place in the league, running an 18:36.8 5K. 

One of Haughton’s goals from earlier in the year was to break the school’s record, which he checked off his list at the previously mentioned meet. His second goal remains to place top three at state, which he’s consistently working toward everyday during practice in interval training workouts, increasing weekly mileage and forming race strategies with his coaches.