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Cross Country: Warriors win 3A West, Lady Warriors finish third

Six Worland runners earn 3A West all-conference honors

Starting the postseason strong, the Worland High School cross-country team had an excellent showing at the 3A West conference meet in Lander on Oct. 17.

The Worland Warriors won the 3A West title, scoring 33 points and beating out second-place Mountain View (41 points) and third-place Lander Valley (94 points).

The Lady Warriors finished third with 63 points. Powell was second with 51 points and Cody took the 3A West championship with 43 points.

"It was way exciting and one last confidence booster before heading into state," said WHS cross-country coach Tanya Kienlen. "We're right on the right track. I was super proud of the kids for tackling that course and knowing about that big hill. I think that gave us an edge over some teams like Powell, who had never seen it. Mountain View had four in the Top 10 and they're a competitive team and our boys know they have to be humble and still do their job."

Individually, Trajn Swalstad continued his winning streak, winning the meet with a 16:29.68. The senior has yet to lose a race in Wyoming this season.

Joining Swalstad in the Top 10 were fellow seniors Will Bishop, who finished second (17:10.62) and Scottie Thomas, who was sixth (17:46.51).

The Lady Warriors had three runners earn all-conference honors. Senior Zena Tapia led the team, finishing fourth (20:40.22), sophomore Ava Tapia was fifth (20:46.19) and freshman Leanne Croft was ninth (21:12.36).

A runner must finish in the Top 10 of their race to earn all-conference.

"Will was dynamite in that second spot. Scottie getting up there was tremendous. On the girls side, it was exciting for Leanne because she had been knocking on the door at 11th for a long time and cracked the Top 10. She's been a solid, consistent scorer for us. Third place was something we were capable of doing but we wanted to do close the gap on Powell and they're continuing to do so which is exciting," said Kienlen.

It was a complete team effort by both Worland teams, while the top three runners earned the all-conference accolades, the fourth, fifth and sixth runners executed their roles well. For the Warriors, Kiyoshi Smith missed nabbing an all-conference honor, finishing 11th at 18:15.85. The next two Warriors to cross the finish line were Krew Neighbors (13th, 18:25.76) and Ethan Miller (17th, 18:44.56).

Timber Decker (22nd, 22:58.04), Ella Garcia (26th, 23:04.52) and Sabrina Gentzler (23:11.45) ran their races well and helped the Lady Warriors to that third-place finish.

Overall, each Worland runner executed their race plans effectively and did so against tough competition. Coming over from the 3A East, this was the first time Worland ran in the 3A West conference meet, taking to it well.

"It was exciting being on the West side and still come away with all-conference runners. It's a huge piece for our team and a testament to our team for the work they put in. They executed the strategy we formed. It was no longer for time, we were all for position, numbers and knowing the jerseys that were in front of you. That's how we're going to go into state with the same format. Racing downhill, which we don't get to do as much, they executed much better. You still race downhill, and I was super proud of that," said Kienlen.

The 3A State meet is in Cheyenne at the Little America Golf Course on Saturday.

In their final practices of the season, the Worland runners started with another workout in the mountains as they prepared for the elevation of Cheyenne. The rest of the week, the team went over their race strategies.

"We took our Monday Motivation and went up to the mountain. We did some repeats around Meadowlark at elevation, and hopefully, that will transfer over as we head to Cheyenne. At this point, they are physically prepped. Now, it's about going in with confidence and doing what you're capable of doing and what you have prepared before.

"They know they have to be focused and that it's going to be a dogfight. Everybody matters because it's your fourth, fifth and everybody who is crossing that line contributes to the team. It's a reminder that they all matter and even though you're not the No. 1, passing those runners or that one runner in front of you changes the score," said Kienlen.

Worland started the season in Cheyenne and got to run the state course at the Wyoming Invitational on Aug. 30. Having gotten that early look at the course, the Warriors and Lady Warriors know what to expect and are planning accordingly.

"When we first saw it, we got our feet wet and learned where we are at. It's going to be about position and we've become so much stronger this year and we've focused on that mile two and three. That's where the battle is going to happen," said Kienlen. "Everyone can handle mile one. It's that desire to get from two to three that'll make a huge difference."

The Warriors will be in a tough battle for the 3A title with Buffalo and Mountain View. Single digits or a point could decide the championship.

"The hard part is there are great teams who have been coached very well. They're not going to back down. I've talked with Sandy Moon, the Buffalo coach, about how the competition has made us stronger. It's the change of attitude and commitment to those Saturday morning practices or even last Friday when we ran in the rain and mud. You're willing to go that extra little bit so that your team can succeed," said Kienlen.

The 3A Girls will race at 11:30 a.m., and the 3A boys race starts at 1 p.m.