Lining up for the start of a promising season, the Manhattan High School cross country team competed at Warner Memorial Park on Sept. 6.
“We’re so excited to get the season started,” head coach Susan Melgares said.
Running their only home meet this season, the Varsity girls team earned first place with an average time of 19:38 and the Varsity boys team finished in fourth place with an average time of 17:19.
Temperatures throughout the meet ranged from a cool 52 degrees when the first race kicked off, to a lofty 67 as people were heading out.

“Yeah, the weather is fantastic today,” senior Wilson Wesch said. “It was definitely good for everyone who took advantage.”
Multiple newcomers made massive impressions for the Indians including junior Gabrielle Converse, who moved to Kansas from Indiana just a month before the start of the school year.

“I feel so welcomed here,” Converse said. “They’re all so nice, encouraging. It’s a really good environment, and I’m really happy to be part of this team.”

Converse took first place in the girls Varsity race with a time of 18:53. Just behind her was her second place teammate, freshman Zara Koehn, who ran a 19:06 and freshman Isla Spreer who knocked out a fourth place finish with 19:20 as her time. 

“Zara did amazing,” Converse said. “She’s a freshman. She’s awesome. And this environment here, I mean, there’s a lot of different packs, and everyone just encourages each other.”
Freshman Jaxon Wheeler scored the highest for MHS boys varsity, running a 17:02 for 12th place.
“Jaxon and Levi are two freshmen, some dogs, probably they’re already up there this first year. Excited to watch them develop,” Wesch said.
Notably as well on the JV side, the girls team filled the top 6 spots, with the exception of third. Sophomores Andie Strathman and Valeria Villoria got first and second respectively, their individual times being 16:05 for Strathman and 16:29 for Villoria.
On the flip side, Junior Varsity girls ran an average of 17 flat, securing another girls first place win and Junior Varsity boys ran an average of 18:34, scoring third place.
This Manhattan Invitational is the only one scheduled this season, but there is talk about the Regionals occurring here. Running on home ground meant being surrounded by people who were watching in support of the team. Friends and family gathered to watch, alongside many community members who just came to support the local cross country team.
For these freshmen, running today was a taste of new beginnings.
“I would say youngins coming in and developing is really exciting,” Melgares said. “Looking forward.. we’re seeing a lot of fire.”
The next meet is the Emporia Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Jones Park in Emporia.

“Going to be working on some hills, that hill strength, man, when you can do that, you can, you can run anywhere,” Melgares said.