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Senior Hanna Keltner claimed the top step on the podium with a dominant performance Saturday in Wamego, trudging through heavy rain and mud to become a state champion.
Keltner ran through the finish line with her hands raised and broke down into tears as she crossed the line, accomplishing a goal she had long set her eyes on.
Immediately she was met with family, coaches, teammates and other supporters. They were the first people Keltner thought of after the victory.
“It’s not just me crossing the finish line,” Keltner said. “It’s not just my work. It’s all the people that have helped me … And so I’m really thankful for those people and my teammates.”
As she raced down the final stretch, more than 30 seconds ahead of the next runner, she said she was thinking back to how close she had come to this before, finishing top three each of the last three years.
“Finally, it’s my time,” Keltner said. “I’m just really excited. I was very, very grateful that I was running through that line. It was kind of a surreal feeling.”
Keltner has committed to continue running at Kansas State next year. She said the win was a great capstone for her and the community that has supported her.
“It kind of felt like a big thank you to them,” she said. “Like, I was thanking them for staying in the rain to come watch me and driving hours upon hours to go on college visits with me. They have done a lot for me. So crossing the finish line, it was just kind of a big thank you for them.”
Head coach Jim Barnard said she was proud of Keltner and her growth over the last four years.
“I think now she knows she’s the best kid out there,” he said. “And she knows that she can take anybody down.”
The girls team fell just short of a fourth-straight title, finishing runner-up. Barnard said he was happy with the team’s performance. After losing a core group of seniors last year, he wasn’t sure how the team would fare, but they really started to grow near the end of the year to put themselves in a spot to compete for the podium.
Junior Addison Williams finished 26th and Lizzie Baker placed 29th. Junior Camila Garcia ended up in 37th with junior Jade Le Vaou and freshman Emma Sarber in 40th and 41st, respectively. Freshman Leah Barnhart finished 50th.
“I feel like we gave a very good effort today,” Barnard said. “I mean, not disappointed at all with second place … This is seven years in a row we’re on the podium. You can’t complain about the program that we built and what we got going, and, you know, I think we’re going to be just as good next year.”
Freshman Grayson Masterson and junior Max McLeary also competed at state. Masterson finished in 29th and McLeary snagged 53rd.
McLeary said the conditions were difficult to navigate, but he enjoyed the challenge of the slippery terrain and thick mud.
“I was in the mentality that there was nothing to lose, really,” he said. “So I just smiled the whole race and kicked it out towards the finish and tried to finish my hardest.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
