Westhoff qualifies for State Meet

GARNETT -- Fort Scott High School junior Cassidy Westhoff has qualified for State Cross Country for the second straight year by finishing third in the Anderson County Class 4A Regional Meet here Saturday.

Westhoff took third in 15 minutes, 41.64 seconds and advanced as one of the top five runners from a school which did not place in the top three in team standings. Defending Class 4A State champ Cailie Logue, a Girard sophomore, won the meet in 14:42.61 with Paole senior Natalie Eppler second in 15:19.46.

Logue's time was the fastest reported from the four Regional meets held Saturday. In fact, Anderson County was the fastest meet overall. Logue was the only runner in the state who turned in a time of less than 15 minutes and there was only one other Regional, in Wichita, in which more than one runner finished in under 16 minutes. There were four who finished in under 16 at Anderson County, including fourth-place finisher Hannah Honeyman, a freshman from Carbondale-Santa Fe Trail, who turned in a time of 15:58.56.

Westhoff took seventh at State last season. Thirteen of last year's 20 medalists will be back at State this season.

Fort Scott sophomore Devin Brooks finished 22nd in the boys' race in 19:23.81 while Garrett Tatro was 43rd in 20:30.14. George Letner of Baldwin, a junior, was the race winner in 17:21.04.

The Class 4A State Meet will be held Saturday at the Wamego Country Club. The Class 2A and 1A meets will be held there as well.