The De Soto cross country team traveled to the Wamego Country Club, hosted by Wamego High School for their meet on Sept. 9. This is where State meet will be held later in the year.

The Wildcats had medalists on varsity and JV for both boys and girls.

Senior Angel Vasquez won the meet with a time of 16:04. Other varsity placers include Teddy Koehler, Diego Sanchez, Chad Ollendick, Jacob Scott and Nathan Zwahlan.

Sophomore Meredith Wolfe took seventh place in girls’ varsity, with junior Rebekah Burgweger right behind her. Sophomore Kate Barger also placed on varsity.

For JV boys, Jackson McQuality, Max Taulbee, Nick Landrum, Lars Erickson and Adonis Searls all placed, and Morgan Darter placed for JV girls.

Varsity and JV boys finished third, varsity girls finished sixth, JV boys also finished third, and JV girls finished seventh.

One of the newest runners on the team, freshman Gunnar Bondank, finished with a personal record of 32:52. Bondank, who has autism, has become a team favorite among the cross country squad.

“The kids have done an awesome job supporting him. On Saturday, the varsity guys skipped the awards ceremony so that they could help Gunnar get around the course and to cheer for him,” said head coach Chris McAfee. “We didn’t run a full varsity guys team and had an extra team medal-the guys decided to give it to Gunnar.”

McAfee said that the team was better prepared for the second meet. He also says that the teams have done really well.

“It is always a transition after you graduate people and add new people in to the group. The teams have bonded well and are performing well,” McAfee said. “In our first two meets we were not able to run everyone, so I am looking forward to having everyone running the rest of the season.”

Next Saturday, the cross country team has a meet in Bonner Springs, at the course near the Renaissance Festival.