WAMEGO — A historic day on the cross country course was of little solace to Yates Center High’s Hadley Splechter Saturday.
Splechter took second in the boys Class 2A State Cross Country Meet to lead a trio of Wilcat runners who finished in the top seven.
The unprecedented level of success gave the Wildcat boys third overall as a team. Both are firsts in YCHS cross country history, head coach Rex McVey said.
But it mattered little to the spindly sophomore Splechter, who finished two-tenths of a second behind individual champion Frank Cuevas of Kiowa County.
Cuevas led virtually from start to finish, but Splechter put up a blistering sprint at the finish.
Splechter finished in 16 minutes, 41.40 seconds, or about two strides behind Cuevas.
“I knew I was catching him,” Splechter said, “but I only had so much room. In another race, it might have been a whole different story.
“I didn’t come to lose,” he continued. “But sometimes what happens, happens. I can’t change it.”
Not far off the winners’ pace were Splechter’s teammates, juniors Colin Bedell and Jordan Smith, who finished in fourth and seventh, respectively.
Bedell finished in 17:30, Smith in 17:52.
Yates Center head coach Rex McVey was a bit more enthusiastic about the Wildcats’ results on a treacherous, hilly course, amid warm, windy conditions.
“It was a total team effort to try and win this thing,” McVey said. “I’m really proud of these kids. I know they’re proud of themselves.”