Sophomore twin sisters Hannah Burks and Hayley Burks of
Beloit raced each other to the finish line of the Kansas class 3A girls cross
country championships Saturday at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence.
Hannah Burks, one of the pre-meet favorites for the overall title,
beat her sister by nearly a minute, but it didn't matter. The 1-2 finish was
nonetheless impressive. Hannah won in 19:10.29, while Hayley was the runner-up
in 20:07.72.
For Hannah Burks, it was the first individual state title in
her young high school career. She had previously placed second in the 3200
meter run on the track, and third at the cross country championships last year.
Caroline Giles of Minneapolis, a junior, was third in
20:26.35, out-sprinting Lexi Kats of Norton (20:27.90) and Makaela Stevens of
Scott Community (20:29.06) in the top 5.
Another pre-meet favorite, Elizabeth Kettler of Hiawatha,
didn't quite have the individual race she was hoping for, but she led her team
to the school's firs...