s Pottorff hopes to excel

The Pottorff family reunion this weekend won’t lack things to talk about.

About 40 people will gather at Jim and Judy Pottorff’s house to eat, chat and watch the Kansas University-Kansas State football game.

Of course, that’s after their daughter, Katie, a freshman at Seabury Academy, competes at the 2-1A state cross country meet in Wamego today at 11 a.m. She’s the first-ever Seabury runner to qualify for state.

Not a bad topic of conversation.

“Her parents are going, one of the other girls on our team, Alex (Lesnikowski) is going. There’s a couple of boys from school going. We’ll all be there,” Seahawks coach Jill Boyle said.

Pottorff qualified by placing ninth at last Saturday’s regional at Horton, covering the two-mile course in 13:33. Another Seabury runner, Regan Sisson, just missed qualifying, placing 13th.

Boyle said it was touch-and-go for a while with Pottorff, though.

“I didn’t know if she had it in her,” Boyle said. “Then she put a surge on at the end and passed a couple of girls.”

Pottorff, who moved to Lawrence two years ago from Newport, R.I., has been the Seahawks’ top runner all season. She owns the school record in the two mile, 13:22, set at the McLouth Invitational. She’s placed in the top 10 in six straight races.

“I told her not to do what I did in high school,” Boyle said. “I never really approached it like I could be a top-20 runner at state; I was just always happy to be there. But your season’s not over yet.”

Pottorff hasn’t really considered the implications of being the first Seabury runner to qualify for state. Her approach is modest, and she hopes she won’t be nervous by race time.

“I just know there’ll be better runners,” she said. “I hope I do well.”

Boyle said Seabury may highlight Pottorff’s accomplishment, no matter where she places.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Boyle said. “I’m sure we’ll do something special at our awards banquet.”

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Bulldogs favored: Baldwin High has won the last three 4A boys state titles, and the Bulldogs will be the favorite today at Wamego. Baldwin’s girls have never won a state title, but they are ranked No. 1 when the race kicks off at 10 a.m.

Led by junior Erica Ogle, who won last Saturday’s regional at Tonganoxie, Baldwin will be pressed by El Dorado and Wamego for the title. Keep an eye on Ottawa’s Lisa Morrisey to make a run at the individual title.

For the Bulldog boys to repeat, they’ll have to fend off Tonganoxie, Clearwater and Mill Valley, which has one of the top boys’ runners in junior Jay Matlack. The boys race begins at 9 a.m.