When you’re the Class 4A girls state cross country champion, maintain a 4.0 grade-point average and are involved in numerous school organizations, it’s difficult to keep an orderly bedroom.

“I put my running and my schoolwork probably above everything else,” Eudora High’s Brittney Graff said. “Like, my room is a mess. But that’s because I don’t have time to worry about my room. I just worry about the stuff that is more important.”

Graff took first place in her final seven races of the year and finished in the top three in her other two races, a string of success that led to her being named the 2005 All-Area Girls Runner of the Year.

“I like taking first,” Graff said, laughing. “I’d like to do it again next year. I’m just glad I won (state).”

Outside of being a state, regional and league champion, she was named to the Class 4A All-State Academic Cross Country Team with her 4.0 GPA.

She is involved in Student Council, International Club, National Honor Society, Environmental Club, plays for the high school basketball team and runs track in the spring.

The EHS junior scored school and course records at four of her meets this year, including the school record in the 4K during the Crimson race of the Rim Rock Invitational, where she claimed the first of her seven individual victories. Her time of 15 minutes, 26 seconds at Rim Rock topped the previous school record by nearly one minute.

“I like Rim Rock,” Graff said with a big smile. “Rim Rock’s my favorite course. Everybody thinks (the hills) are so hard, so everybody just gets down on them, and that’s my favorite part because everybody is weak there so I pass them. I want one of those silhouettes out there.”

Cardinals cross country coach Paul Boone said he had seen Graff transform as a runner since junior high.

“She’s really showed a lot of growth freshman year on,” Boone said. “She’s really learned to understand what kind of workouts you need to do to be good.”

Those workouts included running 351 miles during the summer, which Graff said gave her more endurance for the shorter races.

“So far, I’m thinking I’ll go for 400, I think I can do it,” said the Cardinals’ runner about the miles she wants to log this next summer. “Some people I know told me that I wasn’t going to get 300 this (past) summer, so I showed them.”

Boone, on the other hand, was not all that surprised with Graff’s determination in the offseason.

“She’s a goal-driven person and we’ve gotten her to enjoy the moments, the little victories along the way,” Boone said. “But she is a very driven person and she’s very structured and she’s very organized and she gets things done. When it comes time to do (workouts), she’s not standing around talking about it, she just goes for it.

“And I don’t know that she realizes how much that’s rubbing off on all the other athletes – boys, girls alike and especially the younger athletes.”

Graff credits Boone for instilling that burning desire.

“He had a lot to with my success,” Graff said. “He put in a lot work to help me, and I’m very thankful for what he has done.

“He really gave me the love I have for cross country.”

FIRST TEAM

Megan Ballock ¢ Eudora ¢ Sr.

¢ Finished eighth at Class 4A state meet in 12:23

¢ Ran personal-best 12:16 to take second at Hiawatha regional

¢ First-team Frontier League selection

Morgan Frehe ¢ De Soto ¢ Jr.

¢ Finished ninth at Class 4A state meet in 12:23

¢ Finished third at Hiawatha regional in 12:19

¢ First-team Frontier League selection

Madison Shoemaker ¢ Baldwin ¢ Soph.

¢ Finished sixth at Class 4A state meet in 12:21

¢ Finished fifth at Labette County regional in 12:45

¢ First-team Frontier League selection

Kelsey Verhaeghe ¢ Baldwin ¢ Jr.

¢ Finished fifth at Class 4A state meet in 12:21

¢ Finished fourth at Labette County regional in 12:39

¢ First-team Frontier League selection

SECOND TEAM

Heather Garcia, Baldwin, Soph.

Emily Gilbreath, Mill Valley, Sr.

Lauren Karnitz, De Soto, Jr.

Corinna Papps, Baldwin, Fr.

Christy Weller, Tonganoxie, Soph.,

HONORABLE MENTION

Lauren Coleman, Eudora, Soph.; Chelsy Coen, Ottawa, Sr.; Stephanie Lillie, Ottawa, Jr. ; Maggie Kuhlman, Perry-Lecompton, Fr.; Jodi Mundy, Santa Fe Trail, Fr.; Jennifer Wagner, Tonganoxie, Jr.; Aubrey Poor, Wellsville, Jr.