Veteran leads Baldwin girls to Class 4A state title
Baldwin High cross country coach Mike Spielman might not run as far as the athletes he’s coaching at a meet, but he makes his way all over the course to give his runners support and encouragement.
“I see him all over the place on races,” senior Heather Garcia said of her coach on a race day.
The 16-year BHS coach ran cross country in high school and at Kansas University. That most likely gave him the wherewithal to keep up with his runners even now, but it also taught him how to approach coaching the unique sport.
“I just had some great coaches as I was going along,” Spielman said, “and that’s kind of what got me going.”
Garcia said Spielman’s style is laid-back, which really appeals to the runners.
“He doesn’t yell. He encourages us and tells us what to do, but he never just yells at us,” Garcia said.
“He never brings us down if we’re running bad.”
In 2007, Baldwin High’s runners seldom ran poorly.
Spielman’s girls team won the Class 4A state championship and his boys finished as the runners-up.
“By far, our biggest highlight for both the boys and girls was at the state meet at Wamego,” Spielman said. “All year we ran good here and there, but we never put together that perfect race. They just kind of knew that state was where you needed to do it. The kids just did a great job of working hard and believing when the time came they would run well.”
What Spielman really enjoys about coaching are the relationships he develops with his runners, along with the unique aspects of a cross country event. He likes having his varsity and junior varsity boys and girls all at the same locale.
“Everybody runs the same race,” he said. “It’s an individual thing – you have to do your job. But also there’s a team aspect to it. The kids enjoy that part of it.”
Another aspect that the coach enjoys is the fact that athletes aren’t constrained to a playing field like they are in other sports. And the fans aren’t constrained to their bleacher seats.
“The spectators are kind of involved in it, too, because they’re out running around.”
Just like the coach.
All-Area first team
Girls
Calleigh Durr – Baldwin
A junior runner for the talented Bulldogs, Durr placed third at regionals and followed that with an 11th-place outing at the Class 4A state championship to help Baldwin capture the state title.
Lacey Erickson – De Soto
Finishing just ahead of Durr at the 4A state championship, Erickson took 10th to become the sixth girl in De Soto’s history to finish in the top 10 at state. As a freshman, she medaled in eight of nine races.
Hayley Francis – Free State
Just a freshman, Francis medaled at all nine meets for the Firebirds this year. Saving her best time – 15:34 – for last, she finished 11th at the 6A state meet at Rim Rock Farm.
Heather Garcia – Baldwin
The leader of the 4A champs, Garcia, a senior, won eight meets including her second straight individual state title.
Kyra Kilwein – Free State
A junior who led the Firebirds throughout the season, Kilwein won the Haskell Invitational, had a season-best time of 15:07 at the Baldwin Invite and placed eighth at state.
Corinna Papps – Baldwin
One of three All-Area runners for the 4A champs, Papps finished eighth at state, fifth at regionals and fifth at league.
Kelly Renfro – Lawrence
A senior for the Lions, Renfro routinely led her team. The four-year LHS runner finished 14th at the 6A state meet, eighth at regionals and took second at two races this year.
Honorable Mention:
Emily Ballock and Liz Hoese, Eudora; Haley Harrington, Free State; Alex Hauk and Andie Jeannin, Tonganoxie; Katie Hirsch and Maggie Kuhlman, Perry-Lecompton; Hannah Jokisch and Carly Stanley, De Soto; Erica Layton, Wellsville; Jennifer Taylor and Kristina Taylor, Lawrence.
Boys
Cristian Dozier – De Soto
In his first year with the Wildcats, Dozier continually improved during his sophomore campaign and capped it off with a ninth-place finish at the 4A state championships.
Dylan Hedges – Lawrence
As a senior leader, Hedges won the Manhattan Invitational and the Shawnee Heights Invitational. He finished eighth at the 6A state championships and ninth at the regional meet.
Aaron Karlin – Baldwin
As a senior, Karlin won the Sabetha Invite. He finished sixth at the 4A state race to help the Bulldogs take second place. Karlin took third at regionals and fifth at league.
Lucas Slater – De Soto
A senior, Slater finished his De Soto career by medaling at the 4A state championships with a 12th-place finish. He and Dozier helped propel the team to a third-place finish at state.
Logan Sloan – Free State
The Firebirds’ top boys runner medaled in eight of nine meets as a freshman. He was the second freshman to cross the finish line at state and 13th overall at the 6A finals.
Roy Wedge – Lawrence
As an up-and-coming sophomore, Wedge set a personal-best time of 16:38.4 and took seventh place at the 6A state meet. He bettered his times from 2006 at every race in ’07.
Tony Weiss – Baldwin
Though he was only a freshman, Weiss won two meets and paced the Bulldogs with a fourth-place finish at state and took first place at regionals.
Honorable Mention:
Matt Brock, Tonganoxie; Ivan Espinosa and Juan Ramirez, Eudora; Colin Jokisch, De Soto; Garrett Jones and Josh Payne, Perry-Lecompton; Gabe Moss, Free State; Derek Poor, Wellsville; Ben Wilson, Lawrence; Connor Wright, Baldwin.