None of Free State High’s cross country runners can explain it, but every year they seem to hit their peak around regionals, turning in their best times of the season.

The Firebirds will hope to keep that momentum at the state meet, after both the girls’ and boys’ cross country teams took first place at the Sunflower League meet and at regionals. The Class 6A state meet starts at 10:30 a.m. today at Rim Rock Farm.

“It’s something that we’ve worked on a long time as far as getting our kids as most prepared as they can for these meets,” FSHS coach Steve Heffernan said. “I don’t know if I would call it peaking, but we rest a little bit, and then these are the ones we emphasize.”

The girls’ team, which won its first state championship in school history last year, has the talent and confidence for a repeat performance.

Sophomore Emily Venters has won every race she’s entered, while junior Claire Sanner and sophomore Kiran Cordes both finished in the top-10 at league and regionals.

“We just continually keep getting better,” senior Allyson Hertig said. “We definitely have been able to see progress throughout the season.”

Hertig, senior senior Marlee Yost-Wolff, junior Liv Lyche, and junior Rachel Witt round out the girls’ team. Yost-Wolff and Lyche have given the team a boost in the past few weeks with strong races.

Yost-Wolff, who will be running at the state meet for the first time, credits running track for the first time last spring and hard workouts during the summer for her strong senior season.

“Over my first three years of cross country, I didn’t improve very much,” Yost-Wolff said. “I just worked a lot harder at it. I became more focused and realized this is something that I really want.”

Free State’s boys team, which is full of upperclassmen, has improved throughout the year. The Firebirds are led by Ryan Liston, who’s won his last three races, while junior Ethan Donley, junior Tanner Hockenbury and senior Thomas Becker have all placed inside of the top-10 in those races.

Senior Colton Stallard, senior Curtis Zicker and senior Connor Ballenger are also racing hard to lower the team’s score.

After finishing sixth at state last season, the boys’ team is hopeful its can cap with a storybook ending, especially at Rim Rock, which is such a familiar course.

“We’ve been working for four years, a lot of us all year round,” said Becker, who has set a personal record in his last three races. “So it’s a big thing for us.”

But even with the pressure of repeating as champions for the girls’ team or the final race for many seniors on the boys’ squad, the Firebirds have been confident in practice about achieving their goals.

“I don’t see a lot nerves right now,” Heffernan said. “I’m sure they will get nervous, but when we got done with the regional meet, we celebrated a little bit, and then they were just like, ‘OK that was nice. Now what about next weekend?'”

Lawrence High will be represented at state by junior Nathan Pederson, who took 15th at in the boys’ race at regionals.