The Exira-EHK Spartans Cross Country teams are feeling very good about their standing heading into the last weeks of the season. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams have multiple runners in the top 10 in the Rolling Valley conference with four meets remaining.

For the boys, they have five of the top 10 best times in the conference. Tim Reinhart, Ben Baggett, Cater Wiemann, and Josiah King have posted the seventh through tenth best times respectively.  Head Coach Kevin Brown is not only pleased with the way they’ve worked but also the way they’ve performed given their youth and inexperience.

Junior Austin Rasmussen has been Exira-EHK’s best runner this season. His best time of 17:43.00 currently ranks second in the conference. In addition to being a leader and helping his team gain five top-10 finishes this year, Brown says Rasmussen has a chance to do special things moving forward.

Unlike the boys, the girls group has been together for quite some time. Most of the girls on the team have been running cross country since middle school.  The Spartans’ girls have two top 10 finishes this year and like the boys have numerous runners with top 15 times. Ruby VanderWal, Gracie Bartz, and Kaitlyn Christensen all rank in the top 15, and Coach Brown knows that their experience has played a key role in their success.

Leading the way for the Exira-EHK girls this season has been the young sophomore Michelle Wilson. She ran her best time of 22:15.33 on September 24th which has her ranked sixth in the conference. Sophomore Leah Boysen isn’t far behind, with her best time of 23:58.71 placing her at seventh. Brown has not only appreciated their work throughout the season but also realized their potential for this season and for years to come.

The Spartans will be in action on Thursday when they compete at IKM-Manning. The meet is scheduled for 4:30 pm.

The Atlantic Cross Country team is looking to continue its history of sending athletes to states with the cross country season winding down. The boys and girls teams have both had multiple top-ten finishes in their last three meets, with the girls finishing in fourth on September 24th while the boys finished ninth on September 19th. Preparing for a race and cutting your time might seem simple. However, Head Coach Daniel Vargason says that each athlete gets their own plan for preparation.

The girls team has been consistently improving throughout the season and has been gaining confidence. Atlantic’s girls have two top 5 finishes this year including a 2nd place finish at Clarinda back in mid-September. Hailey Huffman and Allison Middents have both been able to shave time off their runs while Hailey White, Bella Brock, and Elynor Brummer have all been consistent runners for the Trojans this year. After dealing with some early-season adversity, Vargason appreciates their ability to improve and compete.

Leading the way for the girls this year is the junior Katrina William. Her best time this year of 21:04.00 is currently the 11th best time in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. The difference between her and a spot in the top 10 is just five seconds. Vargason stated that her mindset, confidence, and hard work have allowed her to take off.

The boys team has been a bit of a different story than the girls this year. After struggling out of the gate, Vargason challenged the squad to be better, and they responded. However, where health and numbers were a problem on the girl’s side, the amount of runners on the boy’s side helped push each other to improve.

Luke Irlmier has been the leading runner for the boys team.  His time of 18:34.00 currently ranks 14th in the conference. However, he is less than a minute off of a top 10 place. Vargason says his ability to push himself has been one of Irlmeier’s biggest assets.

Atlantic has just two meets left before the Hawkeye Ten conference meet. They will host their last meet of the regular season on October 10th but are in action on Thursday at Shenandoah with the Boys scheduled at 4 pm with the girls set for 4:30 pm.

Today, Big 12 Conference Deputy Commissioner Tim Weiser announced his retirement following a distinguished 40-plus-year career in college athletics, effective at the end of 2024. Weiser has served as Deputy Commissioner for the Big 12 since 2008, following decades as an Athletic Director at Kansas State (2001-08), Colorado State (1997-01), Eastern Michigan (1993-97) and Austin Peay (1988-93).

“I have been so fortunate to be associated with so many outstanding people through my work in college athletics and will be eternally grateful for the friendships I have made along the way,” said Weiser. “The timing is right for me to begin the next chapter in my journey.”

“Tim has been a tremendous resource since my first day at the Big 12 – I will be forever grateful for his support,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Tim will always be a part of the Big 12 family, and I look forward to our continued friendship.”

In addition to his role as Deputy Athletic Director, Weiser served the college athletics community in a variety of capacities, including two stints as chair of the Division I Baseball Committee, along with being appointed to the NCAA’s Championships / Competition Cabinet. Weiser also formerly served as the president of the D1A Athletics Directors Association (now known as FBS ADA).

Throughout Weiser’s tenure at the Conference, the Big 12 has won 57 team national championships and has grown into a 16-team league that spans ten states and four time zones.

Weiser will continue to serve as a consultant to Commissioner Yormark and the Big 12, providing strategic counsel on special projects and initiatives.

The Great Bend, Kansas native received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Emporia State, where he also played on the baseball team. He is a member of the Great Bend High School Hall of Fame and the Emporia State Hall of Fame.