Jen Meysing is the only member of the Bluebirds girls cross-country team who ran with the squad that finished fifth at the state meet in 2013.

Meysing’s teammates earned the chance to share in her experience by claiming the championship of the Class 1A regional Saturday at Pleasanton.

“My experience last year at State is to run hard and try your best, and we may finish in the top half of the teams that compete,” Meysing said.

It was warm and muggy at Sugar Valley Golf Course where the regional meet was staged.

“It was tough, quite hilly with sharp turns that slowed our times,” Meysing said. “And it was hot.”

Rachel Manis led the Bluebirds with an eighth-place individual medal, running the course in 18 minutes, 38.41 seconds. Meysing was less than two seconds behind in 18:40.18 for ninth. Julia Nightengale, 20:12.25, Lauren Rymill, 22:22.80, Laura Volze, 22:24.07, Maxine Keyse, 22:51.47, and Madeline Meier, 26:06.94, finished in that order for the Bluebirds.

Each school can send seven runners. The top four finishers accumulate points for the team, and if two teams tie the fifth runner’s place settles the tie.

Only Lebo and Goessel had enough runners to make a team of the 12 schools that sent runners. After Manis, Meysing, Nightengale and Rymill finished the teams were tied. Volze’s finish ahead of the fifth Lebo runner gave Goessel the championship.

The Goessel boys were not able to make the medals stand. Out of 51 runners, Zach Wiens finished in 25th place, Leighton Wagner 32nd, Aaron Woelk 40th and Dane Kruger 46th.