After a strong regular season, the Laramie High School cross country teams will be vying for a conference title at the 4-A East Conference Championships.

This year’s conference meet takes place Friday at Cam-Plex Park in Gillette. The varsity girl’s 5K race begins at 1 p.m. followed by the varsity boys 5K race at 1:30 p.m.

The Laramie Plainsmen are the three-time defending 4-A East Conference champions. They’ve won six of the last seven titles.

Head coach Greg Schabron admitted they’re the favorites and are looking more at individual goals and getting kids into the top ten.

“We’re looking at trying to accomplish a low team score more than anything else… we’re going to kind of race with that in mind as they step to the line on Friday.”

Racing for the Plainsmen will be Chris Henry, Albert Steiner, Liam McInroy, Colin Rucinski, Jacob Morgan, Philip Henry and Cas Sheridan.

The Lady Plainsmen will be trying to chase down Gillette and Cheyenne Central, who are considered the front-runners, team-wise.

Schabron said, “They made a big leap in competitiveness two weeks ago at the Thornton meet, but it’s more difficult to beat those teams in smaller meets or be close to them.”

He knows they may have a better shot at the state meet next week.

The ladies team from L-H-S will be comprised of Maria Smith-Lopez, Allison McElwee, Paige Trent, Claire Hamerlinck, Allison Dodds, Kyleigh Bingham and Hailey Schmidt.

The Lady Plainsmen have not won a conference title during Schabron’s tenure, but have been runner-up a few times.

Schabron described the course they’ll run Friday as a figure eight loop. They will get a chance to work out on it Thursday.

“It’s a great cross country course. It’s a little different than what the kids have seen the last couple meets… it’s a wide variety; a lot of turns and a lot of different terrain. It’s one of those that by the time you get to mile two, it’s tested your strength a little bit.”

This is the prelude the state championships October 24 in Sheridan.

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