Tre’Zure Jobe ready to reunite with her hometown crowd in her senior season
27 October 2023
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas State High School Cross Country Championships begin in Lawrence on Saturday. Last year’s Girl’s 5A Champion, Katelyn Rupe, will be on the start line, looking to continue making Mustang history.
Rupe holds Salina Central’s school record in the 5,000 meters, with her time of 17:13.9. She is also the 2022-2023 Kansas Girls Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year.
In her junior season, she seems to be unstoppable. She is the fastest girls runner in the state by 20 seconds. And there seems to be no course she can’t complete.
“Every time I think there’s a limit, She goes out and breaks it. I think she has the course record on every course she’s ever ran on at this point,” explained Mustang Cross Country Head Coach Brad Dix.
That includes Rim-Rock Farm in Lawrence, where in 2022, she became the first Mustang to ever get gold at state.
“It means a lot, and it definitely gives me something to strive for. And having the records to break give me motivation,” she explains.
Rupe first began tying up her laces in kindergarten.
“My dad and I actually trained for a half marathon in eighth grade, so that made me love the sport even more,” she explained.
It’s a love she couldn’t lose. This year, she stepped away from tennis to turn her full attention to running.
“She has put in a ton of work, and that’s what people don’t see. The early morning runs like today or the long runs in the winter. It’s just a part of who she is and why she’s such a good student and such a good runner,” said Dix.
But Rupe is running for more than just herself.
“There’s a girl on my team, Kaylie [Shultz], and I know she’s always giving her best, so I try to give my best too,” she said.
The duo has finished one and two at every race this season.
“Because I have another teammate who’s extremely good, it makes it really exciting for us. We train in the offseason together, so that makes it… we have a good relationship,” Rupe added.
Coach Dix says despite all her hardware, Rupe has always remained selfless in competition.
“She is very humble. If you watch her at the end of a race, she sits and waits for all of her teammates. And that’s the kind of person she is. She’s cheering on other girls. She is just pretty special in that way as well,” he explained.
Rupe will be joined by freshman Kaylie Shultz at the state meet. With someone there to push her, Rupe is ready for her return to Lawrence.
“I think I can win again, and my goal is to run as fast as I can and hopefully improve my time,” said Rupe.
“She looks for the challenge. She gets excited. I get such a front-row seat to watch this, and it’s exciting to see where she can go,” said Dix.