Rangers qualifiers ready for state meet

Meet at Edmond Santa Fe. Both runners were ecstatic that they made the cut.

“I was pretty excited,” Killer said. “It was going to be the last time I could make state. It was a pretty special moment.”

For Carver, it was This fall was the firstever cross country season for Roland High School. To cap off year No. 1, two Roland cross country runners, senior Landon Killer and junior Molly Carver, qualified for Saturday’s Class 3A State even more exciting to make state since as a sophomore with the Sallisaw Lady Diamonds, she missed by one spot of qualifying for the 2023 Class 4A State Meet.

“It felt pretty good,” Carver said. “It felt better than last year. I’ve been working on it (on making state) since last year I missed (making state) by one place, so I’m very excited. I hope to do better at state and run a better time (than in last Saturday’s Class 3A Regional Meet at Henryetta’s Nichols Park).”

Both runners have been honored to have been a part of this first-ever season of Roland High School cross country.

“It’s a pretty good moment,” Killer said. “We’re trying to leave a legacy.”

“It feels pretty good,” Carver said. “Hopefully, we’ll get more people to do it next year and have something to look forward to. Hopefully, we’ve set a goal for people to meet.”

Both runners would be on cloud nine if they just so happen to win the Class 3A state individual championship on Saturday.

“I would be happy and excited,” Killer said.

“I would be so happy,” Carver said. “That’s what I’m trying to look forward to — just run the best that I can.”

A second possibility for Killer is that he can finish his high school cross country career as an All-Stater, should he finish in the top 10 at Saturday’s Class 3A State Meet.

“It would mean everything to me,” he said.

In Carver’s case, being an underclassmen, the All-State equivalent for her would be making All-Star status for finishing in the top 10 at state.

“That would mean a lot,” she said. “It would mean my running a lot will have paid off. I’m looking forward to getting that.”