BENTONVILLE -- Most high school athletes don't get a chance to compete for a state championship, much less two.
Sophie Quandt, however, will try to help Bentonville High pull off two state championships on the same day -- for the second time.
Arkansas High School Cross Country Championships
WHERE Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs
WHEN Race schedule is as follows: Class 1A/2A — boys 9 a.m., girls 9:30 a.m.; Class 3A — boys 10:15 a.m., girls 10:45 a.m.; Class 4A — boys 11:30 a.m., girls noon; Class 5A — boys 12:45 p.m., girls 1:15 p.m.; Class 6A — boys 2 p.m., girls 2:30 p.m.; Class 7A — boys 3:15 p.m., girls 3:45 p.m.
NOTABLE Two defending state individual champions must run against each other. Bekah Bostian of Prairie Grove won the 4A girls race last year but must contend with West Fork’s Gracie Hays, who was the 3A champion. … Bentonville sophomore Tori Willis, who has the best girls time this fall, was the Class 1A runnerup last year with Haas Hall Bentonville. … Defending girls state champions are Bentonville (7A), Siloam Springs (6A), Little Rock Christian (5A), Pottsville (4A), Genoa Central (3A) and Trinity Christian (2A/1A). … Defending boys state champions are Fayetteville (7A), Lake Hamilton (6A), Harrison (5A), Heber Springs (4A), Green Forest (3A) and Greers Ferry West Side (2A/1A).
The senior will be at Nettleton High School for the state high school dance competition this morning, then jump on a plane and fly to Hot Springs so she can compete in the state cross country championships this afternoon at Oaklawn Park. It's the same feat she accomplished two years ago, except she ran cross country that morning and flew to Alma for dance competition.
"It's my senior year," Quandt said. "Last year, I was out all season for both dance and cross country with a knee injury, so I wanted to go back and participate in both of them so badly.
"The training has gone really well. In dance, we have a new coach, so that was kind of a change. She's doing great, and (Bentonville cross country coach Randy) Ramaker is great as always. I feel good going into both states."
Quandt's chance to compete in both events almost didn't happen. Bentonville's dance team was originally scheduled to compete in the afternoon session, meaning she would have to choose one or the other competitions and not both.
She wouldn't let this opportunity go that easily. Quandt became involved in a group email to the Arkansas Activities Association, school officials and coaches, hoping to get the dance time moved, and it finally happened in time.
"I think it's great," Ramaker said. "I think it's a AAA messup to begin with that there are two state competitions on the same day. The Quandts are making it work for them.
"I'm just glad it all worked out. It was stressing her out quite a bit. For us, she's one of our better runners, so obviously it's better to have her running for us than not. This is a testament of a child who wants to do both."
Quandt will be on a tight schedule today and hopes everything falls into place, with not much room for error. She and her Bentonville dance teammates will have four different sessions, with the first one scheduled at 9:27 a.m. and the last one slated for 12:45 p.m.
Once that last dance is complete, she will leave Nettleton and make the short trip to Jonesboro Municipal Airport, then fly to Hot Springs. Another vehicle will pick her up at that airport, then take her to Oaklawn Park, where the Class 7A girls race is set to start at 3:45 p.m.
"It's worked out better that dance is in the morning," Quandt said. "If I would have to miss dance, we would definitely lose. It's a whole formation that's gone off. In cross country, an alternate can go in and run if I don't make it.
"It takes that stress away having dance first because I have to make sure the bun doesn't fall out and stuff like that, but mentally it will harder because cross country is a mental sport. It takes a lot more energy, so I'm kind of nervous because I'll be on legs all day. Ramaker just told me to go out there and give all I have."
Quandt, like many cross country runners in last week's 7A-West Conference meet, was tested by the above-average temperatures. She managed a fourth-place finish in that race, finishing in 20 minutes, 5.9 seconds and led Bentonville's girls to the conference title.
Now she hopes to have enough energy left to break the 19-minute barrier at Oaklawn Park, where the course isn't as steep as others and allows runners to have some good times.
"It wasn't any surprise to me that she would run well in cross country," Ramaker said. "She's a strong kid and a strong-willed kid. Mentally, she's very tough, and that's the ones you want on your team. She hates to lose.
"I don't know the physical fatigue that's associated with dancing. But knowing her, she's going to do her best in each thing. My guess is she's do absolutely fine in both."
Sports on 11/12/2016