Before he could so much as look at any one of his girls cross country runners, East coach Michael Draut had to escape the euphoria for a moment.

“It’s been a long time since I actually had to sit down and cry a little bit,” Draut said.

Performances like the one the Blue Aces delivered Saturday afternoon at a Class 6A regional don’t come along often, and Draut, a long-time coach, knew the significance of East edging Dodge City by a single point to win the regional championship.

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