If only her legs were a little longer, Meghan Bass might already be a state champion.

The Crosbyton sophomore, who playfully insists she’s a half-inch taller than 4-foot-11, is still one of the best long-distance runners in Texas. She finished as the state runner-up last spring in both the mile and two-mile races, and she took third place at last year’s state cross country meet.

Crosbyton's Meghan Bass goes through a workout on Thursday. Bass, a sophomore will compete this weekend at the UIL state cross country meet in Round Rock. (Merissa Ferguson/Avalanche-Journal)

Bass is still in search of that elusive title as she prepares for this year’s UIL Cross Country State Championships, which will be held Saturday at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, but it’s unlikely her stride will lengthen by then.

“We kid her about that all the time,” Crosbyton head coach Trent Van Meter said after Bass finished second at the Lubbock Invitational in September. “If she just had longer legs, I don’t think anybody could keep up with her.”

Bass isn’t feeling sorry for herself, even though one step by her opponents usually equates to two steps for her. She said there are advantages to being one of the smallest runners in a race, including less wind resistance and a better ability to cope with heat, and she has some other qualities that more than make up for her stature.

Van Meter said Bass can start a race as fast as anybody; he described her as “tough as nails.” Bass also is a point guard for the Crosbyton basketball team, and Van Meter said she never hesitates to “muscle up” to post players or dive to the floor for a loose ball.

The daughter of Crosbyton boys basketball coach Todd Bass also has a tireless work ethic and is fiercely competitive.

“Mind over matter,” Van Meter said. “Mentally she’s so tough, she blocks that pain out and focuses and doesn’t realize she’s hurting until after the race is over. And she’s a competitor. You could probably go out and play tiddlywinks with her, and she would die trying to win. It doesn’t matter what it is, she doesn’t like to lose at all.”

Bass is just as impressive in non-athletic endeavors. She ranks first in her class, having made all As and only one B during the last five years, and her project as part of the Business Professionals of America last year was awarded as the national champion.

She also tends to be the life of a party, whether she’s performing skits at football pep rallies, leading a team dance before a meet or cracking jokes.

“She is hilarious,” Van Meter said. “She’s engaging and kind of brings that out of people.”

Perhaps Bass’s best attribute, the one that never ceases to amaze her coach, is her selflessness. After Crosbyton finished fourth at last week’s Region I-1A meet, narrowly missing a state berth as a team, Van Meter said Bass was more upset than the rest of the Chiefettes, even though her trip to Round Rock was secured.

She also waits at the finish line after races and greets nearly every runner as they cross, offering congratulations, words of encouragement or a handshake. Bass said she’s done that since she began running cross country as a fifth grader, just because it seemed like the right thing to do.

“Cross country is a tough sport, and any girl that’s out there should be congratulated on just being out there and running her heart out,” she said. “Some girls have a surprised looked on their face and are like, ‘What’s she doing?’ Others really appreciate me telling them good job. That might be the only good thing they hear all year.”

As a result of her good will, infectious personality and ability as a runner, Bass has captured the hearts of those in the Crosbyton community. Van Meter said custom T-shirts were made last year when Bass qualified for the state meet as a freshman, and today there will be a “big sendoff” as she embarks on another journey to Round Rock.

Bass said her goal is to bring home a gold medal, and she’d be more than willing to share it.

“It would mean a lot, because our town’s small,” she said. “Everyone tells me good luck and everything, and they’re all listening in by the radio and by the phones to see how I did. Once I tell one person, when I text them, everyone knows.

“It’d just be great. The whole community would be excited.”

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