JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Ste. Genevieve defended its girls’ title, scoring 46 points behind five all-state performances.
Sophomore Taylor Werner led the way for Ste. Genevieve with her record-setting run of 17:31.30, breaking the new mark set by Eureka’s Hannah Long (17:46.82) roughly 30 minutes earlier.
“I don’t want to let my team down,” Werner said. “I feel like if I get my goals, they’re going to get that confidence going. Together we’re just unstoppable. It’s really cool.”
Behind Werner, all of the scoring Dragons took home all-state medals. Mia Jerman was fourth, Mallory Koller was seventh, Shelby Werner was 18th and Amy Huck was 25th. They are all sophomores except for Shelby, who is a senior. Remove Werner’s blistering time and the remaining Dragons had a 2-5 time spread of 60 seconds.
Ste. Genevieve coach Brian Jett said he is often amazed at what these girls continue to accomplish, and because he knows the talented squad he’s been gifted, he also questions how much of a role he plays in their successes.
“The unity these girls have shown all season – the camaraderie, the chemistry – has really made it special,” Jett said. “We don’t have very many kids, but they’re all great contributors. I just feel blessed to be a part of it.
“I haven’t seen much fear or nerves. They believe in themselves, they believe in their teammates, they believe in their training, and when it’s time to get it done, they’ve been able to do it.”