Sophomore Mary McKenzie raced to the lead early and never looked back. A 3-second lead before the 800-meter mark turned into 19 seconds at 1.15 miles or 1860 meters.
She cruised down the home stretch and in the final 30 meters, high-pitched screams for her pierced the air at the grassy field finish stretch. McKenzie crossed the finish line in 11:40 for her first cross-country race win before a big smile appeared across her face. She finished with a 41-second margin of victory.
Westminster Christian senior Lydia Bailey crossed the tape next with her long, blonde, curly hair bouncing behind her. She clocked in at 12.21.
A year after Sullivan senior Emily Willman earned the victory at Fleet Feet, Sullivan freshman Mariah Denney provided an equally impressive effort in her first high school cross-country race. Denney placed third with a strong finish. Denney was 6th with 550 meters remaining before moving to 3rd and nearly catching runner-up Bailey as she flew across the finish in 12:22.
Cor Jesu's #2 Maria Luna placed 4th in 12:25.8, holding off Lutheran St. Charles' Madalyn Mahoney who was 5th in 12:26.6.
