McAuley wasn't the only first-time state champion in Class 1.
Dora took home its first title too, as the Falcons had a team score of 86 and an average time of 22:30 to win.
Photo: Alan Combs
Chadwick claimed the runner-up trophy with 93 points but had a faster 5k average time of 22:26 than winner Dora. Chadwick was buoyed by three finishers in the top 20.
The individual championship went to Calvary Lutheran's Sonya Brunner. The senior from the school in Jefferson City was 20th last year, running 21:29.40.
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Photo: Brandon Daniels
She improved her final year and was routinely in the 19s or 20s this season. She won the title on Friday at 19:43.40.
"On the home stretch, I was like, wait it says 19 [minutes], most of my runs are 20 [minutes] or a little bit like, longer. At 19, that's, I think, my PR, I'm pretty sure. So, I thought that it was a mistake and I was seeing things. And then I was like, OK, so if I have 19 [minutes], I'm just kind of sprinted out and see if I can keep it underneath."
She was sixth at the 1,000-meter marker and then moved up to second at the next checkpoint. By the third, she was in 1st and never trailed from there.
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Photo: Brandon Daniels
Brunner finished about 7 seconds ahead of runner-up Faith Clark of Mansfield.
"I was a little bit scared that we caught at the end, so I was like, I gotta make some decisions between now and then," Brunner said. "I have coaches that are always like, 'hurry keep going.'"
The field was pretty stout by looking at the top five.
In third place was Mya Wray, a former state champion from Platte Valley, a co-op between South Nodaway and Jefferson (Conception Junction). Liberal's Ally Barton was fourth and was a two-time track and field champion in May. In fifth, was Stoutland's Mallory Shaw, another former champion.
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Photo: Brandon Daniels
Dora had two all-state runners: sophomores Isabelle Martin (17th) and Haley Perkins (27th).
The Falcons had six runners -- four sophomores and two seniors -- at the meet. They locked up the school's first-ever trophy in the sport.
"My expectation was that these girls would run their very best race at this meet, and I think they accomplished that and did it so successfully," Dora coach Sheree Nold said. "It was such grace, such power, such togetherness, that I couldn't have asked for a better race, a better day and a better team of girls to do this race."
She said Chloe Barton and Kayden Jones provided the senior leadership that will be passed onto the underclassmen.
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Photo: Brandon Daniels
"I'll be honest, I was not stressed and I was a little kind of shocked by that," Perkins said. "I'm like, I should be stressing. I should be shaking. I felt so calm. I even told Ms. Nold. She said, 'That's perfect. That's amazing.' I was excited because I knew we had a chance of winning. We were ranked No. 1 or No. 2 for the longest time, for all season."
Chadwick got all-state showings from sophomore Macy Landry (seventh), sophomore Emily Landry (13th) and Raeleigh Little (19th). The Lady Cardinals were the Class 1 champions last year.
Photo: Alan Combs
Third place went to McAuley Catholic with 132 points. Sophomore Olivia Parrigon took 11th for the Warriors -- securing the school's first-ever trophy for the girls. Andy Youngworth's squad ran with only five runners all year, leaving no margin for a letdown.
Photo: Brandon Daniels
"I'm just really, really happy for the girls," Youngworth said. "I think the girls' trophy really took some pressure off the boys because they saw the girls competed well and what they did last week wasn't a fluke."
School of the Ozarks took home fourth, led by junior Ella Howard, who was 18th.
Photo: Marcey Combs
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