By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Northern Kentucky cross country runners and teams won six of the 12 championship trophies awarded during the two-day state meet that concluded Saturday at Bourbon County.
After Scott junior Maddie Strong won the Class 2A girls race on Friday, three teams and two runners from local high schools claimed first-place trophies in the Class 1A and Class 3A races on Saturday.
The other winning runners were St. Henry senior Dixon Ryan in Class 1A boys and Covington Catholic sophomore Will Sheets in Class 3A boys. Sheets is the first local runner to finish first in the large school boys meet since 1990.
The local teams that won championship trophies on Saturday were Beechwood in Class 1A girls, St. Henry in Class 1A boys and Conner in Class 3A boys. It was the first state title for the Beechwood girls. The St. Henry and Conner boys teams repeated as state champions.
Northern Kentucky teams have won 20 of the last 26 Class 1A girls state championships with St. Henry, Brossart, Walton-Verona, Ludlow and now Beechwood taking first-place trophies during that span.
On Saturday, Beechwood posted a team score of 65 points and Lexington Christian was runner-up with 76. The leader of the pack for the Tigers was sophomore Lily Parke, who placed second. The team’s other scoring runners were Isabel Ginter (10th), Charli Gerrein (12th), Nora Wilke (19th) and Annie Harris (22nd).
St. Henry topped the Class 1A boys team standings with 53 points and Villa Madonna placed second with 103. Ryan’s winning time was 16:03. The next four finishers for the Crusaders were Lake Durrell (fourth), Jeff Stewart (11th), Jack Goodwin (15th) and Tyler Goetz (27th).
The top two teams in the Class 3A boys meet were Conner with 73 points and Louisville St. Xavier with 154. The five finishers for Conner were George Johnson (fifth), Drew Moore (ninth), Joey Carroll (10th), Nathan Hopper (13th) and Warren Johnson (46th).
Sheets became CovCath’s first individual state champion in cross country with a winning time of 15:28, which was the fastest recorded by any runner in this year’s state meet and set a course record. He led the Colonels to a third-place trophy in Class 3A.
Brossart junior Nathan Ruth placed second in the Class 1A boys race. The local third place finishers were Brossart senior Amy Klocke in Class 1A girls and Ryle junior Tiger Bartlett in Class 3A boys.
Here are the top 15 times recorded by local boys and girls who competed in three classes at the two-day state meet:
BOYS TOP 15 TIMES
Will Sheets (CovCath) 15:28, Tiger Bartlett (Ryle) 15:44, George Johnson (Conner) 15:52, Drew Moore (Conner) 16:02, Dixon Ryan (St. Henry) 16:03, Joey Carroll (Conner) 16:03, Nathan Hopper (Conner) 16:12, Nathan Ruth (Brossart) 16:18, Jonathan Christopher (Campbell County) 16:18, Lake Durrett (St. Henry) 16:33, Mitchel Drees (CovCath) 16:33, Armando Montes (Dixie Heights) 16:39, Wyatt Sunday (Holy Cross) 16:44, Ethan Martin (Villa Madonna) 16:48, Jeff Stewart (St. Henry) 16:49.
GIRLS TOP 15 TIMES
Maddie Strong (Scott) 18:41, Allison Kopser (Ryle) 19:01, Olivia Holbrook (Campbell County) 19:07, Isabella Gay (Conner) 19:27, Lily Parke (Beechwood) 19:29, Amy Klocke (Brossart) 19:36, Ansley Lindloff (Scott) 20:03, Alexandra Rooney (Cooper) 20:07, Stella Carpenter (Ryle) 20:23, Isabel Ginter (Beechwood) 20:28, Emilie Zengel (Campbell County) 20:31, Charli Gerrein (Beechwood) 20:32, Hope Tignor (Dixie Heights) 20:33, Ella Taylor (Highlands) 20:33, Grace Klim (Scott) 20:49,