By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Villa Madonna boys cross country team made history Saturday when it placed first in the Class 1A state meet at Kentucky Horse Park. It was the first state championship won by a boys team at the Catholic high school since it became co-ed in 1988.
Villa Madonna’s winning team total was 108 points and St. Henry placed second with 173. The Vikings placed second in the Class 1A state meet the last three years.
Villa Madonna’s top five finishers, excluding individual state qualifiers, were senior Mark Antrobus (ninth), junior Brendan Ramdass (12th), senior Ethan Martin (15th), junior Alex Chadwick (23rd) and senior Ethan Barker (49th).
Covington Catholic won the Class 2A boys state championship trophy for the second consecutive year.
Beechwood tied for first place in the Class 1A girls team standings, but Lexington Christian won the tiebreaker based on where each team’s sixth runner placed.
CovCath’s team leaders were senior Will Sheets and junior Joe Meyer, who placed second and third in the Class 2A boys meet. The Colonels’ other top finishers, excluding individual state qualifiers, were sophomore Luke McLane (eighth), junior Jackson Germann (18th) and sophomore Bradon Franxman (20th).
Local runners who won individual state titles were Cooper junior Paul Van Laningham (15:19) in Class 3A boys and Beechwood junior Lily Parke (19:01) in Class 1A girls.
Van Laningham’s parents, Eric and Michelle, were Class 3A state champions when they were students at Boone County in the 1980s. Parke is the first Beechwood girl to win an individual state title in cross country.
Van Laningham posted the fastest time among Northern Kentucky boys state qualifiers in all three classes. The fastest girls time was 18:42 by Ryle senior Allison Kopser, who placed sixth in her final Class 3A girls state meet.
TOP 10 TIMES BY LOCAL RUNNERS IN STATE MEET
BOYS — Paul Van Laningham (Cooper) 15:19, Will Sheets (CovCath) 15:42, Nathan Hopper (Conner) 15:52, Joe Mayer (CovCath) 16:01, Jonathan Christopher (Campbell County) 16:09, Grant Holbrook (Campbell County) 16:35, Grayson Parker (Cooper) 16:37, Luke McLane (CovCath) 16:38, Ethan Mann (Conner) 16:53, Ryan Richards (Cooper) 16:54.
GIRLS — Allison Kopser (Ryle) 18:42, Olivia Holbrook (Campbell County) 18:59, Lily Parke (Beechwood) 19:01, Alexandra Rooney (Cooper) 19:12, Aidan Christopher (Campbell County) 20:04, Abigail Carnes (Notre Dame) 20:16, Katherine McKee (Campbell County) 20:16, Isabelle Morin (Ryle) 20:21, Maggie Durrett (Notre Dame) 20:23, Faith Foote (Cooper) 20:26.
STATE MEET RESULTS POSTED ON KHSAA WEBSITE
Class 1A boys
Class 1A girls
Class 2A boys
Class 2A girls
Class 3A boys
Class 3A girls