KEARNEY, Neb. — Millard West’s girls and Kearney’s boys fulfilled their No. 1 rankings in winning Class A team titles, but the individual winners Friday were less predictable.
Lincoln North Star freshman Jeralyn Poe beat Millard West’s Sidney Hirsch for the girls crown — with a time of 14:38.5 that held up for the all-class gold medal — after finishing third to her at the UNK Invitational state preview meet on the Kearney Country Club course.
Boys winner Isaac Allen of Lincoln East was much more of a stretch, and he was the first to admit as much, after the senior won his first race in his final high school meet.
“I don’t know how this happened,’’ said Allen, whose time also was good for the boys gold medal.
Hirsch and freshman Shae Spady gave Millard West a 2-3 finish as the Wildcats won their first state title in girls cross country. Barely.
They nipped Lincoln East by a point, 64-65 in Class A’s run seven-count five scoring, with Kearney only five more points behind. East had a 4-6 finish with freshman Alexis Altmaier and senior Sarah Dweikat.
Millard West senior Kristine Osbourne was 11th. The other Wildcat runners were Jessica Drelicharz, Emma Dubas, Emma Frerichs and Carrie Olson.
Poe said she learned some lessons from her first meet on the course.
“I learned not to sprint up that big hill and not to take the lead right away,’’ she said. “(Hirsch) tried to come up on me a couple times.
“This has been my goal since seventh grade.”
Allen said he went for the lead in the final 2,000 meters.
“I knew I had to go there, but thought they’d catch me,’’ he said. “I didn’t care if I died. And I didn’t die.”
He finished almost 13 seconds ahead of defending champion Jacob Olson of Kearney.
Olson was one of three Bearcats in the top 15. Nolan Zimmer, last year’s runner-up, was fifth and Timothy Smith ninth.
They easily won the school’s first title since 2003, finishing with 41 points, with 88 for defending team champion Fremont.
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