Six points.
That was the margin between the top three teams in Saturday’s Class 3A, Region 5 cross country meet at Williamstown High School. Ryle defended its title over Notre Dame, 60-64, and Campbell County was third with 66.
“We expected it to be very close, but we did not expect us to be up in the top,” Ryle coach Shawn Proffitt said. “We expected a second or a third.”
The backs of the Ryle girls warmup shirts bore the slogan, “Let the only negative in your life be your splits.” The Raiders had nothing but positives – senior Allie Kopser covered the 5K (3.1 miles) in 18 minutes, 54.60 seconds – her first regional win since she was an eighth-grader – Isabelle Morin was sixth in 20:04.15, Julie Morin was eighth in 20:35.51, Jaz Bartlett was 20th in 21.29.22, Aubrey Poore was 25th in 21:56.92.
Campbell County’s Olivia Holbrook was second in 19:37.64, and Camel teammate Lila Dunlevy was third in 19:37.96.
“Me and Olivia are actually like best friends,” Kopser said. “We go to colleges together and a lot of things.”
Kopser, who committed to Ohio State on Friday, and Holbrook dueled for about a mile and a half. Then, Kopser split.
“We were kind of chillin’ in the first mile, and then we would race each other,” Kopser said. “I felt good, so surged up a hill …”
Holbrook has changed her training regimen a little – more six-minute-per-mile tempo runs and hill work.
“We did some hill work in the beginning of the season and then less at the end,” Holbrook said.
Notre Dame’s Maggie Durrett (Pandas coach Joe Durrett’s daughter) was fourth in 19:58.45, and Cooper’s Alexandra Rooney was fifth in 19:58.84.
“These three teams were amazing,” Joe Durrett said. “We were seeded third going into the race.”
Conner and Scott will also send teams to next Saturday’s state meet at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Cougars finished fourth with 97 points, and Scott was fifth with 103.
Five runners not on qualifying teams made it to state: Rooney, Faith Foote and Tessa Courtney of Cooper, and Liza and Georgia Zengel of Highlands.
The girls race starts at 10 a.m., followed by the boys at 10:45 a.m.
Jaguars take boys title
Like Ryle’s girls, Cooper won its second straight team title. The Jaguars defeated Conner, 47-68.
Cooper coach Eric Van Laningham said winning again was special because three runners from last year graduated.
“I think last year the region was a little tougher, our team included,” Van Laningham said. “It’s always tough in Northern Kentucky.”
Individually, Cooper junior Paul Van Laningham (Eric and Michele Van Laningham’s son) beat Grant County senior Lincoln Herald by nearly 17 seconds. Campbell County’s Jonathan Christopher was third, Conner’s Nathan Hooper was fourth, and Campbell County’s Grant Holbrook was fifth.
Van Laningham received more than a gold medal. The race starter gave him a shell casing for winning his first individual regional victory.
“I’ve got five of them from when I was in elementary school,” Van Laningham said. “But this one’s the best one for sure. This is the hardest race I’ve ever won.”
Paul Van Laningham and Herald stayed together for about two miles.
“There’s so many turns – one person on the inside, one person on the outside, every turn,” Van Laningham said. “… We were just kind of running side-by-side, tuck in on the turns sometimes and get back together on the hills.”
Van Laningham thought he was ahead to stay when he couldn’t hear Herald – someone told him Herald was about 10 meters behind.
Campbell County finished third with 76 points, Dixie Heights was fourth with 118, and Ryle placed fifth with 139. All five teams advance to state.
Individual qualifiers were: Herald, Isaiah Laughlin and Carson Gollar of Simon Kenton, and Brady Robinson and Jacob Gubser of Highlands.
Visit ky.milesplit.com for complete results (bit.ly/3UqGfDU).