The Fillies brought home a state title after battling it out against other top teams in 4A at the Cross Country State Meet in Cheyenne. Natrona had three girls place in the top seven and the Fillies finished five points above the next best team.
Junior Ally Wheeler came in just behind the top finisher at 18:58.36. Junior Ashley Gross placed third with a time of 19:19.62 and junior Nicole Clark placed seventh at 19:52.86. Lexie Ransom placed 17th, finishing at 20:32.63. Senior Reese Ostrander placed 21st with a time of 20:45.55.
“I don’t think our win was very expected, but the team and I are very ecstatic. Our determination and hard work really paid off,” stated team captain Ashley Gross.
Head Coach Becky Sondag was pleased with not only the determination she saw in her team, but with how they worked together. In cross country, championships often boil down to a ‘survival of the fittest’ scenario, and according to Coach Sondag, they had something in particular that the other teams did not.
“I am really proud of the hard work that the kids put in to achieve a championship. It was a total team effort, and everybody did their part. Other things that I think really set the team apart from other teams is, in general, is how they treat each other and how they work together,” said Sondag.
“It’s amazing to not only go to state, but compete and win with incredible teammates surrounding you. It took a lot of work, but we made it,” said runner Brynn McCarthy.
