By Lee Davis
One of Alabama’s most enduring high school dynasties added another trophy to its already-impressive list of accomplishments last weekend and two younger powerhouses added some hardware as well.
The Mountain Brook girls cross-country team earned its 13th consecutive state title at Oakville Indian Mound Park. The Lady Spartans totaled 43 points to easily outdistance runner-up Hoover’s 79-point total in claiming the Class 7A crown. Spain Park was third with 92 points.
Mountain Brook’s Frances Patrick took first-place individual honors by completing the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:18.78. Her teammates Anna Grace Morgan and Nicole Payne finished fifth and sixth. Hoover’s Sidney Steely was seventh and Spain Park’s Sara Sim McGrath was ninth.
“It feels amazing to win both the individual and team championship,” said Patrick, a senior. “My time was a personal best, so that makes winning even sweeter.”
Patrick said she felt a special spark for her final state cross-country meet. “The event always brings a lot of adrenaline,” she said. “Everyone runs with a little more passion than if it was just an ordinary meet. We had a lot to get done, and I didn’t want to leave any energy behind.”
Another highlight for Patrick was what didn’t happen during the race. “I didn’t see any snakes,” she said, laughing. “And that was a good thing. I didn’t see any wildlife at all.”
In Class 7A boys competition, the Spartans totaled 54 points to finish second behind champion Auburn’s 46 total. Hoover was third with 89 points and Oak Mountain was fourth with 102 points.
Two budding dynasties from this area dominated the Class 6A ranks.
In Class 6A girls, John Carroll Catholic earned 55 points to easily claim its second consecutive title. Scottsboro was second with 87 points and Homewood third with 131.
The Lady Cavs’ Lauren Granier finished third, while her younger sister Lindsey was fourth. Bella Restrepo and Isabel Reaves finished eighth and ninth for John Carroll, respectively.
The news was just as good for the Homewood boys in Class 6A, as the Patriots claimed their third title in a row. Homewood scored 32 points to overwhelm runner-up Opelika’s second-place total. The Patriot foursome of Hunter Poole, Will Stone, Andy Smith and Sean Conroy sparked the victory, as each finished in the top 10. Poole finished third, Stone took fourth place, Smith came in fifth and Conroy brought in an eighth-place finish.
In Class 1A-2A girls action, Westminster-Oak Mountain finished second with 49 points, falling just one point shy of champion St. Bernard’s 48 score. The Altamont School finished sixth with 168 points.
Westminster’s Maddie Hoaglund finished fourth, and teammate Sarah Kate Lipperd was fifth. Altamont’s Mary Allen Murray was seventh, and Westminster’s Camryn Neal was tenth.
In Class 1A-2A boys action, Shades Mountain Christian’s Dylan Pausic won the individual championship with a time of 16:20.40. Westminster-Oak Mountain finished fifth in the team competition and Altamont brought home sixth place.
