The Milford boys’ cross country team came into the state meet confident, Coach Michele Kontor said.
“I said we could run very well and get one through four,” she said. “They said, ‘Coach, we’re going to win.’”
And win they did. Milford beat second-place Sidney by 12 points to take the Class C state championship trophy. Junior Elliott Reitz led the way, finishing 11th with the same time he ran last year – 17:05.5.
Carter Roth was 25th, Hudson Mullet 42nd, Maddox Baack 48th, Ben Copley 73rd and Collin Piening 74th.
“All six pushed each other,” Kontor said. “The kids ran phenomenal. They strategized all week and knew who they needed to knock off. It’s my job to tell them where they are.”
Roth ran an overall personal best time, as did Copley in his final race as an Eagle.
The Eagles were able to beat Lincoln Christian for the first time this season, and that was huge, Kontor said.
“At state, anything can happen,” she said. “They were confident and focused. They set goals and worked hard. I’m so very happy for them.”
One of the hallmarks of this year’s group has been its team mentality, the coach said. The individual places didn’t matter, just as long as the team succeeded.
In the girls’ race, senior Abbie McGuire finished her high school career with a career best time of 20:15.8 and an eighth-place medal.
Kontor said at the beginning of the year, when the team was setting goals, McGuire’s goal was to help the team get back to state. Kontor told her she was in a good position to medal at state herself.
“She said, ‘That’s the plan,’” Kontor said.
Seniors Mattie Mullet and Alayna Piening also finished their careers at state, placing 43rd and 59th, respectively. Eliza McGuire was 74th, Victoria Mink 90th and Rachel Shively 105th.
The team was ninth in Class C.
