Defending MHSAA 3A state champion Emily Ireland of St. Andrew’s Episcopal led from wire to wire on Thursday in taking first place of the high school girl’s division at the Ole Brook Invitational Cross-Country Meet.

Ireland, already a state champion as an eighth-grader, freshman and junior, finished the 5K course at Hansel King Sports Complex in 20 minutes and 23 seconds.

St. Andrew’s, who finished as 3A runner up last season after winning a state championship in 2021, just edged out Brookhaven High in the team competition by gaining 28 points to the 30 points picked up by the Panthers.

Freshman Isabella Iles came in second overall to lead BHS with a time of 21:44. Other top ten finishers for BHS were junior Annabelle Summers (23:34) in fourth place, junior Natalie McKinney (24:10) in fifth place, junior Ella Thomson (24:35) in ninth place and junior Ariyana Graham (24:38) in tenth place.

Freshman Abby Slay posted a time of 27:01 for the Panthers as well.

There were 55 competitors in the varsity race.

Eighth-grader Eden Hall was the top finisher from Wesson with a time of 26:43 and she was closely followed by the top runner from West Lincoln, sophomore Chloe Sterling with a time of 26:44.

Other Wesson runners were sophomore Macy Loy (28:34), seventh-grader Kennedi Johnson (28:34), junior Ella Logan (30:05), eighth-grader Ally Selman (32:40), freshman Bentley Roberson (33:14), sophomore Alana Hux (34:44), seventh-grader Sarah Logan (35:18), seventh-grader Jayden Allen (35:24), seventh-grader Emory Britt (35:33), junior Mary Gwyn Hynum (36:32) and seventh-grader Anne Peets (39:01).

Other finishers for West Lincoln included sophomore Ryleigh Purdy (28:29), senior Alaina Mathis (28:57), junior Kylie Suchy (29:31), junior Anna McKenzie (32:52), sophomore Whitney Whittington (32:26), sophomore Kaleigh Davis (36:31), junior Anna Jones (39:26), freshman Paisley Smith (39:29) and freshman Lexi Furr (40:08).

Seventh-grader Rainee Martin of West Lincoln finished second overall in the Junior High 2-Mile run for girls. Eighth-grader Lucy Spicer (15:18) finished third overall for Brookhaven.

Other top 10 finishers running for BHS from Alexander Junior High were eighth-grader Brooklyn Lenior (17:10) in fifth place and eighth-grader Breelyn Smith (17:34) in seventh place. Eighth-grader Brooklyn Smith (21:00) also ran for Brookhaven in the race.

Additional runners for West Lincoln included eight-grader Louralye Torres (19:41), eighth-grader Gracie McCaffery (22:02), eighth-grader Kodi Arnold (22:19), eight-grader Peyton Burgess (22:33), eighth-grader Elizabeth Vanderslice and eighth-grader Alana Skates (23:51).