Lady Eagles land in top 5 of 2A state meet
![HENNESSEY’S Tayler Franklin, left, made up several places down the stretch of the Class 2A state cross country meet to finish 36th out of 135 competitors. [KT&FP Staff Photo]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/ec3e635588_Ar00603010.jpg?itok=45XC3IfB "HENNESSEY’S Tayler Franklin, left, made up several places down the stretch of the Class 2A state cross country meet to finish 36th out of 135 competitors. [KT&FP Staff Photo]")
HENNESSEY’S Tayler Franklin, left, made up several places down the stretch of the Class 2A state cross country meet to finish 36th out of 135 competitors. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
Cheyenne Baxter was hoping for a top-five finish.
And she got it. The Hennessey cross country coach watched Saturday as her Lady Eagles ran to fifth place in the Class 2A state cross country meet at Edmond Santa Fe.
Hennessey entered the meet ranked sixth in the state, but Baxter set a goal of landing at least one spot better in the final race of the season.
“We had a great day on Saturday,” she said. “I am very proud of how we raced. Everyone ran a smart race and did their job.”
The Lady Eagles scored 169 points in the meet.
Hooker won its fourth consecutive state title, but it wasn’t easy. The second-ranked Lady Bulldogs scored 39 points, edging topranked Regent Prep by just one point.
Watonga placed third with 137. The Lady Eagles’ Reese Coleman was the individual state champ.
Oklahoma Union took fourth place with 148.
Emma Copeland raced her to the medal stand.
The Lady Eagle junior placed 13th out of 135 total runners, finishing the two-mile course in 12:53.80.
Her finish earned her all-star status as the top 10 racers pick up All-State while those in 1115 are all-stars.
Copeland trailed Comanche’s Brilee Combs coming down the stretch, but chased her down in the race’s final 25 meters.
“Emma ran a competitive race and showed a lot of grit,” said Baxter.
Her finish was good for 10th among runners scoring points for their teams.
Jocelyn Matousek placed 22nd (17th) in 13:19.62 and Tayler Franklin was 36th (30th) in 13:54.88.
Freshman JoHanna Matousek placed 72nd (47th) while running a personal-best 14:47.24.
“She has really impressed me the last two weeks at the regional and state,” Baxter said.
Star Torres rounded out Hennessey’s scoring as she was 98th (65th) in 15:26.40. Marisol Valles and Kate Curran also competed for Hennessey, which was competing at state for a fifth straight year.
Two Eagles competed in the 2A boys state race.
Seth Sims placed 80th and Asher Ward 103rd.
Sims completed the 5K race in 20:47.67 and Ward in 21:53.82.
••• Addison McCracken placed 46th overall as Cashion’s lone qualifier.
The senior ran the course in 14:11.15.
Luke Baustert placed 23rd for Cashion in the 2A boys race.
He ran the course in 18:19.73.