Hallettsville-Sacred Heart freshman Caroline Lemonds placed first in the two-mile girls varsity run at Monday's TAPPS 2A State Cross Country Championships. The race was held at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco. Lemonds finished in a top time of 13:38.3. Second Baptist freshman McKinley Rocco was second at 13:43. The Sacred Heart girls team placed third overall with a score of 67. Freshman Emi Pohl was 12th, and junior Catherine Lemonds, Caroline's older sister, was 16th.
Sacred Heart head coach Jennifer Loudon praised the team's effort. "Their grit and dedication is unmatched," she said. Shiner-St. Paul was the overall winner with 40 points, followed by Victory Christian Academy.
In the TAPPS 5A boys competition, Victoria-area St. Joseph's freshman Blaine McKamey took seventh place in the varsity 5000-meter race at 17:25.4. According to the report, he became the first Flyers cross country state medalist in five years. The St. Joseph's boys team placed 18th of 25 teams with a score of 434. Fort Worth Christian sophomore Kollin Green was the top runner at 16:30.1.