Mary McKay

For the first time since 2007, Marian cross country won their District competition on Oct. 17. This win qualified the team for the state championship in Kearney on Oct. 25. The top seven runners along with three alternates competed at Districts and State. 

Freshmen Mabel Henningsen and Maya Freyer, juniors Niamh McGarry, Ava DeSmet and Maeve Wharton, and seniors Lucy Ambrose and Nora Coffey ran in Kearney with freshmen Caxtyn Johnson and Kendyll Tibke and sophomore Harper Cowles as the alternates.

Marian’s top runner, Henningsen, finished in fourth with a time of 19:05.7. The team placed fifth at State overall, one point behind Papillion-La Vista.

The Crusaders have won a total of seven state championships as a team including 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. They have also had five individual gold medalists in school history. The most recent winner was Stella Miner in 2020. 

With the coaching staff of Roger Wright, Greg Golka, Aleecia Cotton, Scot Rainbolt and a team of 51 girls, the group was young but successful.

Throughout the season, the runners improved drastically. “Many talented freshmen have been learning to figure out how to run long distances as we go,” Golka said. “[Older girls] are realizing they can push a little bit more during the race.”

On another note, seniors Lucy Ambrose, Evelyn Bullock, Nora Coffey, Cece Crotzer, Lucy Gerraughty, Maggie Lampert and Mackenzie Reidy finalized their Marian cross country career this season. “I grew closer with my teammates this year and was able to watch everyone get better and improve throughout the season,” Lampert said. 

“I would recommend underclassmen runners give everything they have in practice and in every meet,” Lampert said.

The team’s motto for the season, “Marian Cross Country Will Soar in 2024” came to reality after finishing first in Districts and fifth at State. In Golka’s words, “We are very, very happy with how the team has done.”