Trinity boys take KHSAA cross-country state championship team title for 3A; 2A, A results

LEXINGTON — Trinity boys runners had their eyes on the Class 3A state cross-country team title Saturday after finishing 11th last year.

Mission accomplished.

The Shamrocks, who were paced by Eli Oetken’s fifth-place finish, tallied 95 points to take the team crown at Kentucky Horse Park. Cooper placed second.

“Our motto this season was the comeback,” said Oetken, who finished the 5K in 15 minutes, 45.07 seconds. “This season we were saying we’re still 11th no matter what. We were a little bit of the favorites, but we were always 11th. This whole season we were 11th, and now we just got No. 1, and it feels amazing.”

Lafayette’s James Ndayishimiye won the individual title.

Ndayishimiye, who finished in 15:27.38, broke away from the group and won going away. He was followed by North Oldham’s Adam Patel (15:32.37).

Woodford County’s Addison Moore won the 3A girls race in 18:12.41. Assumption’s Reagan Gilmore finished third in 18:18.59. Assumption had two other top-10 finishers: Julia Schmitt (eighth in 18:53.45) and Leah Penick (ninth in 19:01.22).

Manual’s Bailee Montgomery finished sixth in 18:37.12.

Boys Class 3A

Girls Class 3A

Thomas Nelson runners take Class 2A state titles

Class 2A cross-country runs through Thomas Nelson.

Riku Sugie (15:40.02) and Baili Hoten (19:03.35) won their respective 5Ks Saturday at the state cross-country championships.

Covington Catholic earned the team title with 62 points.

Sugie’s second consecutive state title — and first at Kentucky Horse Park — was redemption for him. He last raced at the course when he was in seventh grade. Struggling with an injury then, he wasn’t able to perform at his peak.

Sugie finished ahead of last year's Class 3A state champion, Covington Catholic’s Will Sheets (16:10.97), who placed third Saturday. John Hardin’s Brendan Nagle was second in 15:52.57.

The race concluded a roller-coaster season for Sheets, who battled a hip injury.

Sheets, who sat out the last six weeks to heal, said he looks to reestablish his “deep connection with running” at upcoming national postseason events.

“I’m not there yet, but I’m getting there,” Sheets said. “That’s my goal for the next few weeks. It needs to be running and me, nothing in between.”

Boys Class 2A

Girls Class 2A

Nathan Ruth edges Louisville Collegiate’s Roman Sierpina to take Class A title

Louisville Collegiate’s Roman Sierpina was neck and neck with eventual Class A state champion Nathan Ruth, who won the 5K in 16:04.20, until the final 300.

Sierpina finished second in 16:12.60.

Ruth’s final kick gave him enough separation to take the title.

“From the beginning, I tried to keep it controlled all the way up until mile 2,” Sierpina said. “I tried to stick with Nathan; try as long as you can.”

Ruth’s finish helped Bishop Brossart (124 points) earn the Class A team title for the 10th time in program history.

Seventh grader Emmie Underwood of Fort Campbell won the girls Class A crown in 19:11.35. Beechwood’s Lily Parke (19:27.35) and Nora Wilke (20:20.29) finished second and third, respectively.

After finishing as runner-up in the previous two Class A state meets, Kennedy Moughamian (20:21.15) finished fourth Saturday.

Moughamian’s finish helped secure Lexington Christian’s runner-up spot in Class A.

Boys Class A

Girls Class A

Reach sports reporter Brooks Warren at bwarren@gannett.com and follow him on X at @Broookksss.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA cross country state meet results: Trinity boys win 3A team title