BRIDGETTE DOUCET, CANYON DEL ORO
What she did: Two years removed from finishing as the girls Division II state runner-up, Doucet won the championship in 18 minutes 7 seconds, finishing 36 seconds ahead of anyone else. Making her season even more impressive is the fact that the CDO senior did not run cross country as a junior because of health reasons.
Top performance: Doucet ran a career-best 5K at the Desert Twilight Invitational when she placed third in 16:55.95. She was one of just three girls to run a sub-17 time.
What’s next: Doucet is signed to run cross country and track at Lipscomb University. She will also be one of the top athletes to watch on the track in the spring. She finished second in both the girls 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs last spring.
Runner-up: Allie Schadler, Rio Rico. The sophomore two-time champion was named the Star’s girls cross country runner of the year last season and had a strong case to earn the honor again this fall. However, Doucet had a faster time at the state meet by seven seconds and beat Schadler at both the Desert Twilight and Rattler invitationals.
