Salpointe Catholic captured the Division III girls state cross country championship on Saturday, while two of Southern Arizona's top distance runners — Rio Rico's Samantha Schadler and Cienega's Ayden Schilb — took home individual honors at Cave Creek Golf Course.
Salpointe's 66 points were more than enough to capture the team title, with Prescott (129 points) second and Ganado (145 points) third.
STATE CHAMPIONS!! The Salpointe Girls Cross Country Team won the Division III State Championship today in Phoenix! Way to go, Ladies! We are so proud! 🏆🥇👏 pic.twitter.com/wabrRssrXf
— SalpointeCatholicHS (@SalpointeLancer) November 10, 2018
Schadler, a Rio Rico senior bound for Duke, took the Division III individual crown in a time of 18 minutes 1 second. The win marked Schadler's second in a row, and the sixth straight win by a member of her family. Schadler's sister Allie won four years in a row between 2013-16.
Samantha Schadler leads Alisia Holiday up the mid-race hill in the D3 Girls race #AIAStateChamps pic.twitter.com/2YPZEBs3Yo
— Arizona MileSplit (@MileSplitAZ) November 10, 2018
Salpointe's Zoey Delgado finished third with a time of 18:55, with teammate Lexi Lambert trailing with a time of 20:21. Salpointe's Laurel Feoehlich posted a time of 20:23, with Tayler Thomas (20:43), Katie Kelly (21:14), Anaelle DuPont (21:41) and Anna Summer (22:28) following her.
On the boys' side, Schilb took home the Division II title with a time of 16:07. He finished four seconds ahead of Peoria Sunrise Mountain's Braedon Palmer, and five seconds ahead of Marana's Kyle Partin.
Ayden Schilb clinches the W in the D2 Boys race with 16:07! #AIAStateChamps pic.twitter.com/VwKHQwgz6K
— Arizona MileSplit (@MileSplitAZ) November 10, 2018
"The third mile everyone started going for it," Schilb told AzPreps365.com. "With about a half-mile left I started pushing the pace and then just tried to hold on for the last 400 meters."
