Montgomery Academy's boys and girls cross country teams win state titles

Montgomery Academy’s girls and boys cross country teams won the 3A state championship over the weekend in Moulton. (Contributed)

By TIM GAYLE

The Montgomery Academy boys and girls cross country teams brought back state championships, winning the 3A division in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state cross country meet at Oakville Indian Mounds in Moulton on Saturday.

 The Montgomery Academy boys won their fourth cross country state championship and first since 2014 by edging St. Luke’s Episcopal. MA was first with 56 points, followed by St. Luke’s (58), Alabama School CTE (131), J.B. Pennington (146) and Madison Academy (166). 

Vinemont senior Brady Johnson led the 154-player field in 3A with a time of 15:51.42. Trinity freshman Ben Wilson placed fifth with a time of 16:53.86.

Competing for the Montgomery Academy boys were Ian Farley, Bo Johnston, Jack Obenhaus, Stephen McLemore, Clive Oborn, Colin Whitley, Connor Crook, Ruston Wood, Hayden Doan and Andrew Arnett. Finishing in the top 15 and earning all-state recognition were Farley (6th place), Johnston (9th) and Obenhaus (14th).

The Montgomery Academy girls won their eighth cross country championship, repeating as state champions with a dominating performance on Saturday. Montgomery Academy finished with 30 points, followed by St. Luke’s Episcopal (84), St. James (99), Colbert Heights (129) and Lee-Scott Academy (140).

St. James senior Elley Goff led the 133-player field with a time of 19:28.07, becoming only the second Trojan cross country runner to win the individual girls’ championship. Presley Miles won the title in 2018, 2019 and 2020.  

Goff finished ahead of her freshman teammate, Molly Phillips, who clocked a time of 19:51.06. Finishing behind the two were a trio of Montgomery Academy runners -- junior Elle Ingram (19:58.07) and sophomores Isabella Arnett (20:13.79) and Livia Dwyer (20:20.19).

Competing for the Montgomery Academy girls, in addition to the trio that finished in the top five, were Vivian Oborn, Lucy Hubbard, Vivian Locascio, Bea Farley, Mary Surhea White and Alyssa Kaplan. Finishing in the top 15 and earning all-state recognition were Ingram (3rd place), Arnett (4th), Dwyer (5th), Oborn (7th) and Hubbard (12th).  

The dual titles marked only the second time in school history the Eagles took home two state championship trophies. In 2013, both the boyts and girls won the Class 1A-2A championship.

In addition to Goff and Phillips, the St. James runners competing on Saturday included Aileen Mulligan, Natalie Barton, Keagan Cantrell, Bridget Shaffer, Lizzie Scarpate and Lily Jenkins.