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Ridgway girls cross country team nabs state title
The Ridgway High School girls’ cross country team is bringing a state title back to the San Juans.
The six-person team won the Class 2A state title Saturday afternoon in Colorado Springs, capping a terrific season for a young team that won several regular season meets throughout the fall.
The team — made up of sophomores Natasha and Ariel Hessler; sophomore Emery Cornell and her sister, Macey, a freshman; freshman Marin Emilson; and senior Sophia Scranton — finished first with 38 points, well ahead of second-place finisher Lake County High School, which had 77 points. Denver Christian High School finished third with 88 points.
The Ridgway High School girls’ cross country team poses with the state championship trophy after winning the Class 2A state title Saturday in Colorado Springs. Pictured from left to right are Emery Cornell, Marin Emilson, Ariel Hessler, Natasha Hessler, Sophia Scranton and Macey Cornell. Bobby Reyes – Special to the Plaindealer
Natasha Hessler won the 5K race with a time of 18 minutes, 49.2 seconds, more than five seconds ahead of Heritage Christian Academy junior Emma Lukens, who finished in 18:54.5.
Ariel Hessler, Natasha’s twin sister, finished fourth with a time of 19:10.5.
Macey and Emery Cornell finished 19th and 21st, respectively, with times of 20:24.2 and 20:26.3.
Emilson and Scranton finished 74th and 75th, respectively, with times of 22:43.7 and 22:45.8.
Look for a full story in next week’s Plaindealer, which will also include results from the combined Ouray-Silverton cross country team.
