High school cross-country: Millard squeaks out 5th consecutive boys state title, North Summit dominates for 4th consecutive girls title in 2A state meet

Rowland Hall freshman Brooke Greenberg showed out in the Region 17 championship and took the region crown while beating second place by nearly two minutes. Greenberg certainly was a threat for the individual championship at this years state meet, but she needed to beat Region 18 champion and last year’s state runner-up Kanab’s Kenidee Glazier.
Greenberg stayed close with Glazier for much of the race, but broke away in the latter half of the state meet and finished with a time of 18:11.48 to win an individual championship in her freshman year. Greenberg said racing alongside Glazier motivated her even more in Tuesday’s meet.
“I think it was really cool to have such a strong competitor with me the whole time because it can be challenging in a race if you’re out there by yourself,” Greenberg said. “So it’s really nice to have a really good runner, like (Glazier) running along with me the whole time.”
North Summit also had a strong state meet with four runners in the top 10 and seven runners finishing in the top 16 and won its fourth consecutive 2A girls state title. Chayden Sargent was the top runner for the Braves with a 19:33.62 finish. Isabelle Sargent was close behind in fifth with a 19:56.78 finish.
Tuesday’s state meet was cold and rainy, which we’re conditions that North Summit was perfectly fine with.
“We are from Coalville, it does get a little cold up there,” said North Summit head coach Dave Peck. “I’ve had practice a few times in the morning when the temperature was about 38 to 39 degrees, so I think that might have helped them a little bit to be able to come down here and feel a little comfortable running in this weather. It’s just a really good group and that’s what’s just really impressed me this year.”
For the boys, nobody had a better day than Millard’s Ben Ralphs. Ralphs finished with a time of 15:58.52 to win his second consecutive individual championship while also taking home the team championship. Ralphs said his coach had his team work on hills all season, which paid off in the hilly course in Sugar House Park.
“We’ve been working on hills a lot this season and up hills are tough, especially when you get to the top,” Ralphs said. “I focus on rolling over them and just flying down the hills on the other side.”
Ralphs improved on his time from last year’s state meet by 12 seconds to win his second individual title, joining his brother Michael Ralphs as a two-time individual champion.
“It feels great,” Ralphs said. “My brother won it his junior and senior year, so winning at my senior year is just keeping on the legacy.”
While Ralphs won the individual race by 10 seconds, the team race was much tighter with both Millard and North Sevier finishing with 77 points, meaning the tie breaker would go to the sixth runner.
Millard had James Ralph finish seventh, with the next closest runner being in a pack of four runners that finished between 24th and 27th. The Eagles’ sixth runner was a part of that pack, which was more than enough to push Millard over North Sevier for its fifth consecutive state title.
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Millard head coach Cody Moat. “They put in the time, they’ve done everything they’re supposed to do this year and I I told them, ‘There’s nothing more that I could have had you do.’ So, they squeaked out the win and I think they deserved it.”
Team scores
Girls individual results
Team scores
Boys individual results