Photos by RYAN HUGHES

Girls team from L-R: Mattie Woodbury, Camryn Volle, Shailey White, Sydney White, Addie Robbins, Aleyna Banks, and Keaira Burns. Boys team from L-R: Tim Banks, Braedon O’Connor, Talon Morris, Kaden Peasley, Tanner Joyce, Lucian Miller, and Carsen Volle.

Sydney White fought for an individual sixth place finish to earn a spot on the podium. She was the first Lady Hilander to cross the line, leading the team toward a sixth-place finish. In the cool, damp conditions, White covered the 5k course in 19:37 for an All-State performance.

Senior Mattie Woodbury concluded her Hilander cross country tenure with a 20:59 time, edging out competition for 34th place. Addie Robbins neared a personal best at 21:22 for a 41st place finish. Clocking 21:49, Aleyna Banks finished 49th. Camryn Volle placed 64th with 22:42. Shailey White finished in 24:50, followed by Keaira Burns at 25:40.

Coach Ryan Hughes said, “Sydney White showed consistent improvement throughout the season, and Saturday’s race showed her commitment in the off season and her potential.” He added, “Mattie Woodbury’s competitive nature will be missed, but we will be returning with a strong core, have some promising prospects and are looking to increase numbers.”

On the men’s side, the Hilanders placed seventh. Lucian Miller traversed the course in 17:45, finishing 21st. Junior Tim Banks placed 28th with a time of 17:59. Sophomore Carsen Volle crossed the line in 18:18 for 32nd. Fellow sophomore Kaden Peasley finished in 18:35 for 44th in his first state meet appearance. Talon Morris, sophomore, dropped a personal best of 18:37 earning 45th place. Tanner Joyce clocked 19:01, and freshman Braedon O’Connor finished in 23:28.

Coach Hughes commented, “The boys demonstrated why they earned the wildcard position since they beat some automatic qualifying teams out of other districts.” He added, “Our team is young. They are going to be a greater force to be reckoned with in the coming years.”