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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Briarwod's Mary Grace Parker finished 3rd overall during Saturday's state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Briarwood at the start of Saturday's 6A state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Briarwood's Bela Doss finished 4th overall during Saturday's state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
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Photo courtesy of William Galloway, Mountain Brook Schools.
From left; Mountain Brook’s Lucy Benton finished sixth, Briarwood’s Bella Doss finished fourth, Athens’ , Homewood’s Emma Brooke Levering finished first, Briarwood’s Mary Grace Parker finished third, and Mountain Brook’s Mary Katherine Malone finished fifth in the AHSAA girls Class 6A state meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo courtesy of William Galloway, Mountain Brook Schools.
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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Chelsea's Ty Cason finished 5th overall during the 7A state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
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Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
Chelsea's Brylee Bennett, left, and Vestavia Hill's Kendell Field race to the finish line during the 7A state championship cross-country meet in Oakville on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Photo by Deangelo McDaniel.
The Briarwood Christian School coaching staff saw the potential, it was simply a matter of the girls realizing the possibilities.
That realization in November 2022 led to a historic day in Briarwood program history in November 2023, as the Lions’ girls cross-country team earned a Class 6A runner-up finish at the state meet.
The state meet was held Nov. 11 at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. In cross-country, the lowest point total wins, as points are awarded based on finishing order.
Briarwood scored 86 points, comfortably in second place as a team. Mountain Brook swept the boys and girls titles, with the girls scoring 46 points. Homewood (111), Athens (192) and UMS-Wright (196) rounded out the top five on the girls side.
“We told them. ‘Y’all have a real chance to take home a trophy if you’re willing to work for it now,’” Briarwood coach Aaron Margene said. “We challenged them November 2022 and that’s when they started working.”
The Briarwood effort was headlined by Mary Grace Parker and Bela Doss, who finished third and fourth, respectively. Parker ran the race in 18 minutes, 10 seconds. Doss wasn’t far behind at an 18:14.
The other three scorers ran close together as well, with Luci Williams, Allie Hale and Lena Anne Parker crossing the line 25th, 26th and 28th. Those finishers likely made the difference for the Lions earning the red map trophy, as Homewood’s final three scorers crossed the line about six seconds after the Briarwood trio.
Blakeley Margene, Ginger Potts, Rylee Reed, Lauren Luker and Chloe Lowery also ran for the Lions.
Briarwood’s girls won the Class 1A-3A girls state title in 1999 and finished as the runner-up in 5A in 2018, but this is the first 6A trophy for the program. Margene said things came together at the right time, as the team battled injuries in the middle portion of the season but got healthy toward the end.
“They upped their game and put in work, all the way back with the mindset of going after a trophy,” he said.
Oak Mountain’s boys finished fifth as a team in 7A. Vestavia Hills, Huntsville, James Clemens and Hewitt-Trussville were the top four. John Shoemaker put forth a brilliant performance, finishing second with a time of 15:11. Whitt Kilgore, Cooper Jeffcoat, Luke Marvin and Zachary Joyce also scored for the Eagles.
Chelsea’s girls finished up sixth in 7A. Sophomore Ty Cason was the Hornets’ top runner, as she finished fifth with a time of 18:32. Mia Dunavant (22nd), Brylee Bennett (40th), Adeline Keith (47th) and Juliette Edwards (56th) scored points for Chelsea as well.
Briarwood’s boys qualified for state as well and finished 21st in 6A. Whit Thornton led the way with a 25th-place finish. Chelsea’s boys sent four to state as individuals, with Parker Campbell posting a fifth-place finish in the 7A race. Hudson Williams was 15th and Conner Campbell finished 20th. Spain Park’s Eian Phillips ran 44th.
Lauren Cole led a few Oak Mountain runners, by gaining all-state honors with a 13th-place finish in 18:57. Catarina Williams, Ava Fields and Brighton Bell also posted times.
