The Williamstown girls cross country team celebrates after claiming the Class AA state championship Saturday at Cabell Midland. (Photo Provided)

ONA – The Williamstown girls won a third straight cross country state championship here Saturday at Cabell Midland, albeit in Class AA, as the Yellowjackets got a state runner-up finish from Alyssa Sauro, Ava Lightfritz and Julian Johnson earned all-state accolades for a third time apiece, Cassie Sites repeated as an all-stater, while Frank Conner and Will Coiner ended their careers with podium efforts.

Sauro, who was Class A state runner-up as a freshman before winning back-to-back titles, came up just short for her bid at another individual championship as Herbert Hoover freshman Maysen Fletcher outlasted the ‘Jacket 18:17.77 to 18:19.42.

“Maysen is amazing,” admitted Sauro, who is set to visit West Virginia University next Saturday. “She is seriously a one-of-a-kind runner. Getting to race against her today I was super blessed to have some really great competition.

“I honestly, going into this year, I didn’t think that I would have all of this competition, but I feel very lucky, blessed, to have that, to have an amazing competitor.”

WHS head coach Mike Taylor’s girls capped their first season in double-A by not only winning the Little Kanawha Conference championship, but claiming the Region IV crown en route to a 36-95 victory against Frankfort.

Williamstown’s Cassie Sites competes in the state cross country race Saturday at Cabell Midland. (Photo by Nicole Tidd)

“It was a great race. Everyone was talking about the race of the day,” said coach Taylor, who watched the sophomore Sites (5th, 20:06) and the senior Lightfritz (9th, 20:18) be joined in the scoring by a pair of second team all-staters in senior Lexi Wynn (12th, 20:28) and junior Sylvia Harris (18th, 21:52). “It was an awesome race for Cassie. She had a super race. She was like 13th or 14th place running with Ava at the mile mark and kept moving up. The last time I saw them they were ninth, 10th and 11th, Cassie, Ava and Lexi.

“I was up on top of the hill and didn’t get back to the finish line, waiting on Sylvia and Kate (Florence, 29th, 22:29, JR) and Bella Bryant (32nd, 22:44, JR). Cassie really moved up that last mile, and Ava. They did an awesome job. Lexi ran a super race. It was like a minute PR for her on that course and same with Ava and Sylvia Harris. She ran a super race. She wasn’t even picked to be in the top 25 and ended up 18th breaking 22 minutes. Super big PR for her and same with Kate and Bella. It was an awesome day. I couldn’t ask for them to do much more than what they did.”

Sauro offered a few thoughts on her final race and just being part of the Williamstown program.

“Around 300 meters to go she kind of pulled away from me and then about 200 meters to go I tried to make a move and I gained some ground, but we kind of battled until about 100 to go and she pulled away at the end, but it was such an exciting race,” Sauro admitted. “Getting to battle with someone like that, I haven’t done that in a while.

“It was fun. It (the three-peat) was super exciting. Moving up to double-A we were kind of nervous in the beginning, but I think with just all the hard work we’ve done this season it really paid of today. It was such an amazing feeling to realize we won the state title. It was very exciting.”

Williamstown’s Ava Lightfritz competes in the state cross country race Saturday at Cabell Midland. (Photo by Nicole Tidd)

The Williamstown boys of head coach Cliff Taylor finished in fourth place with 88 points, trailing Elkins (39), Frankfort (60) and Grafton (79).

“One thing about it. Our regional, the top 10 on the podium were all from our regional except for one from Frankfort,” said coach Taylor, who had the trio of Johnson (5th, 16:39, SR), Conner (6th, 16:40, SR) and Coiner (10th, 16:47, SR) be joined in the team scoring by Zander Boyce (42nd, 18:12, SO) and Chase Pickering (43rd, 18:13, SO), while freshman Josh Shamblin (66th, 19:16) and Sylas Shotwell (98th, 22:29) also competed.

“He (Shotwell) was our number eight runner until our number seven runner (Dutch Sandy) got stepped on (at the LKC). Two years ago we won the state title with Julian and Chase Trembly and Zach Cannon all made it (all-state). Six years those little guys, since sixth grade, and finally them two (Conner/Coiner) got on there their senior year. That was impressive.”

When asked what he felt the difference was this season coach Taylor didn’t hesitate with a response.

“They really wanted it,” he said. “After last year’s meet they decided they were going to do the workouts, put in the mileage and make it happen, and by golly they did. I’ll tell you what. One thing I told them, if you get your picture on the wall one of these days your grandkids will get to come in there and see you. You’ll still be on the wall because it will never be taken down.”

Williamstown’s Sylvia Harris competes in the state cross country race Saturday at Cabell Midland. (Photo by Nicole Tidd)

Although gradation is going to hit the WHS program fairly hard, coach Mike Taylor is thankful for a great first season in Class AA.

“It was awesome,” he said of going out with third straight championship plaque. “All seven girls were there for business and they approached it that way and they went out with determination and got the job done. They just ran away with it. We moved up a class and the double-A class is very, very competitive.

“But they rose to the occasion and we came home with that trophy. We talked about the triple crown and said it before to get the LKC, regional and state. It’s been like four, five years since we pulled that off. Doddridge has been a thorn in our side for a couple years getting the LKC, but they finally got it done.”

The Elkins boys were led to a 39-60 state team title over Frankfort with the help of state champion Tyler George (16:09, SO).

Sauro said she is looking forward to the upcoming spring track season and after taking a little time off for rest she’ll be back at it training hard.

“It’s been honestly a really great feeling,” Sauro said of being a Yellowjacket the past four years. “Getting to run for Mike and Cliff, it’s just a blessing. They are some great coaches and I mean we are continuously getting better with them and that just shows what kind of coaches they are. Getting to run with the guys as well has also helped. They are great teammates and big supporters.”

Clay County’s boys finished in 11th place thanks to Sawyer Dobbins (38th, 18:06, SR), Kane Nida (55th, 18:45, SR), Kaden Fitzwater (84th, 20:09, JR), Trent Hinkle (87th, 20:19, SR) and Andrew Tanner (97th, 21:11, FR).

Also competing and finishing at the Class AA state meet from the Mid-Ohio Valley were Ripley’s Lanie Knopp (30th, 22:34, SO), Roane County’s Addie Taylor (53rd, 23:59, SO), Clay County’s Cheyanne Taylor (67th, 25:15, SO) and Abigail Grandon (73rd, 25:45, FR) as well as Viking Emily Dunlap (78th, 26:36, SR).