Hathaway’s Sawyer wins cross country title
Published 8:21 am Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Hathaway junior Kaitlyn Sawyer won the state cross country title that had eluded the last few years.
She won the Division IV individual medalist title on Monday at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association cross championships run at Northwestern State in Natchitoches after finishing runner-up in 2021 and ’23.
Sawyer finished in 19 minutes, 6.67 seconds in a close race ahead of Metairie Park Country Day’s Coco Goldenberg (19:12.47). Sawyer led Goldenberg by half a second after the first mile of the 3-mile course. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Celia Dams challenged her in the second mile, but Sawyer was able to maintain a slim 0.4-second lead. She adds the medal
to the eight she owns in track and field, including four in May at the Class B track and field championships at LSU Bernie Moore Stadium. She won the 800 (2:23.94) and 1,600-meter run (5:20.02), plus the 4×400 relay (4:17.54), and was second in the 3,200 (12:18.45).
St. Louis Catholic’s Deacon Stantz almost medaled in D-III, finishing fourth at 16:26.93.
Hackberry’s Devin Murphy (10th, 18.37.4) and Lane Gray (11th, 18:47.62) helped lead the Mustangs to a third- place team finish in boys Division V with 78 points. Christ Episcopal School ran away with the title with 36 points, while St. Martin’s Episcopal was runner-up (76).
