MORGANTOWN — The University High boys’ cross-country team solidified itself Saturday as the kings of West Virginia distance running by winning the Class AAAA state championship, at Cabell Midland High School.
Again. And again. And, well, you get the picture.
The Hawks, behind a 1-2 finish from sophomore Micah Gainer (15:56.16) and senior Ethan Conroy (15:59.63), outpaced cross-town rival Morgantown High, 56-67 to capture its seventh consecutive state championship.
You have to go all the way back to 2018 – UHS took third that season – to find the last time the UHS boys’ program didn’t walk, eh, run away with the state title.
“Our top three ran well, but we were a little shaky after,” UHS head coach Ed Fronaphel said. “Our fourth highest finisher hadn’t run since August, but we had to throw him in there. Proud of the way we ran, girls as well. There’s always progression in the state in the sport and it just shows the hard work the kids put in.”
Overall, it was a strong showing across the board for schools from Monongalia County. The MHS boys took second behind junior Joaquin Summers’ third-place finish at 16:05.25 and the Mohigans placed its top four runners inside the top 20.
Morgantown High also finished second in the girls’ Class AAAA meet, losing out to host Cabell Midland, 45-62.
The MHS girls’ were led by sophomore Tumaini Yawe, who took eighth overall with a time of 19:42.42.
University High, the defending girls’ state champions, finished third with 115 points, but did see junior Abigail Rogers take fifth place with a time of 19:03.57. Wheeling Park’s Breanna Tipton won the individual Class AAAA girls’ state title with a time of 18:16.89.
Preston High took fifth in the girls’ meet with 167 points. Autumn Myers led the Knights by taking 27th overall with a time of 20:44.13.
The emerging story was found in Class A, where the Trinity Christian boys’ and girls’ teams both placed second overall and appear to be on their way to building their own state distance running powerhouses.
There are no seniors on either roster for the Warriors, but that didn’t stop them from nearly reaching the top spot this season.
Charleston Catholic edged Trinity out for the boys’ Class A state title, 44-58, while St. Marys did the same in the girls’ race, 57-68.
“What an unforgettable day for our cross-country program,” Trinity coach John Barnett said. “Both our girls’ and boys’ teams finished as state runners-up, marking the first time in school history that either team has earned a spot on the state podium and both did it in the same year.
“This is a huge step forward for our program and a testament to the hard work, dedication, and belief our athletes have shown from day one. We couldn’t be prouder of how they represented our school and community on the biggest stage. The future is bright for Trinity cross-country.”
On the boys’ side, Trinity placed its five scoring runners all in the top 18, with Miles Steptoe taking sixth overall with a time of 17:24.58. Jacob Stephens (17:57.36), Mason Melohn (18:02.76) and Ben Hancox (18:02.89) finished 13th, 14th and 15th overall, while Frank Jacquez (18:13.38) was 18th.
For the Trinity girls, junior Brianna Blake (21:49.01) was sixth overall and Lauren Williams (22:16.08) was 11th. The Warriors placed their top four scoring runners in the top 21. Clay-Battelle’s Mia Hellyer was 33rd overall with a time of 25:58.18.
Gainer and Conroy made sure the UHS boys won their seventh consecutive title and the program’s ninth overall since 2013. Gainer’s individual state championship was the Hawks’ first since Josh Edwards won the 2021 Class AAA race.
Conroy finished second, which meant he finished in the top 10 for all four of his seasons.
“Ethan has taken on the leadership role over the years and become a strong, consistent runner,” Fronaphel said. “He motivates our 4, 5, 6 guys to work hard and improve, which helps the team a ton.”
The UHS boys also saw Logan Conroy (16:15.78) take seventh overall, while Ben Honecker (17:25.21) was 23rd and Samuel Denne (17:30.23) was 25th.
Joshua Shrewsberry took 13th overall for the MHS boys with a time of 17:02.98, while teammate Max Abildso (17:05.99) was 15th.
For the MHS girls, Leyland Phillips (19:58.22) was 13th overall and teammate Jenna Conaway was 14th with a time of 20:02.93.
