Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Thatcher Oswald of Manson Northwest Webster took 26th place in the Class 1A boys state race. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Tyra Schupbach capped off a brilliant high school cross country career with a fifth-place showing at the state meet here on Saturday.

Schupbach, a standout senior for West Bend-Mallard, clocked a time of 19:03 in the Class 1A race at Lakeside Golf Course and Kennedy Park. Lili Denton of Council Bluffs St. Albert defended her gold medal, winning with a time of 17:56.

South Winneshiek won the 1A girls team championship.

The finish for Schupbach marked the fourth time in four races that she has placed inside the Top-20 at state. She was 11th last year as a junior, finished 15th as a sophomore, and was 18th as a freshman.

Bishop Garrigan’s Julia Swift placed 13th overall, as the sophomore recorded a time of 19:38. Emmetsburg’s Rachel Schany, an all-Twin Lakes Conference volleyball selection and state track champion, was 33rd in her state debut as a senior.

Thatcher Oswald turned in a 26th place showing in his state debut, as the Manson Northwest Webster senior posted a time of 17:05 in the 1A boys race.

East Sac County finished eighth overall in the 1A boys team standings, led by Riley Aragon in 15th. Landon Sporrer was 30th, Owen Engel 52nd, Oliver Engel 110th, Xander Hemer 124th and Tucker Freese 151st for the Raiders.

Newell-Fonda, the fourth-ranked team in 1A coming into state, finished 12th. Mareni Brabec was 43rd overall followed by Quinn Sievers (65th), Danika Meyer (87th), Elliot Hamilton (124th), Ellie Sievers (129th), Paige Erickson (147th) and Kyia Copp (153rd).

Brabec was the lone senior for the Mustangs. Meyer and Ellie Sievers are sophomores; Quinn Sievers, Hamilton, Erickson and Copp are freshmen.

Alexis Cummins of North Union placed 71st in 21:21. Manson Northwest Webster’s Kate Hildreth was 82nd in 21:33. Cummins is a junior; Hildreth, just a freshman.

Emmetsburg’s Ben Cox was 93rd in 18:17. E-Hawk teammate Krayton Rutledge finished 130th in 19:05.

In 4A, Piper Messerly of Dallas Center-Grimes won her second consecutive state championship as a junior while Jaden Merrick from Cedar Falls posted the second-fastest state time ever. Waukee Northwest won the girls crown and Indianola the boys team title.

Merrick’s time of 14:54.6 trailed only the 3A state champion Quentin Nauman of Western Dubuque, who posted his time of 14:48.3 at state on Friday.

Huge Conway of South Winneshiek won the 1A title as Riverside claimed team gold.