MALCOLM — Last year, the Lincoln Christian boys cross country team finished as the state runner-up in Class C, but four of the six runners were seniors, meaning a drop-off this season was expected.
Not so fast.
The Crusaders moved up some of the younger runners to the varsity lineup and are still one of the top teams in the state.
“We had three of our guys just outside of the top six that were ready to step into the picture,†Lincoln Christian coach Joe Manley said.
What the Crusaders did Thursday was especially impressive, placing three in the top four at the C-1 district meet at Branched Oak State Recreation Area.
The Crusaders won the district team championship and will go to next week’s state meet in Kearney riding some major momentum.
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Lincoln Christian sophomore Trevin Opp was the individual champion, finishing the 3.1-mile race in 16 minutes, 31 seconds. Teammates Nolan Engel and Shawn Arnold were second and fourth, respectively.
It was inspiring for Manley to see his runners in three of the top four spots.
“It makes it really easy to be a coach, honestly,†Manley said. “Especially when they just love doing what they do.â€
Arnold, who finished fourth on Thursday, was an alternate on the state team last year.
“We’ve seen the talent coming, and he’s just putting it all together as far as becoming a very experienced runner very quickly,†Manley said.
The Crusaders’ No. 4 runner to count toward the team score was Andy Carlson in 20th.
Lincoln Christian had 27 points, with Syracuse (34 points) and Lincoln Lutheran (48) also qualifying for state as a team from the district.
It was challenging race conditions with high winds, especially during the middle portion of the race near the lake.
Opp was 10 seconds slower than earlier this season on the same course.
“It was really windy, and my stomach hurt today, but I was able to get the job done,†Opp said.
Opp won the first two races of his high school career in the past two weeks, after also winning the Centennial Conference meet.
“I’m looking forward to state,†Opp said. “I’m going to see if I can win Class C.â€
In the girls race, Auburn junior Liston Crotty won by 18 seconds in 20:50. She ran nearly the entire race alone.
Auburn was also the team champion with a 1-2-5-11 finish. Palmyra and Syracuse also qualified teams for state.
The top 15 individual finishers also qualify for state. Those included Sawyer Benne of Lincoln Lutheran and Clara Heppner of Lincoln Christian.