The 2024 – 2025 Lancaster High School Girls Cross Country team placed first in state competition and became the first women’s sports team in LHS history to win a OHSAA Team State Championship for any girls team in the history of the school. The girls team consisted of Marisa Heil, Harper Allen, Brooke Derringer, Amelia Fries, Ava Parrett, Hadley Allen and Lily Carpico.
LHS head coach Theresa Tripp said that winning the state championship is surreal.
“Winning the state championship is an almost unreal feeling. It feels amazing to see all of the hard work and dedication shown by these young women pay off on the biggest stage. It is incredible that they get to say they are the best in Ohio,” said Tripp.
“This win is particularly significant because these young women get to say they are the first women’s team in LHS history to be state champions. They have made history. They have shown all the female athletes that it is possible,” she said.
LHS junior Harper Allen said the achievement was a dream come true.
‘It feels absolutely insane and unreal. We worked so hard for it, and winning made everything so worth it and made us all realize dreams can become reality when you work to achieve them. Our team made school history and it will stick with us and the school forever. Knowing we will be a part of Lancaster is something very special,” she said.
LHS junior Lillian Carpico said that becoming state champs was something the team set as their goal.
“To win the state title feels almost unbelievable. We’ve worked so hard for so long, and it really showed as we went through the season undefeated. To stand on top of that podium as a team was one of the best feelings,” she said.
LHS freshman Hadley Allen said winning the state championship will be something they will always remember.
“It feels so amazing to win the state title as a team. It makes me feel very proud to know that we made school history as the first ever girls team to accomplish this epic moment especially as a team, we will never forget this,” she said.
“To know that we made school history is amazing, we took a dream and turned it into reality. This is something that we will forever carry with us. To know that we have younger athletes who look up to us forever is one of the biggest accomplishments,” said Carpico.
Tripp said that in addition to winning the state title, the entire season also consisted of many highlights.
“Winning the Bob Reall Invitational is always special. To perform well on your home course and win is everything you could want. Winning OCC for the second year in a row was fantastic as well. To lead the league and have several runners earn OCC honors is amazing,” she said.
Another great accomplishment was made by LHS senior Marisa Heil, who broke the LHS 5k girls record.
“It feels surreal to be a record holder at LHS. I never imagined myself in this position, and hope to set a good example for future runners,” said Heil.
Although they are officially in the off-season, the girls cross country team is preparing for additional competition in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“We get to compete in Indiana next weekend for Nike Cross Regionals and then these girls get to have a couple of weeks to rest, and then they move on to other sports such as basketball, swim team, cheerleading, and indoor track,” said Assistant Coach Dianna Galadyk.
Overall, both the LHS girls and boys cross country teams had success this season. The boys team won their division of the OCC and sent LHS junior Brock Jarrett to state competition.
“As a team, the OCC-Buckeye Championship was our best competitive effort, our most well-executed race of the season. We raced with confidence, pulling our packs together early, chasing, passing and “slamming the door” on the competitors from other teams at every stage of the race,” said LHS boys head coach Jeff Koksal.
Jarret finished 68th out of 178 state runners.
“It was the fastest race I have ever been in and I am so happy with how I did,” said Jarrett.
