CARROLLTON—During the Nov. 5 state cross-country meets at Carrollton High School, Atlanta’s Marist School girls team captured its ninth consecutive Class AAAA state cross-country championship. Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, was the state runner-up.

Josie Wirtz (first, 19:15), Kathleen Maley (third, 19:49.72) and Kendall Nelson (fifth, 19:53.90) were the top three finishers for Marist in a field of 209 runners.

Emma Rose Bagwell (ninth) and Maddie Heller (10th) were the top two runners for Blessed Trinity with times of 20:13.72 and 20:17.24, respectively.

St. Pius X High School cross-country team senior captain Thomas Pardue, center, raises the championship trophy above his head after he and his teammates (l-r) Frank Crippen, Jack Voss, Jacob Ressler, Dan Grosch, Brian Houghton and Rowan Wiley celebrate winning the team’s sixth state championship in seven years. Ryan McClay, who just completed his 8th season, serves as the head coach. Photo By Steven Crawford

The St. Pius X High School boys team outscored state runner-up Marist School to win its sixth state championship in seven years. Frank Crippen (fifth, 16:42.80), Daniel Grosch (sixth, 16:43.66) and Jacob Ressler (eighth, 16:49.55) were the top three runners for St. Pius in a field of 219 runners.

Quinn Burden (second), Leif Andersen (third) and Knox Pittman (10th) were the top three finishers for Marist with times of 16:24.59, 16:38.45 and 16:51.56, respectively.

Blessed Trinity High School’s Ben McCoy won an individual state championship by finishing in first place with a time of 16:24.11.