By Steve Williams

The Knoxville Interscholastic League has a new girls champion in cross country.

Shila Kapaya of Knoxville Catholic won the annual KIL meet Saturday, covering the 5K Sequoyah Hills Park course in 18 minutes, 18 seconds.

Three-time champion Rebecca Story, a senior this year at Christian Academy of Knoxville, did not run in this year’s KIL meet as she was competing in the Wendy’s Invitational in Charlotte.

Carter Coughlin of Webb School kept his streak going in the KIL by winning the boys’ race in 14 minutes, 57 seconds. Coughlin has now won the KIL meet three years in a row.

Hardin Valley Academy took top team honors for girls, totaling 53 points. Farragut (58) was second and Webb (67) third.

Knoxville Catholic won the boys’ team title with 45 points. Farragut (77) was second and Hardin Valley (111) third.

The girls’ top 10 individual finishers, in order, included runner-up Anna Delahunt of Farragut (18:38), Niki Narayani of Webb (18:46), Lindsay Holliday of Webb (18:56), Laura Bretscher of L&N STEM Academy (19:07), Jenna Wall of Hardin Valley (19:32), Lydia Cooke of Knoxville Ambassadors (19:38), Madison Grimm of Hardin Valley (19:39), Madelin Ebbert of Farragut (19:41) and Ellie Bachmann of Hardin Valley (19:54).

In the boys’ run, Catholic’s Jake Renfree (15:28) and Devin Sullivan (15:40) finished second and third, followed by Gabriel Tardy of Knoxville Ambassadors (16:11), Nathan McFall of Farragut (16:16), Preston Ruth of Bearden (16:23), Kenton Bachmann of Hardin Valley (16:26), Seth Jinks of L&N STEM Academy (16:26), Jacob Pettinger of Catholic (16:32.57) and Ethan Tornstrom of Catholic (16:32.80).

 

UPDATE ON STORY: Rebecca said she would be taking an official visit to NC State during her weekend trip. Story, one of the nation’s top prep distance runners, visited Stanford earlier this month and visited Georgetown and Baylor in September.