The Republic reveals its All-Arizona girls cross country team, top coach,
Here is The Arizona Republic's All-Arizona girls crosscountry team with the 12 Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year nominees, honorable mentions, and Coach of the Year for the 2020 Arizona Interscholastic Association high school fall sports season. The runner of the year will be announced after the school year as part of The Republic and azcentral.com Arizona High School Sports Awards.
Kayla Case, So., Gilbert Highland
Case had seven top-10 finishes in 2020, including her win at the Gilbert District CIty Meet where she hit her personal record of 17 minutes, 59.7 seconds. She had second-place in the Chandler Invite and Divsion I Northeast sectional, and came in third at the Western Equinox and Division I state championship. Case also led Highland to a second-place team finish for the Division I state title. Mia Hall, So., Flagstaff
The Division II state champion who led Flagstaff to continue its dynasty at six consecutive team titles. Hall was the only runner in that division championship to finish under 18 minutes (17:54.6). She had three additional first-place finishes at the Flagstaff City Meet, Ray Wherley Invite and Division II Metro sectional. Hall also came in third at the Phoenix Classic and fifth at Desert Twilight.
Clara Jones, Fr., Gilbert Campo Verde Super freshman Clara Jones was a topfive runner in six races out of the eight total she was in. She won the Gilbert District race and Division II East sectional. Jones was third in the Division II state championship and Chandler Invite, fifth at the Titan Invite and eighth at the Phoenix Classic.
Jessica Madrid, Jr., Eagar Round Valley Madrid was the Division IV state title runner-up. She won three other races including the Campo Verde Invite, Eye of the Tiger Invite and Division IV East sectional, where she was the only runner representing Round Valley.
Ryley Nelson, Fr., Gilbert Christian
The freshman set the bar high for herself as a top-five runner in six races.
She won the Desert Twilight and Titan Invite, earned second place at the Division III East sectional, got a personal record of 19:19.3 and third place at the Division III state championship, fourth at Western Equinox and fifth at the Phoenix Classic.
Kayla O’Connell, Sr., Morenci
O'Connell ended her high school career winning six out of 10 races she ran. That includes the Tombstone Yellowjacket Southeastern AZ Multi Meet, Willcox Invite, Morenci Copper Hill Invite, Rio Rico Rattler Invite, Division IV Southern sectional, and capped off her final race winning the Division IV state title. She also had second-place finish at Western Equinox, fourth at Eye of the Tiger and sixth at the John Gleeson Lancer Invite. Lauren Ping, So., Phoenix Desert Vista Two-time All-Arizona selection and the Republic's 2019 Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year continued her dominance this season. She never went below fourth place in the 10 races she ran and won seven. That includes repeating her Division I state title (beating the competition by a 20-second differential). In addition, she won Division I Southeast sectional, Chandler Invite, Western Equinox, Phoenix Classic, and the Nike Cross Virtual Weeks 5 and 7. She finished second at Desert Twilight, and fourth in the Nike Cross Virtual Championship. She also led Desert Vista to its second consecutive state team title, edging Highland by three points.
Grace Ping, Sr., Desert Vista
The Oklahoma State-commit and Lauren Ping's older sister ended her high school career in sixth place at the Division I state championship. Grace Ping had five top-10 finishes in six races. Katie Sigerud, Jr., Phoenix Desert
Vista
In many of the races Lauren Ping won, Sigerud took second place. Sigerud's sole win was the Chandler Invite. She came in second at the Western Equinox, Phoenix Classic, Nike Cross Virtual Weeks 5 and 7, Division I Southeast sectional, and Division I state championship. Sigerud was also fourth at Desert Twilight and fifth at the Nike Cross Virtual Championship.
Kylie Wild, So. Tucson Salpointe Catholic
Wild barely edged Evelynne Carr by one second for the Division III individual state title. Wild won six out of seven total races she was in and was second place in the Rico Rattler Invite. She set her personal record at the Chandler Invite (18:16.8). Wild also got the top spots at Western Equinox, Desert Twilight, the Salpointe-hosted John Gleeson Lancer Invite and Division III Southern sectional.
Kyah Zurek, Fr., Queen Creek Casteel The Division II state title runner-up who won three races and five second-place finished among the 11 races in which she competed. Zurek won the Chandler Invite, Desert Daylight and Chandler City Championship. She was second at the Casteel Invite, Titan Invite, Division II Metro sectional, Nike Cross Virtual Week 6, and was sixth at Western Equinox as well.
Evelynne Carr, So., American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek (photo unavailable)
Carr didn't finish lower than third place in all nine meets in which she competed in 2020. She individually won the Casteel Invitational, Western Equinox Festival, Desert Daylight Invite, Phoenix Classic-Showdown at Sundown and the AIA Division III East sectional state championship qualifier. Carr was second at Desert Twilight, Division III state championship and third at both the Seventh Annual Titan Invite and Chandler Invite.
Honorable mentions: Nya Valenzuela, Glendale Deer Valley; Allie Thurgood, Flagstaff; Adelle Boxberger, Surprise Paradise Honors; Cathron Donaldson, Coconino; Emma Baugh, Highland; Taylor Lovell, Gilbert Perry; Rujuta Sane, Chandler Hamilton; Taylor McCue, Tucson Catalina Foothills; Kimi Cahoon, Phoenix Country Day, Indi Jones, Flagstaff, Northland Prep; Rachel Johnson, Phoenix Northwest Christian.
Coach of the Year
Megan Ping, Desert Vista
In her first season as head coach, Megan Ping led the Thunder to its second straight team title and the team won several other meets.
Also considered: Trina Painter, Flagstaff; Shannon Taylor, Coconino; Bryan Idelman, Perry; Carl Perry, Northland Prep
How they were selected
The players and coaches were chosen by the azcentral sports high school sports reporters, using personal observations and interviews with players and coaches as well as statistics and rankings.
Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.
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