Gregori’s Kackley finishes in fifth at CIF State Cross Country Championships
Normally nervous before a race, Gregori junior Madison Kackley said she felt a sense of calm before Saturday’s CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.
That easy feeling paid off as Kackley finished in fifth place in 17 minutes, 44 seconds in the Division I race. She bettered her time by 14 seconds from last year’s 12th-place finish.
“There was some tough competition on the course but it pushed and motivated me to test my limits and remain not only physically strong, but mentally strong as well,” said Kackley, who took home a medal as a Top 10 finisher.
Kackley, who averaged 5:42.3 a mile, said she entered the race hoping to finish in the Top 5 and it was a surreal feeling after crossing the finish line.
“I was on cloud nine walking away from that course knowing that I did my very best and that my hard work had led me to where I wanted to be at the end of this season,” she said.
Kackley won eight of 10 races this year, including the Sac-Joaquin Section Meet on Nov. 16.
Sonora freshman Brianna Personius finished in 17th place in the Division IV girls race with a time of 18:41 while Wildcats sophomore Adin Dribble finished in 20th (15:59) in the boys race.
In the Division III boys race, Merced’s Cole McKain finished seventh in 15:35.6. In the Division IV boys, Jacob Christopher of Calaveras finished eighth in 15:35.3.
Among the team finishers, the East Union boys finished sixth in Division III and the Calaveras boys finished fourth in Division IV.
