MINOT -- Lindsay Anderson ended her storied prep career on a high note and Grafton kept the title in the East Region.
Anderson, of Leeds-Maddock, won her third straight Class B girls cross country title and fourth title overall and Grafton won its first-ever team championship at the state cross country championships on Saturday at Souris Valley Golf Course.
Clocking in at 14 minutes, 24.24 seconds, Anderson outpaced her nearest competitor by more than 20 seconds and made it five straight years that an Anderson has won the Class B girls title. Her sister Krista won in 2004.
"It is so crazy because the season went by so fast," Anderson said. "It is kind of sad because it is my last high school race. I just wanted to go out and try my hardest and run for the Lord. There were so many great runners and it was so much fun to compete against them."
Anderson won her first state cross country title in 2003 as an eighth grader, finished second behind her sister in 2004 and won titles in 2005 and 2006.
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Grafton junior Nichole Woinarowicz took second in 14:44.84, a full 29 spots better than her 31st place finish last season.
"I tried to stay with Lindsay (Anderson) as best I could, but it is hard to keep up with her," Woinarowicz said. "She strives to be the best and I respect that the most about her. I hope to come back harder next year and improve even more."
Woinarowicz was one of three Grafton runners to finish in the top 15, including eighth-grader Chloe Tweten (third) and senior Ashley Lopez (11th). Grafton finished with 72 points, edging out second-place Bowman County (88) and Griggs County Central (95) for the team title.
McKay gave a lot of credit to Woinarowicz, but said winning the title took the whole team.
It is the second straight year Bowman County has finished second.
The Bulldogs had three runners in the top 20, including senior Megan Kelly (seventh), eighth-grader Heather Harder (12th) and seventh-grader Mattie McGee.
On the boys' side, Jordan Cieszlak of Beulah finished seventh and Bowman County's Nathan McGee took 11th to help the Bulldogs to a fifth-place finish in team competition.
New Town won the meet, placing three runners in the top four including back-to-back champion Patrick Wolf. The state title is New Town's fourth straight.
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Dickinson Press sports reporter Chris Aarhus contributed to this story.
