Senior Julia Flanagan became Holy Cross’s 1st state cross country champion in 31 years Saturday morning in Holmdel.
Flanagan ran 18:43.59 at Holmdel County Park and became the first Lancer girl to win at states since Kari Vigerstol won her second in a row in Parochial A in 1994.
Flanagan was 4th in this race last year in 20:29, so she ran 106 seconds faster this year.
She’s only the third South Jersey girl to win the state Parochial B race. Ann Klocke ran 19:20 at Holmdel in 1995 from Eustace ran 18:46.89 in 2011.
Flanagan had run a Holy Cross course-best 18:52 last month at Shore Coaches.
The state title is Flanagan’s 3rd. She won the Parochial B 3,200 last winter at the Bubble and again last spring at the Parochial B meet in Galloway Township.
Flanagan won by about 150 meters over two-time defending state champ Blythe Dudley of Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown, who was 2nd in 19:21.52.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 