The Petoskey girls cross country team capped off its 2020 season in grand fashion last week at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula state finals by claiming the program’s first Division 2 state championship.
After finishing runner-up a year ago and posting a third-place finish two years ago, Petoskey knocked off two-time defending state champion East Grand Rapids last Friday.
“It’s extremely gratifying to see them finally get that performance, get that state championship,” Petoskey coach Dave Farley said. “We’ve been knocking on the door for a couple years. It’s nice when you have this goal and have so many people invested in it. So that was really special to be that close with the girls and we’re all really able to enjoy the moment.”
The Northmen had five runners place in the top 36 at Michigan International Speedway, including Emma Squires who took home the individual state title with a run of 17:54.6.
“We were really excited. I mean the past three years we got third two years ago and second last year and finally first this year, so it was really exciting to see it pay off,” Squires said.”
Squires is set to continue her career collegiately at Purdue next fall.
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