Bell finished her amazing first high school cross country season by capturing the CIF State Cross Country Championships Division II title at Woodward Park in Fresno. She set the pace and led nearly wire-to-wire to finish the 5,000-meter course in 17:29, four seconds ahead of the next finisher. Her time was the fourth-fastest among all girls racing at the state meet and was the third-fastest time for a freshman in the 26 years of the CIF Championships. Bell started the season on the Grizzlies’ junior varsity team before quickly moving up the team’s depth chart.
Bell finished her amazing first high school cross country season by capturing the CIF State Cross Country Championships Division II title at Woodward Park in Fresno. She set the pace and led nearly wire-to-wire to finish the 5,000-meter course in 17:29, four seconds ahead of the next finisher. Her time was the fourth-fastest among all girls racing at the state meet and was the third-fastest time for a freshman in the 26 years of the CIF Championships. Bell started the season on the Grizzlies’ junior varsity team before quickly moving up the team’s depth chart.
SportStars Magazine: What were your expectations at the start of the season and as the year progressed?
Maggie Bell: After a few races, I moved up to varsity and started placing higher in the races, so my goals got higher. I really just hoped to finish in the top five at state. I didn’t really think about winning state at all.
SSM: What was your strategy for the race?
MB: I decided that I would try to stay with the front pack during the race and then try to pass runners at the end. During the race, though, they decided to let me go out front and set the pace, so I went at my own pace and just tried to hold off the field at the end.
SSM: At what point did you start to believe or understand that you might win the race?
MB: When I got to the final stretch on the course where you get to a paved section before the finish, I just told myself that I didn’t just run this whole race super hard to not win it. I think I looked back once with 200-300 yards to go and just kept running.
SSM: Do you think the rest of the Division II field might have overlooked you before the race?
MB: I think that I was probably a little bit of an underdog. I don’t think people expected (a state title) from a freshman.
HONORABLE MENTION
Bailey Laolagi —Folsom’s sophomore RB scored four TDs to lead the Bulldogs to a 49-22 victory over Buhach Colony in a Division II semifinal on Nov. 22. He also added two more scores in a section finals win over Elk Grove on Nov. 30.
Madeline Ankhelyi — The Vista del Lago senior runner finished third in the girls Div. III race at the CIF Cross Country Championships with a time of 17:54 on Nov. 23. It was Ankhelyi’s second consecutive third-place finish at state.
Zack Claiborne — The Oak Ridge senior linebacker recorded 4.5 sacks in the Trojans’ 24-6 victory over Burbank in a Div. I semifinal on Nov. 22. Nicknamed the “Freak” by teammates, Claiborne has a state-leading 25 sacks.