Lauren Ping, an Oklahoma State-bound senior at Valley Christian High, won her fourth career state cross country championship, capturing the Division 4 crown after achieving the past three titles in Division 1 at the Arizona Interscholastic Association state final at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix. Ping covered the 5-kilometer layout in 17:53.2 for Valley Christian, which finished fourth overall with 93 points. Ping followed Northland Prep graduate Maya Smith (2014-17), who competed her entire career in Division 4, in capturing a fourth consecutive title. She also placed runner-up in 2017 and 2018 as a seventh-grader and eighth-grader at Cotter High in Minnesota Class A, earning six career top-two performances in state championship cross country races.