Hackberry won the boys Class C cross country state championship Monday, while the Lady Mustangs and Hathaway girls each finished as state runner-up.

Freshmen Ely Walker and Greyson Duhon, both competing in cross country for the first time, led the Mustangs to the boys title. Walker finished third in the individual standings while Duhon was sixth.

Hackberry won with 68 points. Simpson was the runner-up with 76 points.

“We hadn’t run against Simpson all year, coming in I knew we’d have to beat (fourth place finisher) Hornbeck,” Hackberry head coach Angie Little said. “Walker and Duhon did a great job for us. Walker missed some time in the season due to illness but thankfully we got him back and he was great for us today.”

The Lady Mustangs almost completed the sweep, but fell one point short to champion Hornbeck.

“It’s frustrating but we had two seniors run their hearts out and had three girls place in the top ten,” Little said. “We’re flatlanders and don’t get to practice on hills, and there are two of them on the state course. We practice using stairs and bleachers but it is not the

same as going 20 feet in the air and having to run at an angle.”

Blaine Picou and Harmony Bodie finished sixth and seventh to lead Hackberry.

Hathaway finished second in the Class B girls race, finishing nine points behind winner Christ Episcopal. Kaitlyn Sawyer and Madison Suire finished second and third to lead the Hornets.

The state meet continues today at Northwest State University in Natchitoches with Class 5A, 4A and 3A.