At a glance, it may look like the rest of class 5A boys
cross country is catching up to St. Thomas Aquinas, winners of the past three
state titles. Hope may lie in the fact that the Saints have graduated its
potent 1-2 punch of Will Cole and Alex Gill, who swept the top two individual
places at the 2016 championships.
But here's a sobering fact: St. Thomas Aquinas could have
deleted the 1-2 finish by Cole and Gill last year, and still won the 5A state title with its two through seven runners.
That's why the Saints enter the 2017 season once again as
the favorites in class 5A boys cross country. Seniors Andrew Lebourveau (eighth
at state last year) and Jacob Cofer (ninth at state) make up a new fearsome
twosome to lead Aquinas.
Mill Valley appeared to be a solid foe for St. Thomas
Aquinas last year, but faded late in the season. Mill Valley finished second at
the state meet, but was a distant 65 points behind ...