St. Joseph Christian senior Austin Hill wins Class 1 Cross Country State Championship; sets state record

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KQTV) - At the MSHSAA Cross Country State Championships in Columbia Saturday morning, St. Joseph Christian senior Austin Hill won the Class 1 State Championship with a time of 15 minutes and 47 seconds in the 5K race.

Hill's 15.47 mark also breaks a state record. It's Hill's first ever state championship title.

"I'm so grateful for all the work I've been able to put in to accomplish this goal. I finished fifth my freshman year, and after that I knew I wanted to chase a state title. So the last three years I've really been working hard to chase this goal, I got close last year finishing second. To finally do it is just really awesome."

"It couldn't have been sweeter. He finished second a few different times last year and a couple races this year. We were a little unsure going into that last kilometer but he pulled it out. It was sweet. We're so proud of him," said St. Joseph Christian head cross country coach Ryan Mallen. "(Hill's recent success) has inspired the other guys, they want to run and put in the miles in the summer because they know that the hard work pays off here at state. We're super grateful for what Hill's done."

St. Joseph Christian finished second in the team title with a score of 98, Kingsville finished first with 76.

"We have a really strong family-led environment. We're always pushing each other to do better and lift each other up when we're not doing well," said Hill.