As another season wraps up for the Edmond Memorial High School girls cross country team, head coach Ansen Covin and the team have a positive outlook on the 2025 season. After their successful off-season, the team ran to a first-place victory at the OSSAA state championship.
Four girls, Molly Missildine, Lauryn Krebs, Avery Perry and Emerlyn Laubach, placed in the top 15, and all seven members placed in the top 25 at state. The EMHS girls cross country team beat the three-year reigning champion, Owasso High School, which was an important success for Covin and the team.
Covin believes that his team’s mental focus has led to this moment, with their ability to stay focused when times became tough being their strength.
“The biggest thing this year that I think kind of put us over the top and got us back to that state championship level was our mental fortitude; it was unlike any other team I’d seen,” Covin said. “Whether you’re fighting adversity as far as weather goes in a race or just physically being drained or whatever, I don’t feel like our girls were ever mentally less competitive than anyone else.”
That mental fortitude is part of what led the cross country team to victory at state. Missildine, a sophomore, witnessed her teammates stride to the finish line both literally and metaphorically, realizing their win is only the beginning of the team’s future successes.
“Winning the state championships was a great experience that I will not forget,” Missildine said. “I remember crossing the finish line and seeing my teammates start to come into the finish area and knowing that we had a good chance to win. It was so emotional and crazy because this is the first time we have won since 2011, and I know with the new teammates that came in this year, we can continue to have success in later years.”
Covin is equally proud of the girls’ achievements throughout the season, winning first place at every meet except their first one and then going on to beat the reigning champions. Covin is proud of the girl’s achievements and their trust in him to provide a successful and safe season.
“I was over the moon,” Covin said. “Honestly, I don’t show a lot of emotion, as myself personally, but it was a super special moment. Those girls worked hard day in and day out. They trusted everything we asked them, and it paid off big time.”
As the team celebrates its success, the girls reflect on the season with joy and positivity. They put in the effort mentally and physically, leading to the team’s growth. The 2025 season brings a different light to the girls cross country team and a new motivation for the years to come.
Contact Lauren Skinner at [email protected]