Mia Cochran said she felt like she was floating on the Hershey course on Saturday.
In a AAA girls race that was slated to be a clash of some of the top names in the state, Cochran of Moon Area came out on top. She glided to the state championship. continuing a
With about a half mile to go Cochran broke free from the remaining pack of leaders that included defending state champion Jenna Mulhern of West Chester Henderson and Cochran's frequent WPIAL rival in Emily Carter of Bethel Park.
Cochran kept it rolling to the finish to win 17:53, the second fastest girls' time of the day behind only Marlee Starliper. By the time Cochran reached the home stretch, she had extended her lead to the point that the race turned into a runaway, with her winning by 18 seconds.
| PLACE | ATHLETE | TEAM | RESULT | POINTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mia Cochran | 10 | Moon Area | 17:53.00 | 0 | ||
| 2 | Emily Carter | 11 | Bethel Park | 18:11.00 | 0 | ||
| 3 | Jenna Mulhern | 10 | West Chester Henderson | 18:18.00 | 1 | ||
| 4 | Sophia Toti | 12 | Carlisle | 18:29.00 | 2 | ||
| 5 | Margaret Carroll | 11 | Northeastern | 18:29.00 | 0 | ||
It was also the fastest 5K of Cochran's career, eclipsing her previous best of 17:54 set in her season opener at the Red, White & Blue Classic where she took third
After that third place finish to open up her season, it's been all wins for the sophomore. She won the PIAA Foundation Invitational at Hershey, a race that she said gave her the confidence that she could win a state title. Then she won the Midwestern Athletic Conference (MAC) title before winning the District 7 (WPIAL) crown.
She was seventh last year as a freshman, but she was first to the line on Saturday. Next up is Foot Locker Northeast, where she will be a factor for the top ten and a trip to Foot Locker Nationals. Whatever happens there, Cochran proved this fall that she will be a force in Pennsylvania distance running for the next few years.
Watch the race above and check out an interview with Cochran below.