It seemed too late.

Halstead’s Steven Cline had begun to pull away 100 yards away from the Class 3A cross country championship, and Collegiate freshman Lakelin Conrad was afraid he had badly mistimed his kick.

“I tried to allude to the time where he beat me and I remembered how it felt to get so close and not pull it out,” Conrad said. “I wanted to pull it out pretty bad this time.”

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