South Tahoe High's Lyla Landy wins state title for Cross Country; Girls team places third

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - This has been a month to celebrate state championships at South Tahoe High School (STHS). Not only did the boys' tennis team bring home the top trophy for 3A of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), but so did the boys' soccer team.

Now the focus is on Sophomore Lyla Landy. She took the state title for Cross-Country, beating the field of 57 runners, leading from the first 1.5k mark through the end. Her time of 19:42 beat the second-place finisher, Tahoe Truckee's Sidney McInosh.

"Coach Steve Headrick and I were beyond excited about Lyla's achievement, but I can't say we were surprised," said Coach Lindsay Richardson. "She has been working incredibly hard all year to reach this goal. Lyla is a strong and determined runner. She is dedicated to her training- she monitors her miles and pace, and never skimps or cuts corners on a workout."

Not only did Lyla place at state, but so did the whole team. They placed third overall.

Coach Richardson said Lyla trains with the boys' team and pushes them. When the two coaches ask the boys' team what their goal is during a race, they usually reply, "Beat Lyla's time."

"The girls' team is an amazing group to coach because they are all such good friends and extremely hardworking," said coach Steve Headrick. "Their commitment to cross-country and academics is shown by placing third at state and winning the academic achievement award for the highest GPA in the entire state with an outstanding 3.95 GPA."

The other runners on the cross-country team included 29th-place finisher Noosa Higgins who finished at 23:59, Alexandra Pickett with a time of 25:15, Tatum Warran at 26:21, and Emily Banks at 26:48. Jacob Manning went to State for the boys' team, running a 20:08.

"Working with Lyla has been an absolute delight due to her hard work and determination," said Coach Headrick. "Lyla came in this year with the goal of winning state, and it was awesome to watch her achieve that goal. Not only does she excel in running, but she also stands out as one of the top students in her class. I can't wait to see Lyla's future successes on and off the field."

Lyla is now training for the Foot Locker Cross Country West Regional Championships on December 2 in Walnut, Calif.