State champions are what every high school athlete wants to hopefully become. For Lafayette Cross Country they are in the mists of a possible boys and girls title in 2026. There are only a few weeks left to chase that goal with hard practices and a regional qualifier coming up fast.

The Lafayette Boys Cross Country team is in a dogfight against Caledonia to try and defend their 2025 title run. Star runner Kiplin Loprinzi is breaking a sub 16:00 5K with him trying to repeat as the individual state champion. The top 5 Commodores runners are currently slated to be selected for All State are Kiplin Loprinzi in 1st, Gabe Pierce in 8th, Reed Jordan in 9th, Jesse Dawson in 12th and Grayson Lafayette 14th best runners in 5A. However, Lafayette championship hopes are threaten by Caledonia having a two point lead over the Commodores according to MileSpilt with the regional meet just a week away. If the runners on the team shaves a few seconds off their times, Lafayette could go back to back as 5A State Champions.

Meanwhile, the girls cross country team is having an amazing season. Freshman Hazel Dawson is ranked 1st in 5A with a time of 19:33. She would be the first high school girl in school history to win state if she continues her same path. As the season comes towards the end, the young squad looks to improve in the rankings with three talented freshmen in the top five being Hazel Dawson, Lauren Goodwiller and Jordyn Johnson.

The Commodores look to beat out Caledonia and Brookhaven for state with Lafayette in third place with 90 points as the top two teams being tied in points with 37. If the girls win state it would be the first girls cross country state title in school history.