Norman High's cross country teams placed sixth and seventh against some of the state's strongest programs at the Distance After Dark meet in Tulsa.

The Tigers girls finished sixth out of 20 schools and the boys seventh out of 22 at the Saturday, Sept. 19, meet, hosted by Rogers State University at Mohawk Park, first reported by the Norman Transcript. The race was the program's first 5K of the 2026 season, run in 91-degree heat.

Head coach Scott Monnard said Norman High traveled east specifically to face schools the Tigers rarely see before the State Meet.

The conditions were punishing. The girls squad still finished behind only the defending Class 6A and Class 5A state champions and three other teams that placed in the top four at last year's 6A State Meet, according to the Transcript. Senior Maleah Johnson led the Tigers, finishing 21st in a field of 249 runners. Sophomore Alice Doke placed 29th.

Three seniors rounded out the girls scoring: LeAnna Redwine (37th), Daltrey Gibson (41st) and Eliot Michalski (55th). Monnard praised Redwine and Gibson for working the middle of the race.

On the boys side, sophomore Carter Prince led the way in 18:37, finishing 24th in a field of 366. Sophomore Kris Loafman placed 36th in 19:10.

"A year ago as a freshman, he wasn't even on varsity," Monnard said of Loafman. "And now he is running second on a pretty experienced team."

Senior Ilo Bonner (41st, 19:16) and juniors Ben Nimmo (60th, 19:32) and Kort Franklin (63rd, 19:34) completed the boys scoring.

Monnard said the team's competitive depth has him optimistic, adding that he believes as many as six boys could run under 17 minutes this season.

Norman High's next scheduled meet is the Santa Fe Pack Run at Edmond Santa Fe. Nearly half of the Class 6A field is expected to compete there, according to Monnard, on a course that will host the 2026 Class 6A State Meet.