After a long, eventful season, the Mustang Broncos saved their best for last.
Mustang finished runner-up in the 2023 Class 6A State Championship Meet last weekend at Edmond Santa Fe, nearly chasing down state champion Deer Creek in the team’s best showing all year.
The Broncos finished just 12 points behind the Antlers after losing by nearly 40 points in the opening meet of the season. Noah Thayer (So.) and Cameron Langdon (Jr.) helped close the gap, each placing inside the top five to earn All-State honors.
Thayer produced by far his best run of the year, finishing second overall with a time of 15:33.91. Langdon also cleared the 16-minute mark, placing fourth while clocking in at 15:40.59.
Teagan Nelson (So.), Carson Patten (Sr.), and Luke Balliew (Sr.) rounded out the team’s placers, each coming home inside the top 30.
Nelson finished in 18th place with a time of 16:06.54 while Patten finished 19th at 16:07.37. Balliew capped off the team score in 28th place with a time of 16:25.55.
Ryan Cable (Sr.) and Wyatt Fryar (Sr.) finished as the team’s displacers.
Cable placed 34th overall with a time of 16:35.67 while Fryar finished 98th at 17:38.19.
The Broncos finished with an average time of 15:58.79 and cleared third-place Edmond North by 28 points. The Huskies finished with a score of 96.
North’s Zac Rutherford (Sr.) won the meet with a time of 15:16.13. Deer Creek’s Brody Woodcock finished behind Thayer in third place with a time of 15:37.72.
Mustang takes home its third runner-up plaque since 1996 and the program’s first top two podium spot since its 2020 state title.