OAH KAUPPILA, SENIOR, ended his final high school cross country State meet in triumph. Not only did Kauppila win his division, he also broke the State record.

The meet took place on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City. Kauppila finished in 15 minutes, 22 seconds, breaking the 14-year-old State record by four seconds.

Kauppila said he felt a lot of pressure going into the meet, but was mainly focused on trying to have a good race.

“I was really happy,” Kauppila said. “It was a huge weight off of my shoulders. The fact that it went as planned was unexpected.”

Kauppila trained differently this season than in past years. He spaced out his workouts and did not taper as fast as in the past.

“I just ran a lot more miles,” Kauppila said.

Kauppila said his success has helped him keep a positive mindset and gain confidence. Kauppila will compete in post season cross country meets and with the track team in the spring.

Mike Ebert, cross country coach, said Kauppila’s race was amazing to watch. Ebert said Kauppila’s experience enabled him to succeed this year.

“He was very smart about when he took the lead,” Ebert said.

The boys team finished sixth place overall, the best the team has ever placed in school history.

Although the team lost some of its top seniors from last year, the remaining members were still able to succeed.

“It was kind of a rebuilding year,” Kauppila said.

Ebert said the State success will benefit runners in the future.

“Having raced at State is an invaluable experience,” Ebert said.

Looking ahead, Ebert is confident in the team.

“The future looks pretty bright,” Ebert said.