Oklahoma 5A Cross Country Final Rankings 2023: Lincoln Christian’s Perfect Double

Every so often the poll gets it exactly right, and the only honest thing a critic can do is tip the cap. The final 2023 5A poll, posted October 4th, had Lincoln Christian No. 1 on both sides. Lincoln Christian won both sides — boys with 62 points, girls with 45. A perfect double, called in advance. Enjoy it, voters. It doesn’t happen often.

The girls’ poll read: Lincoln Christian, Guthrie, Tulsa Edison, Blanchard, Tahlequah across the top five. The state meet turned that into Lincoln Christian 45, champions. Forty-five points is not close — that’s a coronation with a timing chip on.

The boys were a touch more interesting. Lincoln Christian No. 1, Tahlequah No. 2, Sapulpa No. 3, B.T. Washington No. 4, Guymon No. 5. State: Lincoln Christian 62, champions — but here’s your wrinkle: the individual title went to Tahlequah’s Trae Baker. So the poll’s No. 2 team produced the fastest kid in the class, and the No. 1 team still won going away. Depth beats stardom. Again. It always does in this sport, and people keep acting surprised.

That’s the eternal 5A lesson, really. One superstar — even a state-champion superstar — is worth exactly one low number. Lincoln Christian’s 62 points says they had the pack. Tahlequah’s consolation prize says they had the headliner. The trophy case knows which one the scoring rewards, because the poll rewards what the scoring rewards.

Behind the top five boys: Bishop McGuinness, Santa Fe South, Blanchard, Classen SAS, Guthrie. Girls: Durant, Noble, Bishop McGuinness, Coweta, Sapulpa.

So 2023 5A goes in the books as the year the poll was perfect. Voters, savor it — we’ll be back to arguing soon enough.

Final poll via ohstrack.com (Oct. 2023); state results via the OSSAA championships recap.