Really good.

That understated answer was freshman Madie Boreman’s reaction to winning the 4A girls state championship Saturday at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.

While friends, teammates and family clamored around the new state champion, the freshman walked quietly out of the race exit and straight to the water station for a drink. Breathing heavily, she patiently accepted hugs and answered questions from waiting reporters as the crowd of friends and supporters grew bigger and bigger.

“Yeah, it’s kind of overwhelming sometimes,” Boreman said.

Boreman showed no sense of being overwhelmed during the race.

The plan was to stay with the top runners, including Highland Park’s Natalie Rathjen who had beaten Boreman at an earlier meet. Boreman and her coach, Kelly Thompson, wanted to let the other top runners set the pace and the freshman would stay with them.

The start was incredible fast, a “surprise” Boreman said. The freshman rushed to the center of the course, quickly becoming part of the pack of front runners.

Boreman stayed in the third spot for most of the first mile, behind Burleson’s Jessica Prickett and Rathjen. But by the time the top runners hit the dam about two miles into the race, Rathjen had moved into first, Boreman into second. Canyon’s Arin Rice had passed Prickett to be in third and was closely trailing Boreman.

Less than a minute later, coming up a hill, Boreman made her move. Striding past Rathjen, Boreman took the lead, pushing farther and farther ahead. She would never let it go.

By the time Boreman hit the final 100 meters, she was completely alone running up to the finish, surrounded by fans lining both sides of the course.  

“The goal was always to power up the hill,” Boreman said. “I felt really comfortable after the first half. The last 800 I felt really good.”

She finished in 17:53.04, eight seconds ahead of Rice. Prickett was third while Rathjen ended up fourth. District rival Cedar Park had two runners place in the top 10: Brittany Innis and Katie Pia were eight and ninth, respectively. Boreman averaged a 5:44 mile.

 “After regionals, the top two was my goal,” said Boreman, who won the 25-4A district and Region IV championships. “It feels good to be almost done with the season.”

Throughout the race, friends and teammates cheered Boreman on, many wearing shirts in her honor. Cross country booster club president Mike Kastens, who owns Lou’s Shirt Shack, said 65 shirts were ordered in a span of about 24 hours. Afterwards, Boreman took several pictures with the supporters, smiling and laughing, waiting for the awards ceremony to receive her gold medal.     

“It was awesome,” Boreman said. “Everyone wearing shirts, supporting me.”

The shirts, the race, the win, the school’s first state championship. It was, as Boreman so simply stated, really good.