FORT COLLINS — Air Academy senior Allie McLaughlin is the type of runner that quickly reminds cross country observers of former Boulder great Melody Fairchild. And, one thing for sure, she wins races in the Fairchild tradition, with huge leads.

McLaughlin, a 4-foot-9, 90-pounder (in her tennis shoes), won Saturday’s Class 5A state championship with a dominating performance clocking a time of 17:04.53 over the Fossil Ridge High School course. McLaughlin won by 1:01.40 over second-place finisher Clare Gallagher of Cherry Creek.

And, McLaughlin did it under the watchful eyes of Fairchild.

But the day was not a total disappointment for Gallagher as she led Cherry Creek to a third-place finish behind team champion Fort Collins, which scored 110 points, and runner-up Highlands Ranch (203). The Bruins finished with 208.

“I was pretty nervous at the beginning, but after we started I didn’t feel bad,” said McLaughlin, who finished 8th in last year’s final. “When I saw the clock at the end (coming up the stretch), I was hoping to go under 17-minutes.

“Everyone started out fast. I got into second place after about 400-meters and I just followed (Gallagher) for a while. Once I got into first, I felt pretty comfortable. I just wanted to make sure I was far enough ahead so I wouldn’t have to out sprint anyone.”

Once the McLaughlin made her more, Gallagher knew it would be difficult making up the distance between the pair. And at that point, she needed to concentrate on staying ahead of Boulder’s Kelsey Lakowske and Fort Collins’ Miranda Benzel.

“Allie is such a great runner and she sets such a fast pace,” Gallagher said. “I just wanted to keep a grip on second and not let that slip. My tactic was to just try and stay behind her, but I fell off a bit from what I wanted.”

Benzel, who finished fourth, was hoping to finish among the top three, but she was more than happy with the team title.

“This team was amazing,” said Benzel, who ran a time of 18:23.48. “We had fallen short two years in a row, so being my senior year this is amazing. For me individually, it was a little disappointing, but certainly a fun race. I wanted to beat Clare and the girl from Boulder (Lakowske), but they ran away from me in the stretch. But, we have Fort Collins back on top.”

Benzel was joined in the winning team effort by junior Kirsten Follett (10th, 19:03.98), senior Tati Ogan (15th, 19:20.93), sophomore Marci Wiczak (24th, 19:37.23) and junior Denise Chilson (57th (20:08.18).

Said Fairchild, still considered Colorado’s finest high school cross country runner, “Allie is going to need to develop a little more physically. I hope that she keeps her success, which is awesome right now, in perspective. She is an awesome athlete. I saw the fire in her eyes as she was pushing herself from within when no one was around her.

“It is kind of nice to have other runners compared to me, but she has her own personality on the course when she runs.”