Duffy Wins Class 1A Cross-Country Title

St. John's Prep senior Margaret Duffy won the Class 1A state championship in Ham Lake, Minn., leading her team to a fifth-place finish.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Track & Field

Expressive editorial sports illustration of two cross-country runners in maroon and teal singlets racing down a birch-lined forest path in warm autumn light. — St. John's Prep senior Margaret Duffy won the MSHSL Class 1A cross-country state title in Ham Lake, Minn., repeating as champion with a 17:25.2 personal best. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

St. John's Prep senior Margaret Duffy won the MSHSL Class 1A state cross-country championship, repeating as champion with a personal best time of 17:25.2. St. John's Prep finished fifth in the team standings with 164 points.

Why it matters

Duffy's back-to-back titles come after a season that began slowly because of a knee injury, and the win caps a strong final stretch in her prep career. The result gives Minnesota high school distance running a standout performer who is headed to Northwestern.

Duffy finished in a personal best 17:25.2, faster than her 17:55.5 winning time from last year's race. St. John's Prep scored 164 points to finish fifth in the team standings, and the extraction does not detail how much the knee injury affected her training.

The players

Margaret Duffy

A senior cross-country runner at St. John's Prep and a Northwestern commit who has now won the Class 1A state title in back-to-back years.

St. John's Prep

A Minnesota high school whose cross-country program finished fifth in the Class 1A team standings this year.

The details

Duffy made a move about 2.2 miles into the race to take the lead and was pursued closely down the final straightaway by Nova Classical's Isabel Pass. She won 11 of her last 15 races in her prep career and won each of her final four meets.

Last year: Duffy won the prior year's Class 1A race in 17:55.5.
Earlier this season: Duffy battled a knee injury and started the season slowly.
November 7, 2026: Duffy won the Class 1A state championship at Ham Lake, Minn.

Season Trajectory

Duffy's repeat title, following last year's 17:55.5 win, makes her a two-time Class 1A champion in a season that started slowly for her. Her closing run of 11 wins in her last 15 races gives the state's distance running picture a clear reference point heading into the next cycle.

Duffy's back-to-back Class 1A titles and her 17:25.2 personal best are the key results for fans tracking Minnesota's top prep distance runners. Her Northwestern commitment means her next competitive step will come at the collegiate level.

The takeaway

Duffy's back-to-back titles show how a slow start to the season can still end in a championship finish. Readers following Minnesota prep distance running should track how runners recover from early-season setbacks.