The Fruitport girls cross country team lost a good runner to injury on Saturday, but that did not stop the Trojans from rolling to the championship at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association meet at Muskegon Community College.

The Trojans finished on top of the eight-team field with 50 points, followed by second-place Mona Shores with 60 points.

Whitehall was third with 65 points, followed by Western Michigan Christian (89), Reeths-Puffer (100), Montague (182), North Muskegon (188) and Ravenna (210).

Fruitport won by having four runners in the top 14, in a field of 59 competitors.

Trojans senior Zoe German won the individual championship, taking first place overall with a time of 19:14.4. She outdistanced Holton’s Ryleigh Alderink, the second-place runner, by 22 seconds.

Fruitport junior Peyhton Beardsley took fourth place with a time of 20:43.

Sophomore Aynsley Merkins took 13th with a mark of 21:41 while sophomore Claire Kohley was 14th with a time of 21:49.

Senior Chloe Kohley was 23rd with a time of 23:31.

“The girls won despite having one of our top runners drop out,” said Fruitport head coach Randy Johnson. “We did not know if this was possible this week. Our girls had been having some health issues, but they overcame them and stepped it up.

“Hailey Heistand had to drop out of the race due to a knee injury, but Chloe Kohley stepped up when we needed her, to help the girls finish strong. We were very proud of the effort everyone gave during the race.”