<p> NASHVILLE — While an individual state championship is the dream of many high school athletes, it was just icing on the cake for Adam Barnard. </p> <p> The Daniel Boone senior blistered the field at the TSSAA Class AAA state cross country meet at Nashville’s Percy Warner Park on Saturday. But, his winning run of 15:43 was secondary to leading the Trailblazers program to a third state championship. </p> <p> With Barnard, James Garst and Josh Routh all finishing in the top four, the ’Blazers edged Brentwood 47-50 for the overall championship. </p> <p> “Winning the individual title was a goal for me, but the team title means so much more,” Barnard said. “I know the blood, sweat and tears these guys give every single day. These guys are my best friends, my family and that puts a whole lot bigger emphasis on winning as a team. I just wanted to run my heart out today for those guys. When I took control with a mile to go, all I could think was what I had to do to win for the team. When we got that team title, that was the greatest feeling I’ve ever had.” </p> <p> It gave Boone its third state championship under a third different coach with Len Jeffers. Karl Winkle coached the ’Blazers to a first state title in 1981 and George Moody was the head coach of the 1998 championship team. </p> <p> Jeffers, who ran on the 1981 team, said it was a different feeling this time around, knowing what his kids had endured both physically and emotionally after back-to-back state runner-up finishes. </p> <p> “It’s an awesome feeling, an awesome accomplishment for all the work they’ve done,” Jeffers said. “The last couple of years we’ve tried to give it a shot, but they’ve kept coming back with more determination. </p> <p> “They laid it all out there and didn’t leave anything on the course. We knew it was going to be close and it was going to be tough. No offense to any other team, but they’ve got to be up there as possibly the best team ever to come through Boone.” </p> <p> Garst at 15:51 came up just short to Brentwood’s Brodey Hasty in the race for second, but his third-place finish was pivotal as was the fourth-place finish for Routh at 16:05. Garst, also a senior, has been Barnard’s training partner and best friend throughout their journey. </p> <p> “To come in here our freshman year, all we wanted to do was to be here and run,” Garst said. “The next two years, we wanted to win. We came up short both those years, but this year, we did it. It wasn’t by much, but it doesn’t have to be. Adam and I ended it the best way we could our senior year.” </p> <p> Routh’s effort put the Trailblazers in a great position to clinch. However, Brentwood hung right with them with the runner-up finish by Hasty, a fifth-place by Gavin Hasty and finishes of 13th, 16th and 20th. In addition, some had picked Brentwood as the pre-race favorite based on their No. 4 and No. 5 guys. </p> <p> “After getting runner-up the last two years, this is unreal,” Routh said. “The guys up front, we ran exactly how we wanted to, but Ben (Varghese) and Mitch (Bronstetter), they really stepped it up today and showed what they were made of. They had a great race and really helped us out today.” </p> <p> As Routh alluded to, Varghese in 19th (16:39) and Mitch Bronstetter in 25th (16:48) provided enough points to win. Bronstetter literally clinched the state title with a margin of less than four seconds over the 28th place runner. </p> <p> “It’s insane,” Bronstetter said. “To come up just short the last couple of years and then to train so hard and win it, it means so much to us. We almost collapsed when we heard we won.” </p> <p> Nick Roth (17:44) and Jacob Garst (18:19) were others who ran for the state champions on Saturday. </p> <p> Jeffers said the title was won from top to bottom. His seniors and Routh provided the strong performances he expected, while his No. 4 and No. 5 guys held off the pack just enough for the victory. </p> <p> “They held on for every spot they could get. It was an incredible performance,” Jeffers said. “Those seniors, it’s hard to match their accomplishments and their leadership with the support they’ve given to the entire team. </p> <p> “You’ve just got to give the whole team credit. They’ve worked hard and have stayed focused. We’re going to enjoy this one for a while.” </p>