Chambers wins state title

Norwood senior cross country runner ended her final season in the best way possible, a state champion.
This happened on Saturday, Nov. 8 when she defeated 157 other runners to win the Class 1 State Championship at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
Chambers set a personal best mark of 19:09.40 as her final leg kick helped her beat a second place runner from St. Paul Lutheran by nearly 10 full seconds.
She is the first individual female state champion in Norwood R-I School District history.
This comes just months after Gunner Bradshaw won the first individual boys state championship with his high jump title in track and field.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Chambers said after winning the state championship. “I always wanted to be a state champion and knew if I wanted it I had to push for it.”
Jayden said her sprint work was what helped her take the next step this season with her success.
“Sprints, a lot of them (I worked on) for the final kick in the end,” she noted.
Her past experience on the course was another key to her success.
She was eighth in state last year with her time of 20:45.
Teammate Kalie Chadwell also earned All-State honors as she finished the race with a time of 21:10.10 for 14th place overall.
Chambers said she was happy for Kalie, who just missed an All-State medal a season ago by six places.
“I knew she really wanted (a medal),” Jayden said. “…It was special for her to get 14th. It was really awesome.”