Brad Moening is the architect of Highland Park’s distance running dynasty. The Scots’ coach is universally praised by his athletes for the environment he cultivates and how he charts out races.

So, traditionally, when the coach gives out directions, Scots senior Grace Lewis-Mosher would happily oblige.

But even though Moening instructed his top tandem of Lewis-Mosher and senior Claire Vukovics to wait until the 2.5-mile mark to make a move in Saturday’s Class 2A state meet at Les Bolstad Golf Course on the University of Minnesota campus, Lewis-Mosher decided to go a little early.

“I really was getting nervous feeling it slow down so much with a mile to go. I just feel comfortable making moves earlier,” Lewis-Mosher said. “He just said leave it to the last 50 (meters) if I was with it. I could’ve maybe done that, but I just didn’t want to feel nervous that last mile. I could really feel it slowing down, and I decided it was better to keep an even consistent pace.”

Vukovics went with her.

“I was surprised,” Vukovics said, “because I was feeling good.”

By the time Moening saw his lead runners, he knew they’d made the correct decision.

“I was on the course, and I saw (Lewis-Mosher) at about (the 4k mark) with just the biggest smile on her face,” he said, “and I knew she had it wrapped up.”

Lewis-Mosher won the state title with a time of 18 minutes, 11.8 seconds over the 5-kilometer course. Vukovics was second, crossing the line 11 ticks later. Moening believed both runners could finish in the top five — Vukovics’ goal was a top 10. But a one-two finish for the teammates?

“On any given day, anybody can pop off a big race. The fact that both of them did, that’s a surprise,” Moening said. “They just showed up.”

Lewis-Mosher felt she had to. In an interview at the state meet a year ago, after she logged a top-10 finish, she was asked what her goals were for her senior campaign. Her response: “To take the individual dub.”

“That was what I said. I was never going to be able to live that down,” she said with a laugh. “I remembered that last night, my coach reminded me this morning. I was like, ‘Oh, I have expectations.’ I can’t say that, that’s too cocky to say and then not deliver.”

The tandem atop the podium highlighted a banner day for the Scots. Highland Park secured its third girls team state title Saturday, with Samantha Palm also earning all-state honors with a 19th-place finish.

Palm, Moening said, is the team’s “glue.”

“Everybody keys off Sam,” Moening said, “because Sam is consistent.”

He told her to try to run the mile in six minutes, eight seconds on Saturday.

“And what’d she do? 6:08,” Moening said. “When we saw that, I was like, ‘We’re good.’”

The Scots were, indeed, good — from start to finish all season. Moening noted this was likely his best team to date. The Scots were as deep of a squad as you will find. Highland Park’s entire JV team was varsity caliber.

Everyone worked in unison to make one another better.

Vukovics cited gratitude sessions throughout the season in which the runners said what they were grateful for and highlighted another teammate. In a sport built on competition, the Scots — with as competitive a roster as you’ll find — truly embraced the team.

And that team delivered in a big way on Saturday, one year after the Scots placed second behind Marshall. Moening admitted that one “stung” his athletes.

Lewis-Mosher said a year ago, the Scots may have made the mistake of overly expecting victory.

“It was kind of a slippery slope of thinking we had it in the bag, as bad as that sounds,” she said.

It was a lesson learned and then applied on Saturday.

“This year, we did not think it was guaranteed,” she said. “I know that a lot of people predicted us to be strong contenders, but we really came in with the mindset that everybody has to give it all.”

The end result was another state title.

“I could not wish for anything better than what happened today,” Vukovics said. “I was really happy.”

Class 2A boys

Annandale senior Sal Wirth won the individual title in 15:15, edging Perham’s Bjorn Anderson by 1.4 seconds.

Charlie Loth of Como Park placed seventh in 15:54.4 to pace the Cougars, who finished fourth as a team — the program’s best-ever finish. Marshall won the team title.

Class A

Winona Cotter freshman Erik Semling won the boys individual title in 15:23.5. Cotter had three of the top seven finishers, but it Redwood Valley took home the team title, with Cotter taking third. Redwood Valley had the second- and third-place finishers in William Ahrens and Kilen Cilek.

Mounds Park Academy’s Eddie Snider finished fourth with a time of 15: 50.4 in his title defense.

On the girls side, Audrey Brownell of Staples-Motley won the title in 18:17.2, while Cotter won the team crown.

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