The Bluejays were on the podium at the state meet.
Shepherd finished second with 133 points behind Hart with 77 in the Division 3 girls cross country state race on Saturday at MIS.
The top local runner was Clara Krupp of New Lothrop (19:16;5) while Aubrey George of Pewamo-Westphalia was 17th (19:32.2)
For Shepherd, Maddie Skeel was 19th (19:33.8), Ariel Warner was 27th (19:48.3) and Amelia Gouin was 35th. The Bluejays, by a 133-136 score, edged out Grandville Christian for second place.
“I was super excited when we found out,” Skeel said. “We knew we had a chance but us, Calvin and Benzie were close. We all ran our best.
“This is my first time being All-State and I’m super excited about that. I’ve had a good season. I was happy with how I ran.”
Pewamo-Westphalia was fifth, Ithaca sixth and Clare eighth.
“It was hard but I pushed through” Warner said. “I’m happy I made All-State as a freshman.”
As for the team placing second, “we knew it was a possibility,” Warner said.
Other All-Staters included Libby Mutterloh of St. Louis (19:13.4) in 10th and Lani Bloom of Ithaca (19:34.4) who was 21st.
Bloom was disappointed with her race.
“It was going good until the two mile,” she said. “And then I started to get dizzy, lost control and fell apart. When I started to get dizzy, I was in third. Everything fell apart at once. I’m happy I finished. I’m proud no matter what.”
Bloom was sixth last season.
“I think I had new health problems I haven’t figured out yet,” Bloom said.
Bloom’s teammate Abi Whitford was 29th (19:59.8).
“It was good, nice and fast and the cold weather helped a lot,” Whitford, a junior, who was an All-Stater for the first time, said. “It’s insane.”
Sophomore Clara Krupp of New Lothrop was 11th (19:16.4).
“I thought I did pretty good,” she said. “My goal was top 30. This is my second year of running and was a much better year. I thought my season was pretty good.”