Alexa Mulch had a hard time talking about the race she’d just run, but she had no problem clutching the medal she earned for being part of the winning team.

“I didn’t really think much,” said the sophomore, who could hardly stop her post-race laughter after realizing what her 17th-place finish in 20:28 meant to the Southern Regional girls cross-country team during the Ocean County Championships on Oct. 19. “I just ran my hardest and tried to pass as many girls as possible.”

She certainly did that, chugging past a pair of Toms River South runners during the final 100 meters – and that was…