News Post

The St. Joseph’s Academy cross country team opened the 2026 season with a first-place finish in the 26th annual St. Michael High School Bayou Boogie Classic on September 5 at Highland Road Park. 

The varsity team placed its five scorers in the top 10 positions to tally 18 points and easily outdistance the 13-team field in the three-mile race. Rounding out the top five were Teurlings Catholic (56 points), Mandeville (111 points), Haynes Academy (148 points) and Acadiana Renaissance Charter (163 points). 

The JV team finished 1-2-3-4-5 in its race. 

The varsity was paced by sophomore Hannah Schneider, who finished third in a new season-best time of 18:02.0. She was followed by Cate Barbier, fifth place, 18.35.0 (new season best); Hope Lemoine, seventh place, 19:22.1 (new season best); Kaitlyn Garidel, ninth place, 19:33.8 (new season best); and Anna Amedee, 10th place, 19:34.7 (new season best). Other runners, their places of finish and times were Charlotte Beck, 11th place, 19:38.0 (new season best); Mary Emery Valluzzo, 13th place, 19:50.5 (new season best); Camille Vaughan, 17th place, 20:32.3 (new season best); Ellie Rose Blake, 20th place, 20:38.5; Camille Sims, 21st place, 20:40.6 (new season best); Ava Picou, 30th place, 21:29.9; and Sophia Otzenberger, 31st place, 21:30.3.

In the three-mile junior varsity race, SJA posted a perfect 15 points followed by Isidore Newman (71) and Acadiana Renaissance Charter (79). 

Runners and their times were Noella Fields, first place, 20:05.4; Aubrey Hudson, second place, 21:49.7, Charley Blanchard, third place, 22:12.3 (personal record); Lola Coghlan, fourth place, 22:23.6; and Audree Comeaux, fifth place, 22:39.2 (new season best).

Next up for the Redstickers is the Border Dash on September 12 in Bossier City. The varsity race gets under way at 8:30 a.m. followed by the JV race at 9:40 a.m.