The St. Joseph’s Academy cross country team won the SJA Cross Country Invitational on October 5 at Highland Road Park. The team was led by senior Michelle Daigle, who set a course and state record with a time of 16:59.4. She is the first Louisiana female high school runner in more than 10 years to traverse the Highland Road Park course in under 17 minutes.
The Redstickers scored 50 points to finish well ahead of the 28-team field. Rounding out the top five were E.D. White (156 points), Parkview (161), Hannan (169) and Ruston (178).
Emmaline Ritter finished in ninth place in 18:46.0 (new personal record) followed by Hope Lemoine, 11th place, 18:51.5 (new personal record); Charlotte Beck, 17th place, 19:07.1 (season-best time); Melia Hooper, 20th place, 19:11.2; Sara Pasquier, 25th place, 19:28.3; and Olivia Crews, 31st place, 19:39.0 (new personal record).
The JV team placed seven runners in the top eight places to score 15 points in the three-mile race. Rounding out the top five were E.D. White (71), Dominican (82), Isidore Newman (108) and Lafayette (154).
Tiana Khuri led the charge, finishing first in 19:23.6 (season-best time). She was followed by Kaitlyn Garidel, second place, 19:46.3 (new personal record); Grace Martin, third place, 20:01.0 (season-best time); Anna Amedee, fourth place, 20:04.2 (new personal record); Cate Barbier, sixth place, 20:05.1 (new personal record); Camille Vaughan, seventh place, 20:29.7 (new personal record); Noella Fields, eighth place, 20:43.8 (new personal record); Camille Sims, 10th place, 21:06.9 (new personal record); Audree Comeaux, 11th place, 21:14.4; Ellie Rose Blake, 13th place, 21:18.7 (new personal record); Sophia Otzenberger, 14th place, 21:19.0; Kaiser Stentiford, 18th place, 22:01.0 (season-best time); and Abbey Haefner, 23rd place, 22:20.2 (new personal record).
Next up for the Redstickers is the CHS Invitational at Highland Road Park on October 12. The varsity race begins at 8 a.m. followed by the JV race at 9 a.m.
Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director