Girls Cross Country Wins State

The girls cross country team won the MHSAA 3A State Championship at Choctaw Trails on Monday, November 8. "The team knew going into the race, St. Patrick was going to be tough competition," said Head Coach Elisabeth Gaillet. "We were seeded 2nd coming into the race, so we knew everything needed to go in our favor for the day to end with a win." From the start of warm ups to the end of the race, the girls did everything right. They stayed focused during warm ups, not missing a single beat, got the line, and fought the entire race. The team had an amazing support system out on the course—the student body traveled to Choctaw Trails along with Head of School Kevin Lewis, Head of Upper School Blake Ware, Athletic Director DeWayne Cupples, coaches, and many parents.

 

"There wasn't a single spot on the course that didn't have St. Andrew's support, and throughout the race, not a single girl backed down from their competition. Every time I told them to pick it up, they did. I could not be a prouder coach," continued Gaillet. The team finished the meet with a total of 46 points followed by St. Patrick's in 2nd with 57 points. This was a very dominant performance by the Saints. Scorers included Emily Ireland in 2nd overall with a time of 20:36; Isabella Flores in 8th overall with a new personal record time of 22:13; India Mitchell in 10th overall with a time of 22:21; Carol Rappai, 11th overall with a time of 22:22; Caitlin Penton, 16th overall with a time of 23:01; Avery Stallings, 17th overall with a time of 23:14; and Christine Moody, 35th overall with a time of 25:14. Ireland, Flores, Mitchell, and Rappai all earned a spot on the 3A All-State Team. "This was a hard fought fight, but each one of these girls worked so hard throughout the season, and winning a State Championship was just the icing on the cake!" View photos from the meet.