Stella Junius after winning the Division I Region 3 Championship
Most people are more than likely familiar with the name Stella Junius. This young lady has been a prominent name in Louisiana cross country for the past two years now. Considering how dominant she has been in her time competing for Mt. Carmel, who knows what will be in store for her in the latter years of her high school career?
During her eighth-grade year, she made a statement at her first-ever cross-country meet by winning the JV two-mile by almost a minute and a half. This was her first and only JV-level meet. From that point on, she earned herself a spot on the varsity squad and has been the team's top runner ever since.
After her first year of competing for Mt. Carmel, she ended the season with a personal best of 18:55 for 3 miles, which was recorded at the state meet. This resulted in Junius finishing within the top five and garnering her first-ever All-State honor.
These results were impressive for any individual alone, but to see that an eighth-grader achieved such a feat is beyond impressive.
More impressive than that, Junius has yet to stop improving. This year she accomplished even more impressive feats by challenging the 18-minute barrier with her best performance of the season of 18:05 at the Catholic High Invitational.
Other notable finishes from this season were her 2nd place finish at the Mobile Challenge of Champions invitational division, beating the entire St. Joseph's Academy squad that was in attendance, crowning herself the Division I Region 3 champion, and garnering 5th place for the second time in a row at the LHSAA cross country state meet.
All of these accomplishments were achieved as just a freshman, and the school year has yet to finish! The real question to be asked now is, what does Junius do after this cross-country season now that she is a freshman at Mt. Carmel? Will she compete in her first-ever track season or will she continue to play soccer? Her decision will be pivotal for either sport this upcoming winter season, both for her school and for her competitors.
