FOR THE NINTH STRAIGHT TIME, SJA TOOK OVER THE PODIUM AFTER THE LHSAA D1 GIRLS STATE XC MEET
And then there were two.
We have only two more stories left in our series on the Top 15 Stories of 2024. Today, we have No. 2 on our list, which was not mentioned by any of the coaches from Louisiana when we asked them for their input on the matter. Maybe the coaching community has just come to expect it after an almost decade-long dominance.
Coach Mark LaHaye's Stickers won their ninth consecutive state cross country championship in 2024. Yes, NINE straight! And for their efforts, SJA is out No. 2 Story of the Year in 2024.
The Red Stickers were led by senior Michelle Daigle, who had a phenomenal season-one of the best in LHSAA history, SJA scored 55 points to handily beat runner up Mt. Carmel by 45 points.
LaHaye did not waste any time in finding a way to motivate his Stickers after SJA won title No. 8 in 2023. Before getting on the team bus and heading home from Natchitoches, LaHaye told his girls that Mt. Carmel, then led by junior Catalina Richard, would be returning everybody.
Even if Richard had competed for Cubs during the 2024 season, it would not have been enough. SJA was simply too strong.
Consider the fire power that St. Joseph's lost after the 2023 season-2022 state champion Hannah Vaughan, Elise Brown, and Grace Rennhoff?
Besides Daigle, other scoring runners included Emmaline Ritter (No. 8; 19:05), Charlotte Beck (No. 14: 19:24), Tiana Khuri (No. 15; 19:26), and Sara Pasquier (No. 19; 19:34).
Of the top five, Beck and Khuri should return in 2025 to make it a perfect 10 for SJA. Hope Lemoine (No. 21; 19:46) was the No. 6 runner at the LHSAA State Meet and will be play an important role as well in 2025.
Once again, Mt. Carmel, who returns their top five runners, will be the main competition for the Sticker as they look to continue the streak in 2025.