PACK RUNNING 1O1: THE STICKERS SHOW HOW IT IS DONE AT THE SJA INVITATIONAL EARLIER THIS YEAR
Championship season is in full swing in Louisiana. Baton Rouge's Highland Road Park was the place to be on Wednesday and Baton Rouge area teams competed in the East Baton Rouge Metro Championships.
The St. Joseph's Academy girls, led by freshman Hannah Schneider (18:16), and Catholic boys team, led by sophomore Augustin Juneau (15:52), came away with team wins.
Parkview Baptist's Lucy Cramer (18:03) and Dutchtown's Shrey Shah (15:46) picked up individual championships.
"I was blessed and thankful for the ability to have competed today," Cramer said. "It was really fun running with Molly and going 1-2 and helping the Eagles finish second to SJA at Metro. I leaned on God's strength and ran to honor Him. It was a good day and all glory goes to God."
The Stickers won the girls title with 45 points, 11 more than runner up Parkview Baptist. The Bears won the boys division with 37 points. Episcopal was the runner-up with 79 points.
"She ran a great race," SJA head coach Mark LaHaye said. "She wasn't really focused on time. It was about position. Parkview Baptist was gunning for us. We had to break up to their top three. She did that, and then it was running as a pack as we finished 9,10,11,13. Boom."
That was not unusual for the Stickers. What was unusual is that it was a different group of girls. Audrey Manda (19:13), Tiana Khuri (19:32), Hope Lemoine (19:36), and Olivia Crews (19:38) rounded out SJA's top five.
It was a personal record for Manda in what LaHaye called the "race of her life."
"I didn't think we were going to run that fast." LaHaye said honestly. "There was 20mph wind. It was cold. The junior varsity ran at 3 O'clock. They were dreading it and eight JV kids had PRs. They were smiling. It was really fun."
Unlike the past few seasons, SJA came into the season without some of the big names they have had in years past, but maintaining the same high expectations which have allowed the program to win a record nine state cross country championships.
"They really embraced it," LaHaye said of the team's mindset coming into the season. "We set little goals. I told them to forget about Michelle (LSU's Michelle Daigle). If we get one person under 18 that would be great. Having 6 under 19:00 That's great."
Now, the Stickers turn their attention to regionals which will be held on Thursday, November 6 at Highland Road Park.