Jaguars Claim Third Place at DII Northeast District Meet

The Jaguars arrived at the DII Northeast District meet with big goals in mind, and the team delivered with an impressive performance. Ultimately, the Jaguars earned a third-place team finish out of 20 teams, improving on last season’s fourth-place district finish.

Maddie Koon’s 29 led the way for the team with a fifth place finish. Elizabeth Siefker ’28 followed with a ninth-place finish, while Avery Stives ’27 placed 14th. With five runners finishing in the top-15, the Jaguars put together a strong team effort to secure third place.

Annie Collins ’30 and Grace Litten ’29 also got their first taste of postseason racing, running strong races that contributed to the team’s overall success. With a high District team finish behind them, the Jaguars will look to carry that momentum into the next stage of competition at  Regionals. 

Next up, the team will compete at the DII Northeast Regional meet on October 31st. The Jaguars will race at Boardman High School at 11:50 a.m. as they look to continue their postseason run.

Jaguars Celebrate Senior Night at the Jaguar XC Invitational

With the best weather possible for mid-October, the Jaguar XC Invitational was the best way to end the regular season for the Jaguars. It was a strong night for the Jaguars, with 32 season bests and 21 lifetime bests. For the second year in a row, Olivia Palleschi ‘28 won the race with a time of 20:27. Right behind her were Olivia Newman ‘28 (3rd place), Bea Kratt ‘30 (4th place), Grace Litten (5th place), and Carolyn Skrha (8th place). With five Jaguars in the top 10, the team pulled off a first-place team finish for the fifth year in a row.

One of many notable performances came from Alison Donnelly ‘30. In just her third race as a Jaguar, Alison set a PR of 23:24, shaving off 2 minutes and 48 seconds from her previous best. Grace Henry ‘27 also lowered her PR to 23:43 to end her senior season in a memorable way.

After the race, the team honored its 11 seniors with a ceremony and picnic. Congratulations to Ella Antonetti, Stella Garland, Grace Henry, Noel Heuberger, Jesslyn Kostecke, Jezebel Kostecke, Vanessa Langer, Ellen Loftus, Grace Schmidt, Ella Schneider, and Avery Stives on a great senior cross country season.

The Jaguars now head to the postseason, running in the DII Northeast District meet at Lorain County Community College. The team races at 10:00 a.m.

Jaguars Build Postseason Momentum at Medina Milt Place

The Jaguars took on the Medina Milt Place XC Festival as their last full-team meet of the season, finishing the day with five season bests!

In the varsity race, Maddie Koons ’29 led the way with an impressive sixth-place overall finish. Close behind were Avery Stives ’30 and Elizabeth Siefker ’28, finishing 12th and 15th, respectively. With three Jaguars in the top 15, the team secured a strong second-place finish out of 23 teams. This high team finish provided yet another valuable data point as the team looks ahead to the postseason.

In the JV/open race, Olivia Palleschi ’28 led the team with a time of 21:43 and an impressive seventh-place finish. Right behind her was Bea Kratt ’30, who earned an 11th-place finish. These two Jaguars helped the team secure a fourth-place finish out of 18 teams. Another notable performance came from Olivia Ralston ’30, who recorded a 16-second PR with a time of 25:50.

The Jaguars will next compete at the Jaguar XC Invitational (Senior Night) on October 21 at the South Mastick Picnic Area. This will be the team’s final meet of the regular season!

Momentum Continues for the Jaguars at the Madison Invitational

For the third week in a row, the cross country Jaguars had a strong week across the board. That was proven at the Madison U Wanna Come Back Invitational, with the tam recording 17 season bests and 12 lifetime bests. In the varsity race, Maddis Koons ’28 had a standout performance, finishing in 18:38 and moving up to fourth on Saint Joseph Academy's all-time list. Avery Stives  ’27 and Elizabeth Siefker ’28 followed closely behind, while Siefker ran a 19:37, taking 22 seconds off her previous personal best. Freshmen Inez Somarriba and Annie Collins also made an impact as the fourth and fifth scorers for the Jaguars. Collins has maintained a strong varsity presence all season, while Somarriba has continued to secure her spot over the past three weeks. The varsity crew placed 7th out of 29 teams.

In the JV/Open race, Bea Kratt ’30 led the way again for the Jaguars for the second week in a row finishing in 21:38 and taking 21 seconds off her previous best time. Several other runners also recorded noticeable personal bests, including Teagan Frey ’29, who crossed the finish line in 24:07, improving by 57 seconds. Natalia Turner ’30 shaved 47 seconds off her previous best to finish in 25:06, while Camila Valore ’30 took off 1:16 to finish in 25:00. The JV Jaguars took home a 5th place finish out of 11 teams. 

The team races next at the Medina Milt Place XC Festival on October 10th. Varsity runs at 9:30am, followed by the JV/Open race at 10:40. This will be the final whole team meet of the season. 

Jaguars Place Fifth in Varsity and Fourth in Open at Strongsville

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy placed fifth among 19 varsity teams Saturday at the Strongsville Fleet Feet Invitational, led by Maddie Koons ’30 and a consistent scoring pack. Koons finished sixth in 18:55, while Avery Stives ’27 and Elizabeth Sifker ’28 joined her in the top 25.

Racing on a new course with clear and cool weather conditions, the Jaguars maintained the compact formation that has supported their recent success. Saint Joseph Academy’s five scoring runners finished within 2:13 of one another, nearly matching the 2:12 spread the team recorded the previous week at Massillon Jackson. Koons led the way up front, while Stives, Siefker and the remaining scorers worked together to keep the team’s gaps tight throughout the race.

Saturday’s race offered an important early look at the postseason field. Of the 19 varsity teams competing at Strongsville, six are among the 21 teams Saint Joseph Academy is scheduled to face at the district meet on October 24. The Jaguars finished ahead of five of those six teams, providing a positive benchmark as the team heads toward the championship portion of its season. With districts less than a month away, the result showed that Saint Joseph Academy’s pack strength and consistency can translate against several of the teams it will see again when the postseason begins.

The team also placed fourth among 14 teams in the JV/open race. Bea Kratt ’30 led the Jaguars with a time of 22:11, followed closely by Carolyn Skrha ’28. Kratt, Skrha and Ella Schneider ’27 each earned a top-25 finish, giving the team three runners near the front of the field.

The JV/open group produced an even tighter spread, with only 1:23 separating its scoring runners. That consistency helped the Jaguars secure their fourth-place team result and extended a strong day across both races. The varsity and JV/open finishes continued Saint Joseph Academy’s momentum as the postseason, which begins Oct. 24, draws closer.

The Jaguars will next compete at the Madison Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The varisty crew will race at 9:45am, followed by the JV/open race at 11:15am.

Jaguars Place Second in Varsity and Open Races at HeckSpacular

 

MASSILLON, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy placed second in both the varsity and open races at the Massillon Jackson Heckspacular on Saturday, Sept. 19, as Maddie Koons ’29 and Avery Stives ’27 led a strong day of pack running at Jackson Middle School. The Jaguars scored 59 points in the varsity race, finishing two points behind the winner, while the open squad totaled 38 points and missed first place by seven.

Koons paced the varsity lineup with a time of 18:54, matching her lifetime best, and Stives followed closely in 18:57 setting a new personal best. Their performances strengthened both runners’ positions on Saint Joseph Academy’s all-time top-10 list. With only three seconds separating the Jaguars’ first two finishers, the front of the lineup set the tone for a varsity group that averaged 19:52 and placed four runners among the top 15.

The varsity race also produced five lifetime-best performances. In addition to Stives’ 18:57, Svlvia Langer ’29 finished in 20:25, Annie Collins ’30 ran 21:06, Grace Litten ’29 recorded 21:29 and Inez Somarriba '30 crossed in 21:34. Those performances helped the Jaguars stay within two points of the team title and demonstrated the depth developing behind Koons and Stives.

Saint Joseph Academy’s pack was just as effective in the open race with the scoring runners averaging a time of 22:30. Anna Heuberger ’28 led the Jaguars with a lifetime-best 21:09 and placed second overall. Bea Kratt ’30 finished fourth breaking the 22 minute mark for the first time, Samantha Eynon ’29 took eighth and Jezebel Kostecke ’27 placed ninth while running a season best time. The open squad put five runners in the top 15, allowing the Jaguars to compile a lower team score than the varsity group and remain in contention for the race victory.

The two runner-up finishes highlighted the Jaguars’ strongest pack running of the season. Across the meet, Saint Joseph Academy recorded 34 season-best times and 18 lifetime bests. Eight of those lifetime-best performances came from returning runners, giving the team another indication of its progress as the postseason approaches. The results came under clear skies with a temperature of 79 degrees.

The Jaguars will next race away at the Strongsville Invitational. Varisty will race at 9:00am followed by the JV/Open race at 10:00am. After placing nine runners in the top 15 across the varsity and open races at the Heckspacular, Saint Joseph Academy will carry improving times and a tightly grouped lineup into its next postseason tuneup.

JV Jaguars Take Third, Varsity Places 12th at Walsh Pat Richie Invitational

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy’s JV Jaguars used three top-20 finishes to place third among 13 teams, while the varsity team finished 12th in a competitive 22-team field Saturday at the Walsh Pat Richie Invitational. Avery Stives ’27 and Maddie Koons ’29 led the varsity pack. Inez Sommarriba ’30 led the field in the open race with a hot second place finish.

Clear skies and cooler conditions at Walsh Jesuit High School helped produce 19 season-best performances for the Jaguars. The temperature was 63 degrees at the start of the meet, giving the team a favorable setting to attack their previous marks and maintain a steady pace through the race.

Stives and Koons set the pace for Saint Joseph Academy in the varsity race against a deep field. Annie Collins ’30 continued moving closer to the sub-22 mark, finishing in 22:05. Their efforts helped The Jaguars navigate the tough competition.

The Jaguars’ pack running was especially effective in the open race. Sommarriba cut 2 minutes, 9 seconds from her time the previous week and recorded a season-best of 22:14 to finish second. Olivia Palleschi ’28 stayed close behind in fourth place and crossed in a season-best of 22:25, while Samantha Eynon ’29 was not far back in 19th.

The close spacing among Sommarriba, Palleschi and Eynon gave Saint Joseph Academy three runners in the top 20 and powered The Jaguars to third place overall. Their ability to race together and hold strong positions provided one of the team’s most significant performances of the meet.

The Jaguars will travel to the Massillon Jackson Heckspacular on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, where varisty will race at 9:30am followed by the open race at 10:30am.