Avon Lake Earlybird Recap

This weekend, the SJA cross country team tackled a more challenging and tactical course at the Avon Lake Earlybird Meet. Once again, the Jags delivered impressive results bringing home some more hardware. The Varsity squad raced to a 3rd place finish out of 18 teams, led by the dynamic duo of Avery Stives and Maddie Koons, who crossed the line in 4th and 6th place, respectively. Close behind, Elizabeth Siefker, Carolyn Skrha, Amelia Litten, Katherine Starck, and Olivia Newman ran a strong pack helping secure the team’s podium finish.

The rest of the squad dominated the Open Division, earning 1st place out of 13 teams. Ella Schneider led the way with an 8th place finish, while senior Yamaralz Vargas set a lifetime best, earning her a well-deserved nomination and the team’s second Athlete of the Meet title of the season.

Next week, the Jags head to Walsh Jesuit High School for the Pat Ritchie XC Invitational, ready to take on a fast, flat course and continue their streak of strong performances.

Riverside Recap

 The 2025 cross country season has started strong. The girls competed on the trails at Riverside High School during the HOKA Kickoff Classic. The varsity Jags secured 2nd place out of 36 teams, leaving the meet optimistic about the season ahead. The JV Jags also performed well, finishing 6th out of 33 teams.

Leading the pack were junior Avery Stives (3rd place), freshman Maddie Koons (5th place), and sophomore Elizabeth Siefker (7th place). Not far behind were Carolyn Skrha (‘28), Katherine Starck (‘26), Olivia Newman (‘28) and Sylvia Langer (‘29). A total of 47 Jags completed the race, including 12 athletes running their first-ever high school 5k! This year’s team boasts great depth, blending youthful talent with valuable experience.

The team voted to recognize an athlete of the meet for their significant contributions. This week, Mae Wimbiscus earned the honor and received the first athlete of the meet t-shirt of the season.

The Jags’ next competition will be this Saturday at Avon Lake’s Early Bird Invitational, hosted at LCCC.