Walsh Jesuit Pat Ritchie Invite Recap

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.

Avon Lake Early Bird Invite Recap

 ELYRIA, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy placed 5th among 15 teams in the Maroon Division varsity race and 2nd among 12 teams in the open race Saturday at the Avon Lake Early Bird Meet. Avery Stives '27 led the Jaguars' varsity effort with a 10th-place finish in 20:39, while Bea Kratt '30 paced the open squad by placing 7th overall in 23:19.

Stives opened her senior season at the front of the Jaguars' varsity lineup, setting the pace through cool, damp conditions at Lorain County Community College. Elizabeth Siefker '28 followed less than a minute behind and finished 13th, giving Saint Joseph Academy two runners among the first 13 across the line. Their performances provided the foundation for the Jaguars' fifth-place team result in a competitive 15-team field.

Kratt delivered a strong race in the open divison, leading a compact Saint Joseph Academy group that helped secure the runner-up team finish. Anna Heuberger '28, Inez Somarriba '30 and Olivia Palleschi '28 were not far behind Kratt, using pack running to strengthen the Jaguars' position in the team standings.

That grouping proved significant in a race where every place contributed to the final result. With Kratt establishing the early benchmark for the Jaguars, Heuberger, Somarriba and Palleschi stayed close enough, all placing in the top-20, to give the team several finishers in succession. The depth behind the lead runner helped Saint Joseph Academy finish ahead of 10 teams in the 12-team open field.

Cloud cover, misty rain and a temperature near 74 degrees kept conditions manageable during the races. The heavier rain held off until the team was packing up, allowing the Jaguars to complete both competitions before the downpour arrived. The only casualty of the weather was a batch of postrace bagels that became soggy before the team could eat all of them.

Saint Joseph Academy will return to competition at the Walsh Jesuit Pat Richie Invitational on Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026. The varsity crew will race at 8:30am in the Gold Divison and the JV crew will race in the open division at 10:25am.

HOKA Night XC Showcase Recap - August 29, 2026

GENEVA, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy opened the 2026 cross country season with two top-three team finishes Saturday night at the HOKA Night XC Showcase. Racing on the new cross country course at Spire Academy, the varsity Jaguars placed 2nd among 37 teams in the black division, while the JV team finished 3rd among 17 teams in the open division.

Maddie Koons ‘29 led the varsity lineup with a 4th place finish, and Elizabeth Siefker ‘28 followed in 6th. Their two top 10 performances gave the Jaguars a strong presence near the front of the field and established the foundation for the runner-up team result.

Pack running strengthened the varsity effort behind the leaders. Sylvia Langer ‘29 and Grace Litten ‘29 stayed close to the front group, with both runners beginning the season by recording personal-best performances. Annie Collins ‘30 and Bea Kratt ‘30 also delivered notable races, holding their own against the varsity field in the season-opening showcase.

The Jaguars carried that depth into the open race, where Anna Heuberger ‘28 and Olivia Palleschi ‘28 led the team to 3rd place finish out of 17 teams. Their performances helped Saint Joseph Academy secure another high team finish.

The meet also marked important first steps for two runners. Inez Somarriba ‘30 and Teagan Frey ‘29 completed their first cross country meets and contributed notable performances in the open race. Their debuts added to an opening night that featured front-running results, personal records and strong team depth across both divisions.

The Jaguars next travel to the Avon Lake Early Bird Meet, hosted at Lorain County Community College on Saturday, Sept. 5. The varsity Jaguars will race at 9:00am in the maroon division followed by the JV/Open Jaguars racing at 10:30am in the open race. The meet will give Saint Joseph Academy another chance to build on its pack running and two podium team finishes from the season opener.

The Varisty Jaguars before the black divsion race

The JV Jaguars before the open race