CROSS COUNTRY NEWS
37 Athletes Have Qualified for the 2025 AAU Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas.
Area athletes earn invite.

HAMMOND LA—The Southeast Louisiana Roadrunners AAU Track and Field has qualified thirty-seven athletes for the 2025 AAU Junior Olympic Games to be held in Humble, Texas at the end of July and beginning of August . The top five finishers in each event qualifies, while the top three in the Multi-Events also qualified. In the 8-under girls division, Kate Chimento won the 1500 (7:29.80) and was second in the 800 (3:09.50), Ava Villalta was third in the 1500 (9:03.97) and Ivy Edwards was fourth in the long jump (10-10.75). In the 9's, Thea Hall was first in the 1500 Racewalk (11:22.50), Brayleigh Bagot was first in the 1500(5:43.25), high jump(3-09), Triathlon(719 points) and was second in the long jump (11-11.50), while Isabella Villalta was fourth in the 1500 (8:26.63).
    Abigail Anderson (10's) was second in the 1500 Racewalk (11:36.08), while Marlee James (11's) won the 400(1:06.80), was second in the 200 (28.72) and was fourth in the 100 (14.27), Hadley Fitzgerald (11's) won the 80 meter hurdles (17.91) and was second in the long jump (14-03.25), Anslee McLure (11's) was second in the high jump (3-07), Mia Guitierrez (11's) won the turbo javelin (57-10), was third in the discus (46-03) and was fourth in the shot put (21-02), while Lily Edwards (11's) was fourth in the 1500 racewalk (12:11.21) and turbo javelin (39-04). Claire Mitchell(12's) won the 1500(5:37.40) and was fourth in the 800(2:41.49) and long jump (14-00.50), Isabel Laneaux (12's) won the high jump (4-03) and was third in the 80 meter hurdles (15,53), while McKenzie Murphy (12's) was the turbo javelin champion (68-10). Camille Mitchell (13's) won the 1500 (5:39.76) and was third in the 800 (2:33.91), Ann Guilliot (13's) was second in the 800 (2:33.72) and 1500 (5:44.29) and she won the 200 meter hurdles (32.71) while Juliette Carrington (13's) qualified at the fourth position in the 400 (1:05.67). Laiken Ledet (13's) was fifth in the long jump (13-07.75) and 200 hurdles(35.85), Brynlee Correjolles(13's) qualified second in the shot put (29-01.25), discus (72-06) and javelin (84-01). Chloe Carter (14's) captured the 400 meters (59.60) and was fourth in the 200 (26.46), Claire Donnelley (14's) was fifth in the 400 (1:04.09) and third in the 200 hurdles (32.34).
    Celia Adams (14's) won the 3000 (11:07.86), and was third in the 800 (2:32.88) and 1500 (5:14.15), Morgan Johnson (14's) was fourth in the 800 (2:40.89) and 1500 (5:59.09) and Lexi Lelanne (14's) qualified third in the javelin (49-10), fourth in the shot put (23-10.75) and fifth in the discus (61-10). The 13-14 girls 3200 meter relay team of: Adams, Donnelley, Guilliot and Cami Mitchell captured the event in (10:33.91), while the 1600 meter relay team of: Cami Mitchell, Carrington, Carter and Madi Alberts posted a third place finish in (4:36.22). Mackenzie Hayes(15-16) was the Heptathlon champion with a new meet record score of (4,206 points) and also set a new meet record to win the high jump (5-06). Kaylee McCain (15-16) was second in the 2000 meter steeple chase (10:33.08) and was third in the 3000 (13:09.17), Kaylei Long (15-16) was fourth in the high jump (4-10) and triple jump (33-01), Brylee McClure (15-16) was fifth in the high jump (4-08), Emma Romano (15-16) was fourth in the pole vault (7-06), Betsy Treuting (15-16) was fourth in the javelin (44-05). Noah Watson (17-18) was a double winner in the 1500 (5:15.52) and 3000 (11:16.91) and was fourth in the 800 (2:30.93), Olivia Crusta (17-18) was third in the Heptathlon (3,300 points) and was fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.59), while Julia Jenkins (17-18) was third in the javelin (90-02).
    Benjamin Sims (8-u) qualified at the second position in the 1500 (6:21.74), Luke Shaver (12's) was fifth in the 800 (2:40,84), while Ty Silewicz (13's) was fourth in the 1500 (5:07.80). Braxton Bagot (13's) was second in the Pentathlon (2,034 points), was third in the triple jump (29-08), fourth in the high jump (4-04) and was fifth in the discus (73-07). Hudson Cormier (14) was the 3000 meter champion (9:58.33) and was second in the 1500 (4:46.39), Landen Loupe (14) was second in the Pentathlon(1,886 points) and was third in the high jump (5-02) and javelin (133-06) and Samuel Laneaux (14) was third in the 3000 racewalk (23:00.16). The 3200 meter relay team of; Laneaux, Cormier, Bagot and Silewicz posted a third place finish in (9:58.33). Tyler Francis (15-16) was a triple winner in the 800(2:01.29), 1500 (4:25.43) and 3000 (9:39.28), Gabe Chimento (15-16) was second in the 2000 steeple chase (8:26.51) Tate Soileau (15-16) was third in the javelin (160-01), Talmadge Willie (15-16) was second in the Decathlon (3,279 points), Jacob Ruiz (17-18) was fourth in the 3000 (9:53,40) and Austin Billiot (17-18) was second in the javelin (162-02).
    
Ladies punch their ticket to the State Championship!
Junior Alexis Pitts led the Lady Falcons posting a personal best time and senior Jacob Mullis lead the STA boys team with a season best time of 16:49.

HAMMOND LA—The Saint Thomas Aquinas girls and boys cross country teams competed in the 2023 LHSAA Division 4 -Region 3 Cross Country Championships held at the Sievers Air Field Course in Duson, Louisiana on Thursday. The STA girls punched their ticket to the State Meet to be held in Natchitoches on November 13th, while the boys team just missed out running with just five runners due to injuries. The top eight teams and the top twenty-five individuals qualify for the State Meet.
    The Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy captured the girls team title with (56), while the STA girls scored (86), followed by; Metairie Park Country Day (96), Ascension Episcopal (107), Louise McGehee (115), Episcopal School of Acadiana (130), St. Martin's (176), Houma Christian (204), Dunham (213) and Slaughter Community Charter (227). STA Junior Alexis Pitts led the Lady Falcons posting a personal best time of (18:35), while Bella Theriot was twelfth (19:41), Ava Mistretta was eighteenth (19:50), Amelia Mistretta was nineteenth(19:53), Sophia Castillo (35th-21:37), Betsy Geisler (37th-21:51) and Knsley McCrory (57th-24:20) in a field of 77 runners.
    The Metairie Park Country Day boys team captured the team title with (61), ARCA was second(68), ESA third(76), LCA fourth (126), Houma Christian fifth (149), St. Martin's sixth (160), Ascension Episcopal seventh (183), Dunham eighth (201), STA ninth (216), PJP tenth (247) and Slaughter Community Charter eleventh (272). Senior Jacob Mullis lead the STA boys team with a season best time of (16:49), which qualifies him individually to compete in the State Meet. Mullis joined Malachi Russell Lizarraga (40th-18:36), Daniel Parkinson (47th-19:31), Daniel Wittie (60th-20:43) and Parker Street (65th-21:00) in a field of 79 runners.
    
AGAIN and AGAIN! Lady Falcons win the team title to claim District Championship!
STA Boys earn runner-up honors.

HAMMOND< LA—The St. Thomas Aquinas girls posted a first place team finish, while the boys team was first in Tuesday's 7-2A cross country championships held on the STA campus course. The Lady Falcons scored (17) to runner-up Northlake Christian with (40). The STA girls put six runners in the top nine positions, senior Alexis Pitts was the individual winner in (19:29), Ava Mistretta was second (20:14), Bella Theriot third (20:18), Amelia Mistretta fourth (20:54), Betsy Geisler seventh (23:15), Sophia Castillo ninth(23:50) and Kinsley McCrory was fourteenth (27:51).
    The Northlake Christian boys captured the team title with (33), STA was second with (40) and Pope John Paul was third with (48). PJP's Adam Merkle was the individual winner with (16:26), while STA senior Jacob Mullis was second(17:44). Mullis led the STA boys while teammates Daniel Parkinson (5th-18:55), Malachi Russell-Lizarraga (6th-19:06), Parker Street (13th-22:06), Daniel Wittie (14th-22:14) and Hayden Guidry (15th-22:35).
    The STA teams will join Academy of Sacred Heart-NO, Archbishop Hannan, Archbishop Shaw, Belle Chasse, Holden, Lakeshore, Loranger, Country Day, Northlake Christian, Pearl River, Pope John Paul, St. Martin's, St. Scholastica and Jewel Sumner in the 2023 Perfectly Fit-Northshore Metro Championships to be held next Thursday on the STA campus course.m with a fourth place finish (13:38), McKayla Lee was seventh (14:08), Madison Parfait placed ninth (14:26), Haley Stevens eleventh (15:04) and Karli Addison was thirteenth (19:15).
    The STA boys edged-out the Jewel Sumner boys (30-33) to capture the Varsity boys team title, while Bogalusa was third (73). Senior John Ross Donnes was the individual champion in (10:50), while Logan Lucas was second (11:02), Douglas Robinson placed fifth (11:43), Landen Schillage eleventh (12:21), Ethan Foster fourteenth (13:39), Brody Juneau fifteenth (13:45), Andrew Dawson eighteenth (14:25) and Alec Dufriend was nineteenth (14:34) for the champion falcon team. Sumner’s Nick Story was third (11:26), Ashton Blades was seventh (12:04), Tanner Blades was eighth (12:07), Brayden Blalock ninth (12:12) and Colby Sloan was tenth (12:14). Albany’s Drew Thompson posted a fourth place finish (11:34), while Bogalusa’s Dustin Wagner was sixth (12:02).