The Varsity Girls Team is looking to defend their State-Runner Up title from 2020 and have their sights set on the State Title, but will need to best a highly talented Spartanburg Christian Academy Team and fend off several other competitive teams in the process. The BoysVarsity Team is extremely young, but they look poised to take a big step forward and become more competitive. The Northside Christian Academy Cross Country Team competed in their first official meet this season at the Palmetto State Cross Country Festival hosted by CIU.
Ella Jeffrey who is entering her penultimate season of Cross Country lead the Crusader girls in the Palmetto State Cross Country Festival finishing with a time of 24:20.50 and a 17th place finish overall. Jeffrey was followed closely by teammate Kaitlynn Ford, a senior who finished with a time of 24:54.80 while finishing 21st overall. Bayleigh Womack finished third on the team with a time of 25:43.20, while finishing 29th overall. Natalie Walke and Emma Kate Swygert rounded out the race for the Varsity Girls, respectively. Walke finished with a time of 26:56.20, while Swygert finished with a time of 32:47.70.
Over on the Boys Varsity team, 7th grader Noah Greene had an incredible race as he paced all Northside runners at the meet with a time of 22:11.60. Greene is in his second season running for Northside, and he looks primed to have a breakout season. His 5K time of 22:11.60 was a personal best, and it is the fastest 5K time ever ran on CIU’s course by a Crusader. William Cochrane, an 8th grader who is the most consistent male runner on the team placed second for the Crusaders with a time of 23:16.20. Rounding out the Varsity Boys race for the Crusaders were Tyler Shick, an 8th grader (25:34.00), Seth Cantave, a 6th grader (29:15.70), Trenton Manzi, an 8th grader (31:33.30), and Aiden Cripps, a 9th grader (32:49.70).
The Crusaders also had two 5th grade runners compete in the Middle School 2-Mile race. Mark Diaz finished in 16th place overall with a time of 15:33.00 in the Boys race. Madison Gause finished 2nd overall in the Girls race with a time of 15:36.70. Gause received a t-shirt and a certificate for her incredible effort.
The Cross Country team will look to continue improving on a solid start to the season on Tuesday when they will compete in the Lexington County Championships hosted by Lexington High School.