First Academy-Leesburg Eagles Enter Cross Country Season With Experience and Shared Purpose

First Academy-Leesburg opens the cross country season with a clear identity, a veteran group and expectations on both the boys and girls sides. The Eagles have built a program centered on runners competing for one another, and that collective approach shapes the outlook entering the new campaign. After finishing as district runner-up last season, the boys are aiming to keep that upward trajectory going, while the girls are looking to extend their streak of regional qualification.

The boys return key leadership up front from the Mauriell brothers and Brayden Keller, a group expected to set the tone in races throughout the fall. On the girls side, the Saxton sisters will lead the effort on the course, and Aly Mulford provides another important presence with strong Christian leadership. That combination of front-running experience and steady internal leadership gives First Academy-Leesburg a foundation to compete well in both championship settings and regular-season invitationals.

One of the Eagles' biggest strengths is experience across the varsity seven, along with the depth needed to maintain pack integrity over the course of a long season. Team unity and pack running remain central traits for the program, especially in a sport where positioning and support within a race can make the difference between a solid finish and a breakthrough result. That depth should help First Academy-Leesburg stay competitive as the schedule builds toward its biggest tests.

The main areas for growth are also clear. First Academy-Leesburg wants to improve its closing speed in the final kilometer and sharpen the top-end speed required to challenge for individual titles. If the Eagles can pair their established pack-running discipline with stronger finishing bursts late in races, the program could take another step forward when the season reaches championship month.

Among the meets to watch, the SSAA Championship and the District Championship stand out as major markers for the season. Those races should provide the clearest measure of how much progress the Eagles have made and whether the boys can build on last year's runner-up district finish while the girls continue their regional standard. The season begins Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, when First Academy-Leesburg travels to the Lecanto HS. Later in the schedule, the Eagles will also run the SSAA Championship in Sept of 2026 and FHSAA District 1A-3 in early Nov., two meets that could define the fall.