Jaguars Place Fifth in Varsity and Fourth in Open at Strongsville
| Place | Participant | Place | Teams | Scoring Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5th | 19 | 2:13 | null | |
| 2 | 4th | 14 | 1:23 | null |
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - Saint Joseph Academy placed fifth among 19 varsity teams Saturday at the Strongsville Fleet Feet Invitational, led by Maddie Koons ’30 and a consistent scoring pack. Koons finished sixth in 18:55, while Avery Stives ’27 and Elizabeth Sifker ’28 joined her in the top 25.
Racing on a new course with clear and cool weather conditions, the Jaguars maintained the compact formation that has supported their recent success. Saint Joseph Academy’s five scoring runners finished within 2:13 of one another, nearly matching the 2:12 spread the team recorded the previous week at Massillon Jackson. Koons led the way up front, while Stives, Siefker and the remaining scorers worked together to keep the team’s gaps tight throughout the race.
Saturday’s race offered an important early look at the postseason field. Of the 19 varsity teams competing at Strongsville, six are among the 21 teams Saint Joseph Academy is scheduled to face at the district meet on October 24. The Jaguars finished ahead of five of those six teams, providing a positive benchmark as the team heads toward the championship portion of its season. With districts less than a month away, the result showed that Saint Joseph Academy’s pack strength and consistency can translate against several of the teams it will see again when the postseason begins.
The team also placed fourth among 14 teams in the JV/open race. Bea Kratt ’30 led the Jaguars with a time of 22:11, followed closely by Carolyn Skrha ’28. Kratt, Skrha and Ella Schneider ’27 each earned a top-25 finish, giving the team three runners near the front of the field.
The JV/open group produced an even tighter spread, with only 1:23 separating its scoring runners. That consistency helped the Jaguars secure their fourth-place team result and extended a strong day across both races. The varsity and JV/open finishes continued Saint Joseph Academy’s momentum as the postseason, which begins Oct. 24, draws closer.
The Jaguars will next compete at the Madison Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. The varisty crew will race at 9:45am, followed by the JV/open race at 11:15am.
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