Earlier this month, the Concordia Lady Crusader Cross Country Team had a podium finish at the TAPPS 6A State Cross Country Meet on Monday, November 1st, at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, TX. This year's result means the Lady Crusaders have extended their podium finishes (top 4) streak to four consecutive years! (Concordia, St. Agnes, and Ursuline are the only schools to have podium finishes each of the last four years.)
As a team, Concordia Girls finished in 4th place out of 16 teams with a total of 129 points. Points are awarded based on the placement of each team’s top 5 runners, and points can be taken away by team’s 6th and 7th runners finishing ahead of other team’s top 5.
Individually, the Lady Crusaders were led by three runners who placed in the top 20: Ava Z. (Sr.) – 12:57, Cara S. (Fr.) – 13:06, and Megan G. (So.) – 13:07, who finished 13th, 19th, and 20th respectively. Close behind were Jessica M. (Jr.) in 32nd place – 13:35, Gretchen K. (Fr.) in 48th place – 14:04, and Abby G. (Sr.) in 61st place – 14:33.
In her four years running on Varsity at Concordia, Ava Z. has finished inside the top 30 every year at the State Cross Country Championship Meet. Megan G. is halfway to that mark as in her first two State Cross Country Meets, she has finished inside the top 20 and will help lead the Lady Crusaders in 2022. Cara S. was part of a youth movement this year at state being one of five (5) freshmen to finish inside the top 20.
2021 is the 4th consecutive year for Concordia to finish in the top 4 at the State Tournament:
- 2018 - 4th place - 129 points
- 2019 - 4th place - 145 points
- 2020 - 2nd place - 76 points
- 2021 - 4th place - 129 points
The margin for error in Cross Country is often very small and packing of runners is vitally important. In this year's race, Antonian (State Champs), St. Agnes (2nd) and Ursuline (3rd) all had their top 6 runners finish in the top 30, with times under 13:30 for the 2-mile course.
Three of Concordia’s varsity runners were unable to race due to injuries, and two of those runners look to factor into the mix next year. Of the six (6) Lady Crusader runners who ran in the state race, only two (2) will be lost to graduation. The future is bright for the girls who will look to drop times over the offseason and pack together more in their race finishes. Great work ladies and we are proud of your efforts over the years for your team successes!
Concordia has been one of the top private school cross country teams in the state based on their last four years results, and in 2020-2021, VYPE Houston honored the Crusaders for two special awards. The Lady Crusaders were honored as the Women's Cross Country Private School Team of the Year for 2020-2021 following their State Runner-Up finish, while Head Coach Michelle (Griedl) Luevano '05 was named as the Women's Cross Country Private School Coach of the Year.
Girls Cross Country Home Page: www.sadernationtx.com/girlscrosscountry
Learn More About Concordia: www.clhs-tx.org/admissions