Continuing a running tradition, the Trinity Christian Academy Eagles and Lady Eagles are looking to once again make a run to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools State Meet.
Last season the Eagles finished ninth in the state in Class 4A. Returning from team are juniors Henry Reynolds, Caleb Wall, Jack Brammer, Harrison Brown, Ethan Gillespie and Luke Harless.
Reynolds also competed at state in 2024.
For the Lady Eagles, no one who advanced past district last season is returning. However, they do have a familiar face who is back after taking last season off.
Senior Emma Saadeh finished seventh in the state as a sophomore, preceded by a 13th-place performance as a freshman.
"We are excited for Emma Saadeh’s last cross country season at TCA as she chases her best ranking her senior year," head coach Matthew Hahn said.
Two notable newcomers Hahn said are freshmen Jacob Soto and Samuel Keyes. Keyes joins the team as a transfer student and was of the top milers among eighth-grade runners in the state last year.
Soto has been running for TCA since seventh grade and is one of the top runners in the entire country. This summer he placed third at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in the 3000-meter run among 15-16 boys while only being 14 because of when his birthday falls.
"His 3,000m times and converted 3200m times have him ranked Top 10 in the entire country for incoming freshmen. We are excited to see how both of these boys continue to develop," Hahn said.
"On paper our top four runners on the boys side look to be one of the strongest groups in the 4A TAPPS division. We are excited to see how that group continues to develop and how the rest of the team continues to improve so that we can have a good team score come the end of the season."
Hahn said he and his runners are excited to be hosting TCA's first ever home cross country meet Sept. 26, the TCA Invitational. "Right now we are expected to have 20-plus teams and 600-plus individual athletes in attendance," he said.
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