By James Lambert
The nation’s No. 1-ranked girls cross-country team finally had its full arsenal on display on Saturday morning, and Union Catholic’s high-octane engine delivered an electrifying masterpiece at the Virginia XC Showcase at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville.
The Vikings overwhelmed a stacked field, scoring just 65 points to capture the team title by a commanding margin. No. 10-ranked Penn Charter of Pa. finished second with 132 points, while Blacksburg placed third with 154. No. 16 ranked Marvin Ridge of North Carolina was fourth with 183, followed by Cardinal Gibbons with 196.
Against a field featuring nationally ranked programs in Penn Charter and Marvin Ridge, Union Catholic’s performance was emphatic. The Vikings more than doubled up Penn Charter in the team standings, winning by 67 points.
This was the kind of performance that reinforced Union Catholic’s standing atop the national rankings. With UC firing on all cylinders for the first time, the Vikings leveled up by combining front-end talent, remarkable depth and a tight pack to make a huge statement that was heard loud and clear across the country.
Senior Paige Sheppard, who won the 800 at the U.S. U20 Championships this past summer, made her season debut and immediately led the Vikings, finishing eighth in 17:27.7. Senior Sophia Thompson raced for the first time since the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March and placed 14th in 17:47.2, adding another major piece to an already loaded pack.
Union Catholic placed five runners in the top 23, with senior Cayleigh Kaiser finishing ninth in 17:29.6, sophomore Harper Telesca taking 11th in 17:40.4 and senior Kayla Devine rounding out the scoring five in 23rd in 17:59.9.
The Vikings’ scoring five averaged a smoking fast 17:41.0 for the 5K race, and finished with an eye-popping 32.3-second spread. Sheppard and Kaiser secured two spots in the top 10, while Telesca and Thompson gave Union Catholic four runners among the top 14.
Perhaps the most telling measure of Union Catholic’s dominance was where its fifth runner finished. Devine crossed the line in 23rd place, ahead of the third runner from every other team in the field. That kind of depth is a major advantage in championship cross-country, where every finishing position matters.
And the depth did not stop there. Sophomore Abbey Robisky finished 25th in 18:02.0, while sophomore Eden Solorzano placed 34th in 18:09.9. That gave Union Catholic seven runners across a span of just 42.2 seconds!!
UC came into the season as the favorite to win the Nike National Championships after placing third last year. What they did on Saturday in Virginia proved that the Vikings are going to be very tough for any team in the nation to handle!