Cross Country Finishes Top Five in State

Posted November 14, 2018 / Last updated November 16, 2018

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For the Jesuit Cross Country team, the LHSAA 5A State Championship in Natchitoches wasn’t just a race against 24 other teams—it was a race against the elements as well. In the late afternoon on Nov. 13, the Blue Jays battled it out against frigid temperatures in the mid-30s and a course that better resembled a mud pit than a track. Coach Rudy Horvath ’86 was in disbelief at the state of the course, commenting, “It’s the worst I’ve seen it in the last 15 years.” However, Jesuit’s big seven didn’t let these conditions dampen their spirits. They posted a strong performance finishing fifth overall. Catholic High took the state title with 47 points, followed by Brother Martin (70), St. Paul’s (90), Ruston (155), and the Blue Jays with 186.

Sophomore Jack Wallace was the fastest Blue Jay of the day, placing 22nd overall in the 174-man field with a time of 19:22.8 on the three-mile course at Northwestern State University.

Through the Lens…

Junior Luke LaCour stays strong as the mud threatens to steal his spikes.

View the Photo Gallery of the LHSAA 5A State Championship

By the Numbers…

Each team ran its top seven runners. The first five runners from each team to cross the finish line receive the points that correspond to their place. The first place runner receives one point, the second place runner two, and so on. The team receiving the lowest score wins. The sixth and seventh runners on a team, although they don’t receive a score, can also be important, in that they can “displace” scoring runners from the other team.

Individual Results

EVENT PLACE / PTS. EARNED BLUE JAY GRADE TIME
3Mile 22 Jack Wallace 10 19:22.8
3Mile 24 Luke LaCour 11 19:32.5
3Mile 43 Harrison Leblanc 12 20:03.5
3Mile 47 Cameron Cancienne 11 20:08.7
3Mile 50 Morgan Hebert 9 20:12.2
3Mile 53 Griffin Winn 11 20:27.6
3Mile 106 Scott McKeough 12 22:03.1

Team Results (Top 10 5A Teams)

PLACE TEAM TOTAL TIME AVG. TIME TOTAL PTS. TOTAL PTS. BREAKDOWN BY RUNNER
          R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6* R-7*
1 Catholic, Baton Rouge 1:33:47 18:46 47 2 9 11 12 13 18 21
2 Brother Martin 1:34:38 18:56 70 1 10 14 20 25 61 90
3 St. Paul’s 1:35:47 19:08 90 4 16 19 23 28 34 36
4 Ruston 1:37:58 19:36 155 5 15 30 45 60 63 70
5 Jesuit 1:39:20 19:52 186 22 24 43 47 50 53 106
6 Mandeville 1:39:43 19:57 197 17 37 39 42 62 79 95
7 Holy Cross 1:39:57 20:00 206 7 44 46 52 57 73 88
8 Airline 1:42:46 20:34 288 33 41 68 71 75 76 119
9 Denham Springs 1:45:17 21:04 355 26 35 59 107 128 155 166
10 Lafayette 1:45:28 21:06 356 49 54 56 58 139 143 157

[* denotes not included in overall team score]

In His Words…

“The guys ran as well as conditions would allow,” said Coach Rudy Horvath ’86. “The key was to work as a team and run together in groups. It was a tough race and I’m proud of them for sticking with it.”

On the Horizon…

With the conclusion of the Cross Country season, many members of the team will move on to compete in Track & Field events in the spring.

Read More…

For full results, click here.