The @jserra.tfxc Girls Cross Country team stepped onto a national stage across the country on Saturday and produced a stirring comeback victory to claim the team championship at the Great American XC Festival at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
JSerra enjoyed a strong start in the first mile, as their scoring cluster forged a 60-point advantage after the first mile.
William Penn Charter High of Pennsylvania surged past the Lions in the second mile and held a 28-point lead with a half mile to go in the 3.1 mile competition.
But JSerra responded with a wave of fortitude as the race neared its conclusion.
Senior Reese Holley fronted the effort, as she sprinted across the finish line in ninth place, clocking a new school record time of 17:27.5.
Sophomore Maya Pawlowicz was next to step across the finish line, placing 17th overall in 17:46.2.
Senior Hutton Nelligan moved up six places inside the final mile and finished in a time of 18:17.8.
Junior Kaia Streadbeck (18:55.1) and sophomore Brooklyn Tennant (19:06.5) capped the Lions scoring quintet, with junior Talia Whitten (19:24.4) and senior Hayden Kroger (19:35.9) completing the team’s collective run.
JSerra’s late race burst resulted in a 19-point triumph over William Penn Charter (164-183).
The Lions also placed fourth overall in the Invitational Blue race.
Freshman Emrei Williams was the leading catalyst for the Lions, as she placed 14th overall in a time of 19:09.
Sophomores Colbi Lott (19:27) and Sierra Harden (19:47.3) were also amongst the top 50 overall in the race.
Freshman Morgan White (20:14.7) and Sophie Tonks (20:58.2) completed the scoring effort.
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