Dominican’s Cross Country Team sprinted for joy as they placed fourth in the State Meet held in Natchitoches on Nov. 15.
“I was so proud of the girls at State because they worked hard and gave it their all,” said Ms. Ashlyn Ciolino, coach.
At State, senior Emily Doyle crossed the finish line in just over twenty minutes to place as one of the top twenty runners. Doyle was also named to the 2016 Louisiana High School Association All Academic 4.00 Scholar Cross Country Team. In order to be selected for this honor, Doyle had to play the sport for two years, be a senior, and have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.
The team took on State fueled by their first-place finishes in the previous three meets. On Nov. 4, the Cross Country Team made history by winning the first ever Regionals Meet with sophomore Colette Carriere placing third place overall.
Jumping for joy, DHS runners are jubilant about their fourth-place finish in the State Meet. Dominican state team competitors include (l to r) senior Sam Messonier, juniors Caroline Hensley, Ady Becker, seniors Caroline Redfearn and Emily Doyle.
The team winning the first Regionals Meet, where all the 5A schools in New Orleans area and River Parishes competed, was important because “this is not just a win for our team but for our athletics program overall,” said Ms. Ciolino.
During the District meet on Oct. 25, the team won first place with junior Ady Becker leading in fifth place. Previously, in the Oct. 15 Metro Championship, Doyle placed third with Redfearn following in sixth place.
The Cross Country Team had a “great season because the team worked harder than ever as we overcame some challenges,” said senior Sam Messonnier. A pleasant surprise for Messonnier this year was to see how dedicated the underclassmen were, especially eighth graders Kate Nolan and Sydney Raymond, who participated in the State meet. Freshman Erin Sequeira’s favorite part of this year was bonding with her teammates outside of her grade.
Doyle has high hopes for the future Cross Country Team. “I know the underclassmen are going to be amazing runners in coming years,” said Doyle. “They pulled our team together and gave our state team a solid backing.”
– Madeline Puente
You must be logged in to post a comment.