MIDWEST CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma Christian School cross country made program history Sept. 3 as the Saints girls captured their first team meet victory at the Carl Albert Meet.
OCS finished with 32 points to claim the team championship, finishing 16 points ahead of runner-up Heritage Hall, which totaled 48.
The victory marked a milestone for the OCS Lady Saints Cross Country program.
JOPLYN GRIBBLE led the Saints in the 3,200-meter race, finishing second overall with a personal-record time of 12 minutes, 53 seconds. VIOLET RUSSELL followed with a fifth-place finish in 13:20.
AVERY ESTES and EVELYN ELLIOT also turned in personal-best performances. Estes finished 10th overall with a PR of 13:39, while Elliot placed 11th with a PR of 13:43. REESE PETTY finished 12th to give OCS five runners among the top 12.
The performance was the culmination of months of work for a Saints team that began preparing during the summer.
"Coach Driskill and I are so incredibly proud of our girls' team," OCS head coach Cheyenne Castillo said. "These girls have been working so hard since the summer, and it means so much to us to be a part of something so special. Watching their hard work, dedication and growth come together has been such a blessing."
The boys also turned in a strong performance, finishing second overall in the 5,000-meter race.
ISAAC ANDERSON led OCS with a second-place individual finish in 16:56, while TITUS RUSSELL placed seventh in 18:09. BEN BAKER finished 18th, Andrew Troung placed 20th and SHEPHERD CHANDLER finished 21st.
With both teams finishing in the top two, the Carl Albert Meet marked one of the strongest overall performances of the season for the Saints.
For Castillo, however, the significance of the girls' first victory goes beyond the results.
"We hope this experience gives them confidence, strengthens them and gives them what they need to finish this season strong," Castillo said. "Most of all, we give all the glory to God for allowing these girls to be part of this history-making moment. What a special opportunity and an incredible memory they will carry with them."
