SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Savannah Arts Academy girls cross country team won the GHSA Class 2A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Carrollton, marking its second straight and third overall title.
According to Savannah Arts head coach Steven Ricciardi, “To my knowledge, there’s never been a state champion girls cross country team, public or private, from flat Southeast Georgia.”
The Panthers had an outstanding day with three runners finishing in the top 10 and all five scoring runners placing in the top 20. They were led by Francie Tedder, who finished second with a time of 21:29.23, and McKay Bennett, who placed third in 21:55.18. Ava Treece came in eighth, Morgan Irvine finished just outside the top 10 in 11th place, and Eleanora Smith rounded out the scoring group in 19th, sealing the championship win for Savannah Arts.
Ricciardi said the team knew the race would come down to the wire. “It’s one of those things with cross country where you’re not exactly sure it happened until you get the final confirmation,” he said. “We were counting runners as they came across, and once it hit, we were just ecstatic.”
Savannah Arts Academy Girls Results (GHSA Class 2A 5,000 Meter Run Finals)
| Place | Runner | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Francie Tedder | 21:29.23 | 2 |
| 3 | McKay Bennett | 21:55.18 | 3 |
| 8 | Ava Treece | 22:35.76 | 7 |
| 11 | Morgan Irvine | 22:56.92 | 9 |
| 19 | Eleanora Smith | 24:02.80 | 16 |
| 28 | Brooklyn Linstroth | 24:33.63 | — |
| 31 | Eva Windsor | 25:18.29 | — |
Note: In cross country scoring, only the top five runners’ finishes count toward a team’s total. The team with the lowest combined score from those five runners wins the meet.
Boys Take a Podium Place
The Savannah Arts boys team also turned in a strong performance, finishing fourth in the Class 2A state meet after capturing the region title last week.
Ricciardi said the boys overcame challenges late in the season. “We had one of our top five runners quit the week before sectionals, which was tough,” he said. “But a freshman and a sophomore stepped up big, and that made the difference. To still make the podium after that says a lot about their effort.”
Savannah Arts Academy Boys Results (GHSA Class 2A 5,000 Meter Run Finals)
| Place | Runner | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Aleksandar Domazet | 18:31.34 | 10 |
| 23 | Nico Klaras | 18:54.88 | 23 |
| 25 | Walter Yang | 18:55.85 | 25 |
| 28 | Logan Brodhead | 18:59.21 | 28 |
| 54 | Michael Grabowski | 20:15.19 | 54 |
| 65 | William McCarn | 20:48.08 | — |
| 67 | Michael Negron | 20:50.17 | — |
Note: In cross country scoring, only the top five runners’ finishes count toward a team’s total. The team with the lowest combined score from those five runners wins the meet.
Savannah Arts had all seven runners finish, led by Domazet, who placed 10th overall with a time of 18:31.34.
Program Consistency
Now in his 14th year leading the program, Ricciardi said the success of both
teams reflects more than just running ability. “Coaching cross country is half technical and half psychological,” he said. “It’s about communication, trust, and building a culture where older kids pass it down to the younger ones. Once that happens, it just keeps rolling.”
It was a successful weekend for the Panthers, who kept their momentum rolling as the girls brought home another state trophy and the boys finished among Georgia’s best programs.
Photo credit: Photos courtesy of the Savannah Arts Academy cross country program; race times and finishes via MileSplit GA.
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