Savannah, GA - The Savannah Arts Academy girls cross country team continued their undefeated season, 8-0, on October 26, 2023, at Toombs County High School by winning their eighth straight region title.
The Lady Panthers placed four runners in the top six spots, and their team scored 26, which was well ahead of the second-place finisher, Vidalia High School, with 87 points.
Leah Nyce paced the Lady Panthers to victory, sprinting across the finish line first in 19:33.59. Elle Harward-Grant followed close behind in third place (21:21.11), with Francie Tedder (21:26.83) in fourth and Ava Thomas (22:18.09) rounding out the top six in sixth. Gabrielle Reedick capped off the team's incredible performance with a 12th-place finish (23:52.36).
"The key to the team's undefeated season and eighth straight region title was our two key players, freshman Francie Tedder and junior Leah Nyce," said Savannah Arts Academy Cross-Country Head Coach Steve Riccardi. "Tedder has been absolutely phenomenal and gets better with each race. She has been invaluable to the team. Nyce was battling injury last year, but she had an amazing training camp over the summer and has rebounded as the top runner on the team."
Furthermore, this is the 11th region championship for the Savannah Arts Academy girls cross country team in the last 12 years, according to Ricciardi. The program has been under the guidance of Coach Ricciardi for eleven years, and consistency and structure have been the key, according to Savannah Arts Academy Karin Best.
"Coach Ricciardi had established his expectations from the beginning; he had an impeccable practice plan that allowed the individual runners to grow and improve, yet he kept the team cohesive, said Best. "Coach Ricciardi respects each member as an individual and motivates them with positivity and respect, leading to a wonderful team culture. His leadership and kind demeanor have led the team to success, year after year."
Savannah Arts will advance to the GHSA Class AA state championships on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Carrollton High School.
PHOTO CREDIT: Savannah Arts Academy Cross-Country Program
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