In cross country, everybody notices the runner who crosses the finish line first. But ask any coach, and they'll tell you something. It's those fourth and fifth runners who can make the difference between winning a championship and going home second.
Just ask Savannah Christian.
The Raiders didn't have the boys' individual champion, but they had five runners finish among the top 17. And when the girls took the course, they followed the same formula, with one added bonus. They had the individual champion, too.
When the running was done, Savannah Christian Preparatory School had swept the Savannah Parochial Athletic League (SPAL) Cross Country Championships.
Savannah Christian middle school boys cross country coach Glen Warner joins his runners before the SPAL Cross Country Championships. (Photo courtesy of Savannah Christian Preparatory School Middle School Cross Country Program)
"Mostly, I was really excited for the teams. I knew that each of the kids had put in a lot of work throughout the season. I’m very excited that it was able to pay off for them with a win. For many of them, they ran their best race of the season at the championship," Raiders head coach Glen Warner said.
Raiders Boys Get the Job Done
Savannah Christian won the boys' two-mile championship with 48 points, ahead of Savannah Country Day (68) and Habersham School (124).
That's what winning a championship looks like! Savannah Christian's middle school boys cross country runners celebrate after receiving their first-place trophy at the 2026 SPAL Cross Country Championships. (Photo courtesy of Savannah Christian Preparatory School Middle School Cross Country Program)
Seventh-grader Tanner Simmons led the Raiders, finishing fifth in 12:44.06. Anderson Giebner (12:53.15) and Michael Rexroat (12:54.82) placed seventh and eighth, followed by Marco Donate in 11th (13:01.01) and Kellan Kuljanin in 17th (13:17.25).
The Raiders' five scoring runners finished just 33.19 seconds apart. That wasn't by accident.
"We have been talking about the fact that while running XC is dependent on scoring great individual times the entire team is dependent on each other for winning together. We have also done several practices and drills throughout the season to emphasize the need to run together," Warner said.
But how about the battle for the boys' individual championship?
Habersham eighth-grader Boston Lundy won in 11:49.02, edging St. Peter the Apostle's Cayden Herb (11:50.58) by just 1.56 seconds.
That's a race!
Blessed Sacrament's Jones Sewell finished third in 12:10.64, followed by Habersham's Luke Edwards and Savannah Christian's Simmons.
Boys Top Five Individual Finishers
- Boston Lundy, Habersham — 11:49.02
- Cayden Herb, St. Peter the Apostle — 11:50.58
- Jones Sewell, Blessed Sacrament — 12:10.64
- Luke Edwards, Habersham — 12:38.40
- Tanner Simmons, Savannah Christian — 12:44.06
Boys Team Standings
- Savannah Christian — 48 points
- Savannah Country Day — 68
- Habersham — 124
- Blessed Sacrament — 129
- St. James Catholic — 132
- St. Peter the Apostle — 132
- Calvary Day — 175
- Hancock Day — 188
- St. Andrew's — 234
- The Royce School — 249
Raiders Girls Complete the Sweep
The Savannah Christian girls weren't about to let the boys have all the fun.
The Savannah Christian Preparatory School middle school girls cross country team poses with assistant coach Nicole Lamp before the SPAL Cross Country Championships. (Photo courtesy of Savannah Christian Preparatory School Middle School Cross Country Program)
Eighth-grader Adleigh Collins won the individual championship in 13:11.53, holding off Blessed Sacrament's Emma Summerlin (13:14.41) by just 2.88 seconds. Calvary Day's Ansley Odom finished third (13:24.82).
"Well, first of all, I would like to congratulate Adleigh on winning first place overall for the girls. She put in a tremendous amount of hard work throughout this season and overcame some of her own challenges. She had her eyes set on this goal from the very beginning. It was a great way for her to finish her middle school cross-country career. I am very excited to see how she continues to progress throughout high school," Warner said.
How about those Raiders! Savannah Christian's middle school girls cross country team celebrates with the first-place trophy after winning the 2026 SPAL championship. Eighth-grader Adleigh Collins also captured the individual title, helping the Raiders complete a boys and girls championship sweep. (Photo courtesy of Savannah Christian Preparatory School Middle School Cross Country Program)
Savannah Christian won the girls' team championship with 42 points, ahead of Savannah Country Day (59), St. James Catholic (62), and Habersham (68).
Evelyn Rioux finished seventh (13:56.94), Emma Cunigan ninth (14:10.74), Addison Seleen 16th (16:09.04), and Olivia Williams 19th (16:32.35) to complete the Raiders' scoring.
Savannah Country Day made a strong push with Grace Vlahos, Emma Davis, and Skylar Sullivan finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth overall.
"All of our girls have been challenging each other to run faster throughout the entire season. We’ve been celebrating PR‘s together and every race they buddy up into small groups of 2–3 girls to keep each other focused and fast throughout the race. Many of them have dropped their 2 mile times dramatically since the start of the season," Warner said.
Girls Top Five Individual Finishers
- Adleigh Collins, Savannah Christian — 13:11.53
- Emma Summerlin, Blessed Sacrament — 13:14.41
- Ansley Odom, Calvary Day — 13:24.82
- Grace Vlahos, Savannah Country Day — 13:43.55
- Emma Davis, Savannah Country Day — 13:53.86
Girls Team Standings
- Savannah Christian — 42 points
- Savannah Country Day — 59
- St. James Catholic — 62
- Habersham — 68
- Hancock Day — 139
- St. Peter the Apostle — 146
- The Royce School — 161
More Than Just Championships
For Warner, now in his fourth year coaching middle school cross country at Savannah Christian, the championships were about more than times and trophies.
The Raiders dealt with hot weather early in the season, forcing practices to move to the morning because afternoon conditions were unsafe. Many runners showed up early, putting in the extra work.
But Warner said it was the team's closeness and enjoyment of the sport that made this season stand out.
"This is my fourth year coaching middle school cross-country for SCPS and one thing I’ve noticed this year more than others is the team camaraderie and fun we have together. I would say this team-building has contributed to the overall success as much as anything has," Warner said.
And there was plenty of fun along the way, from running games and popsicles to an occasional Thursday afternoon jump in the pool.
Warner summed up what he'll remember most about this championship group.
"I suppose that the thing that I will remember most about this year‘s team was just pure enjoyment of participating in cross country. We ran hard when we had to and we played hard as well. Running games, manhunt, popsicles, and a jump in the pool occasionally on Thursday afternoons was a highlight of the week."
Two SPAL team championships and a girls' individual title were the rewards.
But for Warner and the Raiders, it was also a season of hard work, teammates pushing each other, and young runners learning that winning is a lot more fun when you do it together.
Photos courtesy of Savannah Christian Preparatory Middle School Cross Country Program
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