Cross Country Crosses the Finish Line Strong

By: Corbett Ourso

This past cross country season was a success. Runners from St. Thomas Aquinas represented our school well throughout the entire season. The season started in Bridge City, Texas, and finished in Nachitoches, Louisiana, at the state championship.

Carmen Brothers started her final cross country race representing the falcons strong. With a little less than one mile to go in the grueling three-mile race, she was passed by Lanier Flanders of Episcopal. Brothers did not let this discourage her, though; inspired by Tommy Brocato’s cheers, with less than a half-mile left, Brothers dropped the hammer going up the hill and left Flanders in her dust. Carmen “ran away” with her first individual state title as a high school runner (18:58.01) and became the tenth St. Thomas girl to consecutively win first at the LHSAA state cross country meet.

The boys’ race started off fast with Corbett Ourso and Tommy Brocato leading for St. Thomas. After Corbett Ourso got over the hill, teammate Scott Wheat passed him up to finish in sixth place overall (16:28.33). Ourso finished close behind in eighth (16:39.96), Brocato placed tenth (16:48.07), Benjamin Schnadelbach came in seventeenth (17:25.50), Seth Bleakley burned up the last quarter-mile to finish in twentieth (17:38.45), Andrew “Freshman” Jordan placed twenty fifth (17:48.56), and bringing up the rear for the Falcons was Phillip DiBenedetto in sixty first (19:16.15). This performance earned the guys second place overall, placing only behind Episcopal. Next year the St. Thomas boys plan on winning the state title.

The girls gave the state race their all to finish in third as a team. Leading the Lady Falcons (and everybody else for that matter) was Carmen Brothers. Jordyn Becerra placed fourteenth (20:47.02). Following her was Elizabeth Gambel in thirty second (22:11.27). Next was Sara Gambel finishing in forty-second (22:31.30). Katie Durham came in just a hair behind Sara placing forty-third (22:31.39). Rachel Greer finished sixty-first (23:30.78), and Laura Crother placed sixty-fifth (23:41.71).