Great Hearts Athletes Compete in National Cross Country Meet

Runners from Great Hearts academies recently represented their respective schools at the Desert Twilight XC Festival, held at Toka Sticks Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz. As one of the largest high school cross country meets in the United States, this annual event gives Great Hearts athletes the opportunity to test themselves against elite runners from across the country and Canada. Racing under the stars and bright lights, our runners face a competitive field on a varied course of grass, dirt, and golf cart paths, gaining valuable experience competing on a national stage.

Our great-hearted runners did well, stacked up against approximately 6,000 athletes who represented roughly 250 high school teams. The event includes nearly 20 distinct races spanning Freshman, Junior High, Open, Varsity, Championship, and Sweepstakes divisions for both small and large schools.

In the Championship race, the Glendale Prep boys team finished 14th, while the North Phoenix Prep girls team finished 18th. With several races taking place throughout the night, Great Hearts runners also earned a number of notable finishes.

Men’s 5,000 Meters #1 Small Schools Freshmen

16th – Griffith Crowe (20:41.4), Freshman at Glendale  Preparatory Academy

Men’s 5,000 Meters #7 Small Schools Open 1 

2nd – Andrew Edwards (17:53.2), Sophomore at Glendale  Preparatory Academy

12th – Joseph Reeves (19:44.1), Junior at Glendale Preparatory Academy

23rd – Ayden Fernandez (20:07.3), Sophomore at Glendale Preparatory Academy

29th – Preston Stratton (20:22.5), Sophomore at Chandler Preparatory

Men’s 5,000 Meters #8 Small Schools Open 2 

      8th – Liam Smith (18:04.6), Junior at Trivium Preparatory Academy 

 Women’s 5,000 Meters #9 Small Schools Open 

20th – Brigid Wilson (23:39.0), Junior at North Phoenix Prep

21st – Samantha Poyner (23:41.4), Junior at Trivium Preparatory Academy

Women’s 5,000 Meters #15 Small Schools Varsity 1 

24th – Keirsten Keefer (21:39.5), Junior at Glendale Preparatory Academy

33rd – Carolyn Reeves (21:53.1), Senior at Glendale Preparatory Academy

43rd – Natalie Leuschner (22:30.5), Sophomore at Glendale Preparatory Academy

Men’s 5,000 Meters #18 Small Schools Varsity 1 

45th – Nicholas Spelts (18:01.7), Junior at Chandler  Preparatory

Men’s 5,000 Meters #19 Small Schools Varsity 2

13th – Andrew Connolly (17:10.5), Senior at Scottsdale Prep

Women’s 5,000 Meters #23 Championship

26th – Aslyn Lindsay (19:46.0), Senior at North Phoenix Prep

Men’s 5,000 Meters #24 Championship

61st – Logan Hartman (16:51.7), Junior at Glendale Preparatory Academy

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