Dominican and Holy Cross run to wins at Allstate Sugar Bowl Cross Country Classic

NEW ORLEANS – Dominican High School and Holy Cross School won the girls’ and boys’ championships, respectively, at the inaugural Allstate Sugar Bowl Cross Country Classic on Saturday morning at New Orleans City Park. The event featured 253 athletes from 31 schools.

The Dominican girls were paced by overall winner Kelsey Major, an eighth-grader who covered the five-kilometer course in 19:13.2, nearly 20 seconds faster than her closest competition. Dominican placed four other runners in the top 15 to win the event with 41 points. Vandebilt Catholic was second with 62 points while St. Paul’s Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.) took third with 85 points. McGehee (107) and Lusher (117) rounded out the top five.

Full Girls’ Results

On the boys’ side, a balanced Holy Cross squad registered five of the top 16 finishers to take the title with 47 points. St. Paul’s of Covington took second place with 58 points. Brother Martin, which was led by the top two overall finishers – individual winner Hunter Appleton (15:41.9) and Hayden Courrege (16:03.2) – finished third with 66 points. John Curtis (88) and Jesuit (163) completed the top five.

Full Boys’ Results

Top Finishers – Girls
1. Kelsey Major, Dominican: 19:13.2
2. Isabel Valenzuela, St. Paul’s Episcopal: 19:33.0
3. Katherine Cazayoux, Vandebilt Catholic: 19:44.9
4. Ellie Schmidt, McGehee: 19:47.5
5. Troianna Gause, John Curtis: 20:05.9
6. Caroline Lindsay, Vandebilt Catholic: 20:06.1
7. Riley Killian, Chapelle: 20:09.6
8. Jade Talazac, Belle Chasse: 20:15.6
9. Madison Trauth, Dominican: 20:23.5
10. Lizzy Bourg, Dominican: 20:24.1

Top Finishers – Boys
1. Hunter Appleton, Brother Martin: 15:41.9
2. Hayden Courrege, Brother Martin: 16:03.2
3. Jonathan Bertucci, St. Paul’s: 16:12.5
4. Zachary Barthel, John Curtis: 16:15.7
5. Blake Baldassaro, Holy Cross: 16:21.4
6. Cade Martin, Holy Cross: 16:24.2
7. Stephen Schlottman, St. Paul’s: 16:44.4
8. Francis Durio, St. Paul’s: 16:45.6
9. Christopher Wagner, Holy Cross: 16:49.8
10. Alex Melcer, Belle Chasse: 16:53.1

Many of the top high school varsity cross country teams (boys and girls) from the region competed, including four defending state cross country champions: Vandebilt Catholic (LHSAA Class 4A Girls), St. Paul’s (LHSAA Class 5A Boys), Belle Chasse (LHSAA Class 4A Boys) and St. Paul’s Episcopal from Mobile (Alabama Class 5A Girls).

Both winning teams were presented with the Allstate Sugar Bowl Cross Country Classic Championship trophy. The top twenty finishers in each race received an Allstate Sugar Bowl Cross Country Classic t-shirt.

A cross country team consists of seven runners per school. The first five runners from each team to finish will determine that team’s score. The overall place in the race of each runner determines the number of points that runner scores for his or her team. For example, first place equals one point, second place equals two points etc. Adding the finish places of a school’s first five (out of seven) finishers will determine that school’s team score. The team with the lowest score wins the meet.

The mission of the Allstate Sugar Bowl is to sponsor and promote amateur sporting events which will foster revenue and spark economic growth in the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Through its year-round slate of nearly 60 events, the organization has generated over $2.5 billion of economic impact for the city and the state in the last decade alone.