Each year, the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic sets the tone for the high school cross country season, and this year it was HOT.
Unlike last year, when depth across the fields stole the show, this year's meet was all about head-to-head competition. The 44th edition of the Classic produced blazing times, valiant team efforts, and plenty of surprises.
MEET COVERAGE | RESULTS | PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS
Herriman Reloads for Fourth Straight Title
-- Jackson Spencer and Herriman Boys at the Award Presentation, Photo by Raymond Tran --
Does a four-peat make it a dynasty or an era?
The Herriman (UT) boys captured their fourth straight Woodbridge team title despite losing five seniors from last season. In 2024, they dominated with all five scorers inside the top 25. This time, California powerhouse Jesuit led by 36 points after two miles.
But Herriman rallied. In the final mile, every scorer except race leader Jackson Spencer moved up at least five spots to secure the win over Jesuit.
| Herriman's Points at 2 Miles | Herriman's Points at the Finish |
| 1 -Jakson Spencer | 1 -Jakson Spencer |
| 11 - Eli Jarvis | 3 - Eli Jarvis |
| 51 - Trevin Lounsbury | 41 - Trevin Lounsbury |
| 84 - William Van Tress | 72 - William Van Tress |
| 89 - Jeremiah Sorensen | 84 - Jeremiah Sorensen |
| 107 - Adam Wardle | 109 - Adam Wardle |
| 136 - Eli Wardle | 140 - Eli Wardle |
This comeback shows Herriman hasn't lost a step and remains a serious Nike Cross Nationals contender after finishing third last year. Spencer's dominant win and Eli Jarvis' emergence as a strong No. 2 only strengthens their chances.
Lily Alder Makes Another Statement at Woodbridge
"I just can't settle for second. I just gave it all I had. It worked out for me"
Woodbridge always seems to bring out the best in Lily Alder and Chiara Dailey, and this year's showdown didn't disappoint.
In 2024, Alder and Dailey battled to 15:28 finishes, separated by less than a second. They used that momentum to launch strong cross country and track seasons.
This year, Alder edged Dailey again, this time by 0.6 seconds. Both ran about 12 seconds slower than last year, but the battle was still electric. The 10-second gap back to third-place Jaelyn Williams of Eastlake illustrates the the different realm these two went into especially the last mile.
For Alder, the victory marks a turning point. She's stepping out from the shadow of former teammate Jane Hedengren and proving herself as a cross country national championship contender.
Bob Day Girls Sweepstakes
| Place | Video | Athlete | Team | Mark | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lily Alder | 12 | Timpview | 15:40.00 | ||
| 2 |  Chiara Dailey | 12 | La Jolla (SD) | 15:41.60 | ||
| 3 |  Jaelyn Williams | 12 | Eastlake (SD) | 15:52.20 | ||
| 4 |  Summer Wilson | 12 | Irvine (SS) | 15:54.10 | ||
| 5 |  Paige Sheppard | 11 | Union Catholic Reg. HS | 15:59.40 | 1 | |
| 6 |  Macy Wingard | 12 | Denton Braswell | 16:04.40 | ||
| 7 |  Braelyn Combe | 12 | Santiago Corona (SS) | 16:11.10 | 2 | |
| 8 |  Emily Cohen | 12 | Cherry Creek High School | 16:14.20 | 3 | |
| 9 |  Jordan Banta | 12 | Air Academy High School | 16:15.90 | 4 | |
| 10 |  Avery Barton | 11 | Ogden | 16:23.60 |
Underclassmen Power JSerra to Victory
-- JSerra Winning the Boy Day's Girl Sweepstakes Championship, Photo by Jacob Teng --
Last fall, the JSera Catholic girls lined up at Woodbridge with one senior, a mix of sophomores and juniors, and one freshman. This year, two more freshmen cracked the top five, and last year's rookie stepped up as their No. 1 runner.
The result? A 193-point team win over Union Catholic (200) and Buchanan (212), two nationally ranked programs. Buchanan was missing standout Molly Sundgren, but JSerra's depth and youth still stole the show.
Sophomore Kaia Streadbeck was the surprise star, clocking 16:36. Freshmen Maya Pawlowicz (16:45, 31st) and Brooklyn Tennant (17:20) showed no fear under the Woodbridge lights.
With wins at both the PR City Invitational and now Woodbridge, JSerra has quickly established itself as one of the nation's top programs. If the young squad continues to develop, they could be unstoppable when championship season arrives.