By Coach Young, Clover High School Cross Country
SPARTANBURG, SC – The Clover Blue Eagles launched the 2025 cross country season with a commanding performance at the Eye Opener Cross Country Invitational, held on the challenging Milliken XC course. Seniors Ella Nighbor and Ava Jagielski led the Blue Eagles, while the boys’ squad showed strength in numbers, proving our offseason training is paying dividends as we chase that state championship!
A staggering 140 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina gathered in Spartanburg, showcasing their summer preparation. Our varsity teams competed in the ultra-competitive International Division, with the girls facing 38 teams and 400 runners, and the boys taking on a field of 496 runners across 49 teams.
Girls’ Team Makes a Statement
The Clover girls’ team delivered a bold performance, finishing as the #2 team among South Carolina 5A Division 1 schools and securing 7th place overall. Despite a preseason ranking of 17th, the Lady Blue Eagles outran 12 higher-ranked teams, trailing only Mauldin, the 5A D1 preseason #1. This result proves that rankings don’t define your potential—consistent summer mileage and a strong aerobic base do!
Senior Ella Nighbor, the 1600-meter state champion and last fall’s state XC championship runner-up, set the pace with a blazing 18:15.4, nearly a minute faster than her 19:03 at last year’s Eye Opener. Her time earned 3rd place overall and the top spot in South Carolina, with only North Carolina’s top contenders, Watauga’s Cali Townsend and Asheville’s Sofi Alexander, finishing ahead. The closest South Carolina runner, Fort Mill’s 5A D2 3200-meter state champion Kaylee Rovenstine (18:30), trailed Ella by 15 seconds. Ava Jagielski, powered by a disciplined year of training, smashed her 2024 time of 22:13, clocking a personal record (PR) of 19:14.6—a three-minute improvement! These leaps reflect the power of building aerobic strength and staying committed to the process. Ava’s performance places her among the top 10 in the state, contending for individual honors come November.
In cross country, the lowest combined score of a team’s top five runners determines placement. Ella and Ava combined for 22 points to lead Clover, while Mauldin’s first two runners totaled 39 points. Mauldin’s edge came from their 3rd and 4th runners, who finished roughly one minute ahead of our 3rd and 4th. That gap is within striking distance for the gritty girls of Clover!
Top Girls’ Performances
* Ella Nighbor: 18:15.4
* Ava Jagielski: 19:14.6
* Zoe Miller: 20:40.8
* Nadia Andrews: 21:05.8
* Eva Quintana: 21:08.4
Boys’ Team Runs as a Pack
The boys’ squad stepped up to the International Division, placing 12th out of 49 teams and improving their average time from 17:41 in last year’s Championship Division (4th place) to an impressive 17:13—a time that would have won the Championship Division. They finished 5th among 5A D1 teams represented. Junior Chase Hensley and senior Aidan Miller led the way, with seniors Alex Bohlen, Ethan Solomon, and Wade Ward running tightly as a pack—a key strategy for championship teams. The most notable improvement compared to last year’s performances comes from Chase Hensley. Chase improved from 17:56 to 16:47.2.
After adjusting for a timing error that added 15 seconds..
Top Boys’ Performances (Adjusted for Timing Error)
* Chase Hensley: 16:47.2
* Aidan Miller: 16:59.7
* Alex Bohlen: 17:16.4
* Ethan Solomon: 17:16.5
* Wade Ward: 17:50.7
A Journey of Growth
Ava Jagielski’s story inspires us all. As a freshman, she ran her first 5K in 29:03. Her journey to 19:14.6 shows what’s possible with consistent effort and a growth mindset. This remarkable improvement has drawn attention from numerous colleges and universities. Both Ella and Ava plan to run at the next level, and while their college choices are still undecided, they are certainly being recruited.
Personal Records Galore
Of the 77 Clover runners who competed, an incredible 53 (69%) ran personal records!
The following runners achieved personal bests:
Girls | All Divisions Events
* Nadia Andrews
* Madeline Bessman
* Evelyn Blackmon
* Megan Blackmon
* Garner Bridges
* Brielle Coley
* Alexandria Hanson
* Jocelyn Haynes
* Kate Holloway-Houck
* Spencer Holloway-Houck
* Grace Hudnall
* Ava Jagielski
* Lily Kanbr
* Leila Linnett
* Bridgette Maddox
* Cali Mitchell
* Caroline Payne
* Emerson Riha
* Abigail Solomon
* Scarlett Verdino-Jenkins
* Madison Wilson
Boys | All Divisions Events
* Lowell Althoff
* Silas Althoff
* Urijah Andress
* Jack Baker
* Julian Baker
* Wyatt Bennett
* Gavin Burton
* Bryan Casado De La Cruz
* Colin Cathey
* Michael Cruser
* Canaan DeJacimo
* Beckett Freeland
* Jaxon Grigsby
* Connor Hardee
* Chase Hensley
* William Hollingsworth
* Daxton Hudnall
* David Jeffries
* Paul Jeffries
* Reese Jordan
* Noah Kanbr
* Kaellum Linnett
* Aiden Lomas
* Austin Lowe
* Carson Maurer
* Bennett Senn-McJunkins
* Landon Skogsberg
* Maitland Vanourny
* Owen Vanourny
* Dale Walker
* Todd Ward
* Flint Young
What’s Next for the Blue Eagles?
* Tuesday, September 2, 2025: The Blue Eagles compete in Fort Mill.
* Saturday, September 6, 2025: The Clover JV and varsity squads race at the Trojan Invitational at Northwestern.
* Saturday, September 13, 2025: The Clover Classic Eagles Nest XC Invitational, where top teams from Eye Opener will battle on our adventurous course.
With 11 weeks until the state championships, this performance was just a spark to ignite our competitive fire after a long summer of mileage.
Full results can be found at
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