By Coach Young, Clover Cross Country
Rock Hill, S.C. – September 6, 2025 – The Clover Blue Eagles cross country teams delivered an unforgettable performance at the Trojan Invitational, hosted by Northwestern High School and directed by my dear friend, Coach Chris Ardis. Racing at Northwestern is always special, thanks to their incredible sportsmanship, kindness, and hospitality. When we lost our beloved teammate Leigh Pendleton to leukemia, Coach Ardis and the Trojans rallied local schools, attended Leigh’s celebration of life, and delivered heartfelt cards to the Pendleton family and our team. As we gear up for our first-ever Clover Invitational on September 13, Northwestern was the first to register, showing support that transcends competition. This bond makes every Trojan-hosted event a cherished moment for our Blue Eagles.
Fearless Performances on the Course
Our athletes blended raw talent with relentless dedication, turning heads with fearless performances. In the girls’ varsity race, senior Ella Nighbor stole the show, shattering the course record with an 18:03.1. Ella, Fort Mill’s Kaylee Rovenstine, and Alivia Cleveland broke away early, but when Cleveland faded, Ella and Rovenstine battled at the 1.5-mile mark—Ella at 9:01.4, Rovenstine at 9:01.9. With 1K to go, Ella surged boldly, opening a 17-second gap to claim victory. Her negative-split second half (1.6 miles, faster than her 9:01.4 first 1.5 miles) showcased pacing mastery and aerobic strength—a lesson for young runners in strategic racing. The girls’ team followed her lead, securing a commanding 2nd place out of 16 teams with a 19:42 average, just behind the powerhouse Fort Mill squad (19:02 team avg). Senior Ava Jagielski also shone, clocking a PR of 19:11.2 for 6th, earning her first podium spot in her last Trojan Invite.
On the boys’ side, senior Ethan Solomon and junior Chase Hensley charged out fearlessly in the sweltering heat, setting a blazing early pace (some hitting 5:10 for the first mile). The heat tested our pack, but they fought through. Sophomore William Kolodziej admitted, “I’m not quite at that 5:10 first-mile pace yet,” but battled to a strong 31st at 17:45.1—his best Trojan Invitational yet. Chase Hensley powered to 11th with a personal record (PR) of 16:43.8, earning top honors, while senior Alex Bohlen claimed 16th at 17:03.2, his best run on this course in his final Trojan Invitational. Their grit led the boys to a hard-earned 4th place out of 19 teams. These times reflect the heart and hustle our Blue Eagles pour into every mile.
A Journey of Growth: From Potential to Podiums
What makes this day historic is the incredible gap our teams have closed in just three years—starting our fourth season together, a journey worthy of thunderous applause! In 2022, our 25 mostly seventh-, eighth-graders, and freshmen were full of potential but still finding their footing. Three seasons of early mornings, grueling workouts, and team spirit later, those same athletes—now seniors, juniors, and sophomores—have built a powerhouse. Our progress tells the story:
• 2022: Girls 13th (24:15 average), Boys 15th (20:17)
• 2023: Girls 6th (23:40), Boys 6th (18:38)
• 2024: Girls 9th (22:00), Boys 8th (17:58)
• 2025: Girls 2nd (19:42), Boys 4th (17:15)
This leap comes from offseason sacrifices—running rain-soaked trails, lifting weights, eating right, and resting to recover. High school runners, take note: consistent effort unlocks your potential!
Standout Stars and Personal Records
With a team of 100 runners, we saw countless PRs and breakout performances. Veterans like McKinley Johnson, who didn’t anticipate racing due to having the ACT scheduled, had a last-minute conflict with testing and wanted to race, ran a season-best 21:50.7 (3rd, girls’ JV). Freshmen newcomers Scarlet Verdino-Jenkins (22:20.6, 9th, girls’ JV), Caroline Payne (23:06, PR, girls’ JV, in her first racing spikes), and Brielle Coley (23:18, PR, girls’ JV) showed promise. On the boys’ side, freshman Maitland Vanourny dropped a 40-second PR with 19:10.8, while 8th-grader Bryan Casado shaved 36 seconds for a 22:32.5 PR. Wesley Rowland, back from injury, ran an inspiring 18:20.5 (8th, boys’ JV). Sophomore Gretchen Johnson, who joined in 2023 after I reminded her of her elementary school promise to run for me, ran a 24:56.2 (girls’ JV). From a 29:16 at last year’s Trojan Invitational to a 24:30 PR in 2024, Gretchen’s progress is a testament to hard work.
Top 10 Improvements: The Power of Perseverance
These time drops from debut seasons (2022 or later) to 2025 highlight the grit and smart training behind our success:
Girls’ Top 10 Improvements (2022–2025):
• McKinley Johnson: 29:05.6 (2023) to 21:50.7 (2025) – 7:14.9
• Ava Jagielski: 25:23.2 (2022) to 19:11.2 (2025) – 6:12.0
• Madison Wilson: 28:24.4 (2023) to 22:16.0 (2025) – 6:08.4
• Abigail Solomon: 37:30.4 (2024) to 31:45.0 (2025) – 5:45.4
• Makenna Young: 26:33.0 (2022) to 22:22.5 (2025) – 4:10.5
• Arabella Febles: 25:50.8 (2022) to 22:06.5 (2025) – 3:44.3
• Gretchen Johnson: 28:22.4 (2023) to 24:56.2 (2025) – 3:26.2
• Ella Nighbor: 20:55.5 (2022) to 18:03.1 (2025) – 2:52.4
• Lily McKinney: 28:01.0 (2023) to 25:16.6 (2025) – 2:44.4
• Ashley Goldate: 32:45.7 (2024) to 30:06.1 (2025) – 2:39.6
Boys’ Top 10 Improvements (2022–2025):
• Aiden Lomas: 27:21.5 (2024) to 20:32.4 (2025) – 6:49.1
• Ethan Blair: 29:11.2 (2024) to 24:47.2 (2025) – 4:24.0
• Todd Ward: 23:29.0 (2023) to 19:17.6 (2025) – 4:11.4
• Chase Hensley: 20:52.0 (2022) to 16:43.8 (2025) – 4:08.2
• Aidan Barkaway: 21:46.4 (2023) to 18:03.2 (2025) – 3:43.2
• James Albrecht: 23:44.1 (2024) to 20:33.1 (2025) – 3:11.0
• Alex Bohlen: 19:55.4 (2022) to 17:03.2 (2025) – 2:52.2
• Wade Ward: 20:15.7 (2022) to 17:30.4 (2025) – 2:45.3
• Josias Dejacimo: 22:26.2 (2023) to 19:48.6 (2025) – 2:37.6
• Austin Blackledge: 21:26.4 (2022) to 19:20.4 (2025) – 2:06.0
These improvements reflect months of commitment—logging miles before sunrise, building strength in the weight room, fueling with healthy nutrition, and prioritizing recovery. Young runners, embrace this: progress comes from consistent effort and cheering on your teammates!
Varsity Results: Setting the Tone
2025 Girls Varsity:
• 1st: Ella Nighbor, SR, 18:03.1 (Course Record!)
• 6th: Ava Jagielski, SR, 19:11.2 (PR!)
• 14th: Zoe Miller, FR, 19:38.3 (Podium)
• 27th: Eva Quintana, 8th, 20:46.2
• 28th: Nadia Andrews, JR, 20:47.2
• 53rd: Arabella Febles, JR, 22:06
• 58th: Madison Wilson, SO, 22:16.0
• 61st: Makenna Young, SO, 22:22.5
2025 Boys Varsity:
• 11th: Chase Hensley, JR, 16:43.8 (PR!)
• 16th: Alex Bohlen, SR, 17:03.2 (Podium!)
• 20th: Ethan Solomon, SR, 17:10.3
• 27th: Wade Ward, SR, 17:30.4
• 31st: William Kolodziej, SO, 17:45.1
• 42nd: Chris Delgado, JR, 18:02.7
• 43rd: Aidan Barkaway, SR, 18:03.2
• 77th: Austin Blackledge, SR, 19:20.4
Girls Varsity Team Results
1. Fort Mill – 34 points, 1:35:09, 19:02
2. Clover – 76 points, 1:38:26, 19:42
3. Greenville – 100 points, 1:40:38, 20:08
4. Spartanburg – 119 points, 1:41:47, 20:22
5. Chapin – 128 points, 1:42:41, 20:33
6. Nation Ford – 152 points, 1:44:01, 20:49
7. Northwestern – 200 points, 1:46:55, 21:23
8. Catawba Ridge HS – 231 points, 1:49:10, 21:50
9. York County Homeschool – 256 points, 1:51:44, 22:21
10. South Pointe – 269 points, 1:52:31, 22:31
11. York – 340 points, 1:57:30, 23:30
12. Rock Hill – 378 points, 2:00:10, 24:02
13. Carmel Christian School – 393 points, 2:01:49, 24:22
14. Mountain Island Charter School – 395 points, 2:02:27, 24:30
15. Davidson Day School – 408 points, 2:05:00, 25:00
16. Riverwalk Academy – 417 points, 2:04:21, 24:53
Boys Varsity Team Results
1. Fort Mill – 42 points, 1:22:39, 16:32
2. South Pointe – 56 points, 1:23:36, 16:44
3. Catawba Ridge HS – 85 points, 1:24:55, 16:59
4. Clover – 105 points, 1:26:13, 17:15
5. Nation Ford – 131 points, 1:27:00, 17:24
6. Chapin – 146 points, 1:27:20, 17:28
7. Northwestern – 247 points, 1:31:42, 18:21
8. Spartanburg – 285 points, 1:33:55, 18:47
9. York County Homeschool – 291 points, 1:33:41, 18:45
10. Gaston Christian School – 332 points, 1:36:04, 19:13
11. Greenville – 336 points, 1:35:57, 19:12
12. Carmel Christian School – 338 points, 1:35:56, 19:12
13. Mountain Island Charter School – 349 points, 1:36:17, 19:16
14. Riverwalk Academy – 366 points, 1:37:30, 19:30
15. Rock Hill – 385 points, 1:38:39, 19:44
16. Woodlawn School – 471 points, 1:43:11, 20:39
17. Davidson Day School – 473 points, 1:43:55, 20:47
18. York – 498 points, 1:49:21, 21:53
19. York Prep – 523 points, 1:45:58, 21:12
Full results found here:
https://sc.milesplit.com/meets/648327-trojan-invitational-2025/results
Looking Ahead
To my Blue Eagles: You’ve turned potential into podiums with heart and hard work. To our community—parents, fans, and fellow runners—your support fuels our fire. A heartfelt thank you to Coach Ardis and the Northwestern Trojans for hosting us with warmth and standing by us through thick and thin. Runners, keep training smart: practice pacing like Ella to build your aerobic engine.
Please join us next weekend, September 13, for our inaugural Clover Classic Invitational—let’s keep soaring together!
FIRST EVER
Clover Classic Eagles Nest XC Invitational
Join us behind Clover High School for the Clover Classic Eagles Nest XC Invitational, featuring 21 teams and 930 registered runners! Competing schools include Byrnes, Catawba Ridge, Clover, Dreher, J.L. Mann, Lancaster, Landrum, Lugoff-Elgin, Marvin Ridge, Northern Nash (traveling 4 hours to attend), Northwestern, Paddyfote Learning Center, Palisades, Ridge View, Riverwalk Academy, Rock Hill, South Pointe, Spartanburg, Stuart W. Cramer, York, and York County Homeschool.
Support your Blue Eagle cross country program by purchasing tickets to the biggest sporting event on our campus! Visit www.CloverXCTF.com for tickets.
Race Schedule:
* Coaches Meeting: 8:30 AM
* Varsity Girls Race: 9:00 AM
* Varsity Boys Race: 9:30 AM
* JV Girls Race: 10:00 AM
* JV Boys Race: 10:40 AM
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