Keeley Klenke (Duchesne Academy) could win a third individual SPC Championship

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The Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championships are just days away at Norbuck Park in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

This follows an outstanding season, one where the 4A boys team race was so close that only four points separated the top three teams.

I think we will see another outstanding set of 3A and 4A races. Below, you can see the teams and individuals we think will be impactful in this year's SPC Championships.

SPC 3A Championships Preview

3A Girls Team Preview

The Austin St. Stephens girls won the 2023 3A state title and returned eight of last year's top ten runners. They return Audrey Wan, the ninth place 2023 finisher.

St. Stephens' 56 point total was enough to beat out runner-up Duchesne Academy and their 64 points. That was a small point total and this is going to be just as close and exciting team battle on Saturday morning.

Duchesne has two top ten finishers from last season in Keeley Klenke and Carolyn Raun. Klenke was the champion and Raun was sixth overall.

Duchesne has the best overall season best average in 3A with their 20:24 team average and a 1:24 spread. St. Stephens has a 21:08 and 2:27 spread.

At the end of the day, it will all come down to execution for these two teams to show who they really are.

Two teams which should pose a threat are Fort Worth Trinity Valley and Fort Worth Country Day.

3A Girls Individual Preview

Entering the SPC Championships, Wan has the best time on the season. Her 19:30 from the HaysCISD Cross Country earlier in the season stands as her SB just ahead of a 19:33 second best performance.

Perhaps the favorite will be two-time reigning champion Klenke. With Klenke eyeballing both an individual title, but also the team win, her motivations for a third title could be the best driving factor on Saturday. She enters with a 19:40 season best.

Last year's runner-up Chloe Nelson (Fort Worth Country Day) was about eight-second behind Klenke in last year's race and third place finisher Courtney McCracken (Trinity Valley).

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3A Boys Team Preview

The Spartan girls from St. Stephens weren't the only team to take home a 2023 title. The St. Stephens boys put three boys in the top ten to take the win at AP Ranch last year.

They should also have a lead towards repeating in 2024. They returned all of their top five runners in Graham Boles, Ben Oehler, Joshua Goldenberg, Ben Patrick, and Simon Meyers.

St. Stephens enters with the second best team average in the SPC with their 16:56 average with a 1:40 gap. Oscar Whiteley Bermeo and Alex Bujalski have season best performances that crack the squad's top five performances.

Threats to St. Stephens' title defense will be last year's runner-up FW Country Day, and third place finishers Awty International.

Country day was 13-points behind last year and their ability to run 17:39 with a 60-second gap is what makes them a danger to unseat St. Stephens.

They have Ty Williams and Chuy Orozco who finished eighth and ninth last year and the twelfth place finisher Dario Rosas.

Awty scored 76 points last year, which was significantly behind the winner and 16-points behind Country Day but they also return top five finishers Edgar Thielens who was the 3A champion and Felipe Beltran who was fifth.

3A Boys Individual Preview

Based on this year's stats, I don't think it is a stretch to consider Boles the favorite going into the race. He is the fastest SPC boy this season with his 16:01 win at last month's SAS Private School Invitational. Of his six races this season, he only has one race over 16:14, showing his consistency and leadership.

However, the reigning defending champ Thielens is getting where he needs to be. He didn't start out very hot this year, but he has dropped time with every race this year. His 16:18 PR was good enough to place him third with Boles being one of the runners he was behind.

Beltran also has a 3A top time with his 16:31.

St. Stephens has a lot of their boys with a lot of meat on the bone in terms of top runners. Bermo and Oehelrs should be able to run top ten if not top five.

Taylor Synnott (Houston St. Johns)

SPC 4A Championship Preview

4A Girls Team Preview

To say Houston Episcopal has been very good over the past several years would be an understatement.

However attrition hit them hard last year. This nothing new as athletes graduate every year; this loss wasn't necessarily an athlete, but it was their coach. Coach Julius Michaels moved on to the UIL to lead the Katy Tompkins program.

With that said, the cupboard was full and the remaining staff has shown to be just as capable. Don't take my word; it will be evident this weekend as the Knights ladies try to win their fourth consecutive SPC title.

They return three girls who were in the top ten last year with the returns of defending champion Madison Morgan, runner-up Olivia Kiefer, and ninth place finisher Georgia Bass.

They currently have the best average heading into the championships with their 19:11 capability and 1:10 spread.

Last year's 4A runner-up squad Hockaday graduated their number one runner Margaret Thompson, but return Jordan Lacsamana who finished seventh overall.

However, the push could come from last year's third and fourth place teams Kinkaid and Houston St. Johns 

Kinkaid brings a 20:20 average with a 1:45 gap time and St Johns takes a 20:19 average and a 2:31 spread into Norbuck Park.

John Cooper also comes in with a sub 21-minute average and the ability to run a spread under 60-seconds.

4A Girls Individual Preview

St Johns freshman Taylor Synnott hasn't lost a private school race all season long. Only a runner-up finish at her McNeil Invitational race and 18th at the Texas A&M Invitation. She heads to Dallas with the best SPC run this entire season with her 18:31.

Kiefer, the runner-up individual finisher last year has the second leading mark this year with a 18:42 going in. She'll be joined by several Episcopal teammates Huntley Buckingham (18:49) and Georgia Bass (18:59) could help push for the individual win.

Alexandria Johnson (Awty) is the only other SPC girls who has a sub 19-minute runner (18:59) going into the championship race.

Luke Dial (Austin St. Andrews)

4A Boys Team Preview

Last year's 4A boys race was ridiculously close and about as close as they come. The top three teams were only separated by four points. 

Houston Episcopal made it a sweep of the SPC 4A titles after the girls won with their 62 point total, Houston St. Johns was second with 64 points, and John Cooper had 66 points.

Based on the season stats, St. Johns has the best team average with their 16:35. However, they're better supported by their 60-second gap. Their top four runners all have 16:50 season bests and under and they run within 42-seconds.

Houston Episcopal graduated the SPC Championship race's first two finishers, but have seventh place finisher Will Pacey as their leader. Their individual season best performances give them a 17:06 average with a 1:10 spread.

John Cooper season stats has them not too far behind with a 17:06 average and a 1:34 spread. Not too far behind are Fort Worth Country Day with their 17:29 average and 60-second gap and Dallas St. Marks who has a 17:24 average and a 2:35 gap.

4A Boys Team Preview

There are 12 of the top 25 runners who graduated in 2024. With only half of the top 25 back this year, there will be some new faces at the top of the awards podium.

Luke Dial (St. Andrews) is the top returner from 2023. He finished third with the first two placers graduating and has a 16:03 season best run in 2024. Dial is coming off a 16:04 win at the Maverick Ramble followed by a 16:05 runner-up finish at the SAS Private School Invitational.

Jay Woodhouse (Houston St. Johns) is the second best 4A performer on the season with a 16:08.

This individual race could be as close as last year's team race. Noah Roby (St. Marks) has a 16:09 SB, Andrew Wasserman (Houston St Johns) checks in a 16:13, Walter Day (John Cooper) is also at 16:13, and Will Pacey (Houston Episcopal) has a 16:16 SB.