SPC Championship 3A Boys Meet Preview

The clear front-runner and defending team champion, Reed Robinson, has been dominant all season and comes into the championship meet with the fastest seed time in the field. The junior placed 4th in last year's SPC final while helping lead his team to the title and now enters as the favorite to capture the individual crown. With a deadly combination of speed and consistency, Robinson is the one to beat.

At 16:07.20, Felipe Beltran (Houston Awty International) is just two-hundredths of a second behind Robinson in the rankings. Beltran is a legitimate title threat. The Awty sophomore has shown huge improvement over last season and will be looking to break up the St. Andrew's party at the front. If he can stay close through two miles, expect a fierce kick in the final stretch.

Cyrus Shoghi is one of the most reliable runners in the field and was a key piece of St. Andrew's title run last year, finishing 9th in the 2024 SPC final. With his 16:14.60 mark this season, he'll be right in the mix for a top-three finish and gives St. Andrew's the rare luxury of multiple athletes capable of contending for the win.

The top man for Cistercian Prep, Ben Brittian has run toe-to-toe with the best all season and brings big-race experience and grit to the line. With the 4th-fastest time heading into the meet (16:16), he's a dark horse for the title and could be the X-factor in both the individual and team podium races.

Rounding out St. Andrew's formidable top three, Alexander Sutton is a quiet powerhouse. He finished 12th in last year's final and has since dropped significant time of 16:21.90. Don't be surprised to see all three St. Andrew's runners in the top 5.

Podium Contenders & Chase Pack

Jacob Bailey (The John Cooper School) - 16:29.20 Bailey has been Cooper's low-stick all year and will be tasked with keeping them in the hunt for second place. After finishing 14th last year, he'll be looking to crack the top 10 and possibly contend for a top-five finish.

Milo Amoroso (St. Andrew's Episcopal) - 16:33.90 These two - yes, two Milos - provide unmatched depth for St. Andrew's. They might not contend for the win, but their presence in the top 10 is almost guaranteed, and that depth is a big reason why St. Andrew's is projected to run away with the team title.

Will Oliver (Cistercian Prep) - 16:39.00 Another solid piece for Cistercian's team push, Oliver's sub-16:40 time puts him firmly in top-10 territory. If he pairs well with Brittian, Cistercian could threaten John Cooper for second.

William Runyon & Ty Williams (Fort Worth Country Day) - 16:46.70 / 16:47.00 This duo has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Though they're likely out of team contention, both runners are capable of top-15 or even top-10 finishes and will look to upset the balance in the team score by displacing rival scorers.

Zach Jefferson (The John Cooper School) - 16:48.20 Another strong runner from Cooper, Jefferson has the potential to push into the top 10, which would be a major boost for his team's hopes of fending off Cistercian and Awty in the team race.

Keizo Dreyfus-Ishigami (Houston Awty International) - 16:50.50 The second Awty runner in the top 15, Keizo has solidified himself as a key piece in Awty's title defense attempt. If he runs close to Beltran, both could shake up the top five.

A highly competitive field will toe the line this Saturday at Spring Creek Park as the SPC 3A Boys Cross Country Championship returns, with last year's champion St. Andrew's Episcopal coming in as the clear favorite to defend its title. The squad from Austin was dominant in 2024, posting a team score of 39 and averaging 17:20. This season, they've taken it to another level, entering the meet with an eye-popping team average of 16:22.94 and the top individual performer in Reed Robinson (16:07). With four runners under 16:35 and a nearly unbeatable 30-second 1-5 spread, St. Andrew's looks nearly untouchable on paper, projected to score just 24 points, a mark that would rival some of the best in recent SPC history.

But behind them, the battle for the podium is fierce and wide open. The John Cooper School, Cistercian Prep, and Houston Awty International all project to be within just a few points of one another, with Cooper and Cistercian tied at 74 points and Awty only five points behind at 79. John Cooper returns their top finisher from last year, Jacob Bailey (16:29), and brings strong depth through their 3-5 scorers. Cistercian is propelled by frontrunner Ben Brittian (16:16), while Houston Awty leans on a 1-2 punch in Felipe Beltran (16:07.20) and Keizo Dreyfus-Ishigami (16:50.50). All three teams will need their 4-5 runners to step up if they want to challenge St. Andrew's or lock down a top-three finish.

Fort Worth Country Day also returns a solid group led by William Runyon (16:46.70) and Ty Williams (16:47.00), but a large 1-5 gap and mid-pack depth may keep them out of contention for the podium this time around. Episcopal School of Dallas and The Oakridge School round out the field, with both teams featuring young rosters still developing into competitive form at the SPC level.

With fast times across the board and cooler weather on tap, expect fireworks from the gun. But unless a major upset unfolds, all signs point to St. Andrew's Episcopal once again running away with the title-just much faster this time.

Projected Team Summary (Based on Season Bests)