2025 SPC Championships - 4A Girls Race Recap
The 2025 SPC 4A Girls Championship at Spring Creek Park in Tomball delivered everything the pre-race buildup promised-fast times, fierce rivalries, and a reaffirmation of Houston Episcopal's dynasty-level dominance. With cool, slightly humid morning conditions setting the stage for smooth racing, the state's top private school runners from Houston, Dallas, and Austin came ready to battle.
Individual Race Recap
The individual race unfolded as an instant classic between two of the SPC's brightest stars, St. John's sophomore Taylor Synnott and Houston Episcopal senior Georgia Bass. Coming into the weekend, the matchup had been hyped as a potential close clash: the reigning champion Synnott versus the seasoned veteran Bass. From the gun, both asserted control, pulling the field through the mile under 5:55 pace. Synnott, known for her fearless early racing and fluid stride, began to press after two miles, dropping Bass and the chase pack that included Duchesne's Mina Poizat, Episcopal's Ceci Bass, and Greenhill's Isabel Bhatia.
In the final 800 meters, Synnott sealed her second consecutive SPC individual title with a time of 18:33.80, improving by 24 seconds from her winning mark a year ago. Bass followed in 19:10.9, earning her second straight runner-up finish and closing out a brilliant SPC career. Poizat (Duchesne) impressed with a breakout third-place finish in 19:34.5, while Ceci Bass (Episcopal) and Bhatia (Greenhill) rounded out the top five, both under 19:45.
Hockaday freshman Aniela Coughlin made a big debut on the SPC stage, taking sixth in 19:42.1, just ahead of a deep Episcopal trio of Meg Billipp (7th), Palmer Popov (9th), and Ashley Conoscenti (10th). The top ten also featured Lainey Davis (8th) of Duchesne, making for one of the most competitive front packs in recent SPC history.
For context, Synnott's 18:33 not only defended her title but was of the the fastest SPC girls' winning times since 2017, underscoring her status as one of the best young distance runners in Texas private school history.
Top 10 Finishers - 2025 SPC 4A Girls Championship
| Place | Athlete | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Synnott (10) | St. John's Houston | 18:33.80 |
| 2 | Georgia Bass (12) | Houston Episcopal | 19:10.90 |
| 3 | Mina Poizat (10) | Houston Duchesne Academy | 19:34.50 |
| 4 | Ceci Bass (10) | Houston Episcopal | 19:37.80 |
| 5 | Isabel Bhatia (12) | Greenhill | 19:41.60 |
| 6 | Aniela Coughlin (9) | Hockaday | 19:42.10 |
| 7 | Meg Billipp (10) | Houston Episcopal | 19:46.10 |
| 8 | Lainey Davis (10) | Houston Duchesne Academy | 19:50.40 |
| 9 | Palmer Popov (12) | Houston Episcopal | 19:58.10 |
| 10 | Ashley Conoscenti (11) | Houston Episcopal | 20:03.00 |
Team Championship Recap
If there was any doubt that Houston Episcopal remains the gold standard of SPC cross country, collecting their fifth consecutive win, Saturday morning removed it entirely. The Knights dominated from start to finish, scoring an impressive 32 points behind five runners in the top ten and a slim 0:52 1-5 spread, the tightest compression in the entire meet. Their average time of 19:43 marked one of their fastest averages of the season.
Led by senior leader Georgia Bass (2nd) and her younger sister Ceci (4th), Episcopal put on a clinic in pack running. Meg Billipp (7th), Palmer Popov (9th), and Ashley Conoscenti (10th) sealed the title before the 2.5-mile mark, with Amelia Davis (12th) and Isabelle DeGrange (25th) providing elite depth. This fifth victory further cements Episcopal's dynasty.
Behind them, St. John's Houston took silver with 63 points, led by Synnott's individual win and a gritty supporting cast that included Kyriaki Boukas (13th), Mary Elizabeth Villa (15th), and Sophia Fu (16th). Despite a larger 2:00 1-5 gap, St. John's showed the most improvement of any program, lowering their team average from 20:38 in 2024 to 20:01 this year.
Houston Duchesne Academy once again claimed bronze with 83 points, paced by Poizat (3rd) and Davis (8th). Their deep lineup of underclassmen, including Whitley Caserio (19th) and Grace Livermore (23rd), continues to show promise, suggesting their podium presence is far from temporary.
Hockaday (111 pts) and St. Stephen's Episcopal (121 pts) rounded out the top five, both improving on 2024 finishes. The Daisies' freshman duo of Coughlin (6th) and McLeroy (17th) offered a glimpse of a strong future, while Lucia Shahan (11th) led a tight St. Stephen's squad that produced the meet's best team compression at just 1:38.
Further down the standings, Greenhill (172 pts) and Kinkaid (178 pts) traded positions for sixth and seventh, and Houston Christian (217 pts) rounded out the field with several bright young contributors.
2025 SPC 4A Girls Team Results
| Place | Team | Points | Scorers | 1-5 Split | Avg Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Episcopal | 32 | 2+4+7+9+10 (12+25) | 0:52 | 19:43 |
| 2 | St. John's Houston | 63 | 1+13+15+16+18 (20+24) | 2:00 | 20:01 |
| 3 | Houston Duchesne Academy | 83 | 3+8+19+23+30 (33+37) | 2:02 | 20:34 |
| 4 | Hockaday | 111 | 6+17+22+28+38 (39+43) | 2:48 | 21:02 |
| 5 | St. Stephen's Episcopal (Austin) | 121 | 11+21+26+29+34 (35+36) | 1:38 | 21:07 |
| 6 | Greenhill | 172 | 5+31+40+46+50 (53+55) | 6:40 | 22:53 |
| 7 | Kinkaid School | 178 | 14+32+41+44+47 (48+49) | 4:14 | 22:29 |
| 8 | Houston Christian | 217 | 27+42+45+51+52 (54) | 6:11 | 24:26 |