Ursuline Extends Record Streak at State

By Mike Waters / Contributor

WACO — Ursuline captured its second consecutive — and record 17th overall — TAPPS cross country state championship on Monday at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.

While the Bears secured the 6A girls title, Covenant continued its dynasty by earning trophies in both the 4A boys and girls divisions.

Ursuline placed five runners in the top 33 individually in the girls 6A division, led by junior Presley Andras, who claimed a bronze medal with a time of 11 minutes, 56 seconds.

“The strength of this team is running together,” said Ursuline head coach Becky Firth. “We did a great job with pace and I am just so very proud of this group and what they accomplished.”

It was the third medal at the TAPPS state meet in three years for Andras, who also earned bronze a year ago after a runner-up finish in 2022.

“We’ve worked hard all season,” said Andras. “We support each other. That is a big key to our success.”

That “pack” strategy worked to perfection for the Bears. Marit Beckman placed seventh and Ellie Tusa was 16th. Also turning in strong showings were Anna Mathison and Eloise Crane.

Competing on the track during the spring season has been instrumental in helping Ursuline runners excel in cross country, Firth said.

Last spring, Beckman and Andras ran the first and third legs, respectively, on a gold-medal 4×400 relay team. Beckman finished second and Andras third in the 800-meter event, while Crane placed fourth in the 1,600.

Ursuline’s 17 team championships are the best among any school, boys or girls, regardless of classification. It’s never too early for the Bears to start thinking about a three-peat.

“We’re a pretty young team,” Firth said. “This year there were three sophomores, three juniors and one senior in our top seven.”