Cathedral Catholic’s girls cross country team continued its strong season with another impressive team victory Saturday at the 46th annual Mt. Carmel Invitational at Morley Field.

The meet looked different from a typical Mt. Carmel Invitational as organizers adjusted the schedule in response to extreme heat. The races were moved up from their originally scheduled times, with the meet beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the gap between races shortened from 25 minutes to 20 minutes. As temperatures climbed and Santa Ana winds intensified, officials ultimately canceled later races because of the heat index.

Before the conditions forced the meet to end, the Dons’ girls team made the most of its opportunity, finishing first with 62 points, ahead of Torrey Pines (78) and Del Norte (111).

Senior Grace Keefe ’27 led Cathedral, finishing second overall in 18:38, behind individual champion Harper Diaz of Santana, who ran 18:06. Keefe was followed by a strong contingent of Dons, with Callie Schulteis ’27 taking fourth in 19:32 and Kristine Bickler ’27 finishing eighth in 19:54. Eva Smith ’27 placed 29th in 20:52, while Bridget Kruszewski ’29 finished 26th in 21:21, rounding out the team’s scoring effort.

Kruszewski continues to impress as the season progresses. Although Saturday’s performance did not set a personal record, the sophomore has consistently run strong races and shown significant improvement from her freshman season. Her continued development could be an important factor for the Dons as they move deeper into the season.

Boys Finish Fifth

The Cathedral boys team also delivered a solid performance, finishing fifth out of 18 schools with 150 points.

Freshman Lukas Derheimer ’30 once again delivered an impressive performance, placing eighth overall in 16:35. Derheimer continues to make an impact in his freshman campaign, adding another top-10 finish to an already strong season.

The Dons also got strong efforts from Zachary Albers, who finished 16th in 17:07.8; Caleb Reid, 28th in 17:35.7; Quinn McGivern, 49th in 17:56.1; and Makana Gibbons, 52nd in 17:57.6.

With another team victory for the girls and continued individual progress on both sides, the Dons continue to build momentum as the championship portion of the cross country season approaches.