Montgomery Catholic Cross Country Teams Honored by Mayor Strange

Bringing home trophies wasn’t applause enough for the Montgomery Catholic boys and girls cross country running teams. Both teams won the state championship this fall, and it was the first time that Montgomery Catholic had both boys and girls teams win at the same time. The cross country runners and their coaches, Ed Wright and Hollis Johnson, were invited to City Hall to be publicly recognized by Mayor Todd Strange before the city council meeting. One by one, the champions were called to the floor, congratulated, and given a certificate of recognition from the mayor.

The cross country team had put in long hours of intense training leading up to the state championship meet, and the results reflected their efforts. While previous Montgomery Catholic boys teams had won the state championship, it was the first time that the girls team had ever brought home the state trophy.

“We had worked so hard this season, and all the training finally paid off,” said freshman Lily Bachl, who was the individual runner-up in the state meet. “I definitely feel like we deserved it.”

For Senior Isabelle Cochran, who came in fourth place, it was a perfect ending. “With it being my last year on the team, it was great to end on such a good note. We’ve been runner-up several times, so to finally win the state championship makes me very proud of the whole team.”

The boys were equally excited about their results, but it came as the result of hard work and persistence.

“Even though we had won sectionals, we knew we would have tough competition ahead of us at state,” said Senior Grant Walker, who came in fourth place for the boys. “We ran hard, and I ended up beating my personal best time.”

“I personally performed so much better this season than last season, and the work we all put in paid off,” said Junior Chris Valencia.

The Catholic girls were led by senior Amaris Tyynismaa.  Crossing the finish line first at 17:44.21, Tyynismaa finished nearly a minute and a half ahead of the second place finisher, Catholic freshman Lily Bachl, who crossed the finish line at 19:04:41. Senior Isabelle Cochran finished strong at 19:44.87, securing fourth place overall. Teammates Grace Leslie, Ann Cobb, Katie Galvin, Chloe Smith, Virginia Speirs, Samantha Day, and Kathleen Madden all finished the race and took Montgomery Catholic girls to the top, crowning them as the state champions. Amaris Tyymismaa also took home her fifth consecutive individual champion title.

For the Catholic boys, senior Grant Walker took fourth overall with a time of 16:34:48, and sophomore Hollis Johnson and senior Zachary Kroeger finished at 6th and 7th place, respectively. Strong finishes from teammates Sam Leslie, Manny Caceres, Chris Valencia, Cole Pierce, Joseph Schmidt, Austin Cleghorn, and Harrison Skala secured the boys’ place at the top and earned them the state championship.

Montgomery Catholic Coach Wright Named Boys High School Cross Country Coach of the Year

Montgomery Catholic Cross Country Coach Ed Wright was selected as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Boys’ High School Coach of the Year for the state of Alabama for the 2018 cross country season. Coach Wright serves as the head coach for the boys and girls cross country teams at Montgomery Catholic, both of which won the state championship in the 2018 season.

“I’m thankful for the honor of the award,” Wright said about this achievement, “but any and all the honor goes to the young men who worked so hard to make it possible.”

The cross country runners look up to Wright, who encourages them continually to do their best.

“Coach Wright is a huge inspiration to us,” said sophomore cross country runner Joseph Schmidt, who ran with the state championship team. “He’s a great motivator who is always challenging us to keep getting stronger and faster.”

Montgomery Catholic's Athletic Director Daniel Veres said of Wright, "This honor is well deserved. Coach Ed Wright will continue to encourage his team to be stronger and faster, and Montgomery Catholic athletes can look forward to continuing success under his leadership."

Coach Wright is busy coaching both girls and boys indoor track teams and is preparing for the upcoming spring outdoor track season. Wright had previously won Coach of the Year for the state of Alabama for girls outdoor track & field by the USTFCCCA  in 2017.

The USTFCCCA is a non-profit organization that advocates for cross country and track & field coaches and represents over 9,000 coaching members on the high school and college level.

Montgomery Catholic’s Person, Tyynismaa Commit in Early Signing Day

Early Signing Day at Montgomery Catholic was an emotional affair decorated with plenty of crimson. Seniors C.J. Person and Amaris Tyynismaa signed their commitments to become scholar athletes in front of family, friends, faculty, and the media.

Person is a three-star defensive tackle who was instrumental in taking the Knights to the second round of the playoffs this season. He has committed to play football at Indiana University and credited his coaches and his family for his success as both a student and a stand-out athlete. The future Hoosier expressed his gratitude for the love and support from his grandmother and thanked Montgomery Catholic President Mrs. Anne Ceasar for being “like a second mom” during his time at MCPS.

Tyynismaa has earned 5 consecutive individual state titles for cross country running, holds over 20 state titles in cross country and track & field events, and led the Lady Knights to their first ever state championship in cross country. She has committed to run at the University of Alabama. Sharing her deeply personal struggle with Tourette’s syndrome and overcoming negative comments from others, she emphasized the importance of persistence, hard work, and never giving up in the face of adversity. Both athletes warmly congratulated each other on their accomplishments and expressed the gratitude for being classmates at Montgomery Catholic.

“It was a great day for C.J. and Amaris as we celebrated their college choices,” said MCPS Athletic Director Mr. Daniel Veres. “I’ve had many heart-to-heart conversations with both of them about their college options, and Indiana and Alabama are getting two great people to join their programs.”

Montgomery Catholic Sixth Grade Students Play in Alabama Winds Concert

Five Montgomery Catholic sixth grade band students had a unique performance opportunity recently. The Alabama Winds band, consisting of adult members from throughout the state of Alabama, hosted a concert at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama and invited students from around the state to play with them in their Sounds of the Season concert. Joanna Marlow (bass clarinet), Amelia Bair (trumpet), Cooper Beesley (baritone), Keveen Ramirez (trombone), and Ivory Williams (flute) guest-starred in the popular holiday tune “Sleigh Ride” and got to play alongside Montgomery Catholic band teachers Mr. Alex Johnson (trombone), and Mrs. Kristine Johnson (flute).

"It was so fun to see all of the young musicians, especially the MCPS students, join their adult counterparts on stage in one huge group,” said Mr. Johnson. “We hope that this gave them an example of how music can be a truly valuable and enjoyable thing for a lifetime."

Montgomery Catholic’s award-winning band program begins in fifth grade and continues through high school and includes students of all levels of experience, from beginner to advanced.