Faith Academy track sets personal bests at state meet

CAPTION: The 2026 Faith Academy of Marble Falls track and field program competes at the Class 3A state meet of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. The program includes head coach Steve McCannon (kneeling); Eden Thames (second row, left), Zoe Rhoads, Cuyleigh Zimmerman, Abby Kosoglow; Reese Ramsey (third row, left), Ashlyn Rishavy, Jasmine Young, Egan Barnes, Beau Steele (holding the plaque), Colt Mason; assistant coach Cedric Griffin (back row, left), Ronin Burns, Madden Kinnee, Landon Silvers, Jackson Henry, Graham McGraw, and assistant coach Jay Silvers. Courtesy photo 

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls track and field program completed its season at the Class 3A state meet of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools May 8-9 at Waco Midway.

The Flames finished third in the team standings by generating 83.5 points, 3.5 points behind runner-up Providence Classical.

The boys’ team score was powered by the three gold medals in the relays thanks to Egan Barnes, Graham McGraw, Colt Mason, Landon Silvers and Beau Steele.

The Lady Flames were fifth with 63 points.

“It was a really good state meet for us getting fifth behind some strong teams,” head coach Steve McCannon said. “So overall, with the size of squad we had and what we were up against, I’m just proud for the girls across the board, just setting personal bests – that’s all I can ever ask from them.”

Steele also medaled in the 400 meters in 50.32 seconds.

“Beau Steele just had a wonderful day as a senior by getting third and just basically repeating his school record in the 400 and anchoring our relays,” the coach said. “Those relays were literally as tight as you can get.”

Indeed. The Flames won the 400-meter relay by with a flat 44 seconds over silver medalist Fort Worth Covenant that clocked 44.17 and won the 800-meter relay in 1:32.26, outlasting silver medalist Waco Live Oak, which earned silver in 1:32.40.

McCannon assembled an interesting group of relay runners: Mason, a freshman, performed like a seasoned veteran, McGraw, a hockey player, and Barnes, who competed in only one state event when he first joined the program, left the meet with three gold medals plus competing in the high jump and the long jump.

“If you go run track, you learn how to compete and can translate that into other sports,” McCannon said. “So we were able to put Graham on the anchor of the (800-meter relay). He was able to take the lead and maintain it for the win by a nose. Just wonderful.”

McCannon praised assistant coach Cedric Griffin for the wins, pointing out Griffin emphasizes form and the technical that leads to victories.

“All the credit to coach Griffin on mechanics,” he said. “I think that’s what literally won us all the relays. When people are breaking down on the last 50 (meters), it always comes down to running form and function. That’s where coach Griffin has brought a total dynamic to our squad.”

Silvers finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 42.13 seconds.

“Landon had some really tough competition in the hurdles,” McCannon said. “I’m proud of Landon for getting there, and he’ll be hungry. I think he’ll be hungry for big things next year.”

The Flames earned 8.5 points from the field events thanks to Barnes’ fourth place in the long jump with a mark of 20 feet and a quarter of an inch.

“We were lukewarm in the field events,” the coach said. “Last year, we had zero points after field events. This year we had 8.5, so we improved. We’re going to work hard next year to score more points on (day one).”

CAPTION: Relay runners Abby Kosoglow (left), Reese Ramsey, Zoe Rhoads and Eden Thames. Courtesy photo

The Lady Flames’ best finishes on the track came in the 400- and 800-meter relays where they took bronze in 52.00 and 1:51.92, respectively. The relays include Reese Ramsey, Hailey Offutt, Cuyleigh Zimmerman and Eden Thames.

The 1,600-meter relay of Ramsey, Thames, Abigail Kosoglow and Zoe Rhoads was sixth in 4:24.12.

Rhoads finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles in 51.67 seconds.

In the field events, senior Miley Fessler took silver in the shot put with a heave of 34-7.25 to set a new personal record, while Rhoads was third in the long jump with a leap of 16-3.5 to set a new personal best and fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 32-4.25.

“We’re real proud of Miley,” McCannon said. “In her senior year, she ended up PRing and getting second, which is wonderful, makes all-state. Just a wonderful job, and we’re going to miss her.”

Rhoads’ finish in the long jump was equally incredible as she went from sixth to third.

“So our two senior field eventors got us started well,” the coach said. “That was awesome to see them get a medal in their hands.”

Thames was sixth in the triple jump with leap of 31-10.75 and Rishavy finished sixth in the high jump with a flop of 4-4.

A characteristic of the state meet that stuck out to the coach was the finish in the 400-meter relay, which missed the school record by 0.06 of a second.

That record was set almost two decades ago and ran to a gold medal and overall state team title.

“So if you think about this set of girls, they got third and our school record would have gotten third,” McCannon said. “You think of all the fast runners we’ve had over the years. And this year, our girls are scratching for a state medal. So in all our relays, they ran times that we’ve won state titles before now. The price of poker has gone up. Even though we didn’t win, I’m still proud of them, just like the teams that won state titles. I’m really proud of how they performed.”

RESULTS

Boys

400 – 3, Beau Steele, 50.32; 110 hurdles – 5, Landon Silvers, 16.52; 300 hurdles – 4, Landon Silvers, 42.13; 4×100 – 1, Faith Academy (Barnes, McGraw, Mason, Steele), 44.00; 4×200 – 1, Faith Academy (Barnes, McGraw, Mason, Silvers), 1:32.26; 4×400 – 1, Faith Academy (McGraw, Mason, Barnes, Steele), 3:27.85; high jump – 7, Egan Barnes, 5-6; long jump – 4, Egan Barnes, 20-0.25; triple jump – 8, Colt Mason, 38-6.25; discus – 8, Hudson Tatum, 115-06

Girls

400 – 7, Abigail Kosoglow, 1:05.39; 800 – 7, Abigail Kosoglow, 2:41.89; 300 hurdles – 5, Zoe Rhoads, 51.67; 4×100 – 3, Faith Academy (Ramsey, Offutt, Zimmerman, Thames), 52.00; 4×200 – 3, Faith Academy (Offutt, Ramsey, Zimmerman, Thames), 1:51.92; 4×400 – 6, Faith Academy (Ramsey, Thames, Kosoglow, Rhoads), 4:24.12; high jump – 6, Ashlyn Rishavy, 4-4; long jump – 3, Zoe Rhoads, 16-3.5; triple jump – 4, Zoe Rhoads, 32-4.25, 6, Eden Thames, 31-10.75; shot put – 2, Miley Fessler, 34-7.25