September 4th, 2025 by the Seward Folly Staff

The Seward High girls cross-country team just pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the season, emerging as champions at the Colony Invitational. Even though Seward is a Division II team, the Seahawks proved they can run with the best, edging out host Colony by a single point, 59 to 60, to claim the team title.

The win is even more impressive when you consider the Seahawks don’t rely on a single superstar to carry them. Instead, it was all about their pack running and depth. None of the Seward girls cracked the top three, but they packed their top five runners into the top 21 overall, which made all the difference. The top five runners score, with the lowest score winning. Olive Jordan led the way in fifth place, closely followed by Indigo Leslie in sixth. Juniper Ingalls finished eighth, Selah Brueckner took 19th, and Lucy Bamford came in 21st to round out the scoring. Maddie Haas played a key role as the sixth runner, pushing the team’s depth even further.

Coach Rachel Dow emphasized that the course at Colony was tougher and slower this year, due to some route changes.

“Great job at Colony, Seahawks! I know the course ended up being slower due to some changes from last year, but you all did great! It’s truly amazing that some of you had course PRs,” she said.

Even with the slower conditions, 17 Seahawks set personal records.

On the boys’ side, Sampson Antrim led Seward with a 32nd-place finish in the varsity race, showing promise as the boys’ team continues to build momentum.

The Seahawks also placed three girls in the top 10 for the JV race, with Tirzah Brueckner finishing first, Blakeley Norvell in fourth and Emma Seavey in 10th. Luke Elhard finished fifth in the Boys’ JV race.

Photos by Coach Dow

Girls’ Varsity, Boys’ Varsity, Girls’ JV, Boys’ JV

The Seahawks will compete at the Palmer Invite this weekend, a meet that carries extra significance this year. The Palmer course is also the site of the upcoming State Meet, making this race an early preview of the terrain, the competition, and the mental tests that await at State. As the team aims for a fourth consecutive State Championship, they know this is a key opportunity to gather information and prepare for the season’s final race.

With a giant win at Colony under their belts and the opportunity to scout the state course looming, the Seward girls are heading into Palmer with confidence and focus.