FORT THOMAS, Ariz. — Fort Thomas High School waited 100 years for a season like this. For the first time in school history, both the boys and girls cross country teams qualified for the Arizona Division IV State Meet, a milestone that felt as rewarding as it was overdue.
The breakthrough came November 5th at the Division IV South Sectional Meet in Rio Rico, where the girls placed third with 59 points and the boys secured fifth with 125, earning them their first joint trip to state. For a program that, just a few years ago, struggled to fill a roster, the moment carried real weight.
Senior Sadie Harvey led the girls at sectionals with a second-place finish in 22:25.0. She was one of three Fort Thomas medalists, joined by Maya Kessay in 12th (24:22.0) and Leilynn Wesley in 13th (24:33.1). Alanah Harvey placed 17th and Tyrekia Harvey took 20th, giving Fort Thomas five runners inside the top 20 in a 50-runner field. Corey Cody and Makayla Chapman also contributed strong finishes, helping push the team comfortably into qualifying position.
The boys earned their spot with a balanced performance anchored by freshman Elijah Titla, who finished ninth in 19:25.0. He was followed by Leandro Kenton in 19th (20:03.7), with scoring support from Aaden Anderson in 31st, Keon Williams in 36th and Demari Anderson in 42nd. Keithan Nash and Michael Rogers rounded out the lineup for a team that, as coaches pointed out, once had only three runners total.
Both teams carried their momentum into the state championships. The girls finished 12th overall with 305 points, led once again by Harvey, who earned a state medal with her 16th-place finish in 21:48.8. Kessay placed 64th, followed by Alanah Harvey in 98th and Cody in 104th. Tyrekia Harvey, Wesley and Chapman completed the group in a field of 132 runners.
The boys placed 19th at state with 519 points. Titla led Fort Thomas again, finishing 58th in 19:00.7 in a field of 182. Kenton placed 109th, followed by Nash, Aaden Anderson, Williams, Demari Anderson and Rogers.
Head coach Anna Diaz said the season represented far more than just numbers on a results sheet. She said the team’s growth, confidence and willingness to work together pushed them toward the historic finish, adding that watching her runners achieve something no other Fort Thomas teams had done was one of the great moments of her coaching career.
Athletic director and assistant coach Sam Diaz recalled the early years of rebuilding the program, when participation barely reached three runners. With nearly 30 athletes now involved, he said the success reflects a community that supports its kids and a team that believes in what it’s building.
The season ended with medals, personal bests and a place in the record books. But for Fort Thomas, coaches said the real victory was proving that what once seemed out of reach is now the standard — and that this historic season may well be the start of many more.
