Growing a program and elevating athletic performance is always near the top of every coach’s priority list. Debbie Williams, the head cross country coach at Sapulpa High School is accomplishing both.

“Our varsity girls’ team is an exciting mix of upperclassmen with quite a bit of experience blended with some very talented freshmen. We are very excited to watch the season advance and see the team grow and progress throughout the season,” said coach Williams.

Senior Seriah Vess returns to help Sapulpa back to the state meet. Something she is very familiar with as a competitor.

“Seriah has been a state qualifier every season that she has been a runner. She is one of three runners from last year’s team that brings varsity experience to this year’s varsity team,” said coach Williams.

There are three freshmen on the roster with tremendous potential for big years. Claire Hoover, Victoria Porter and Laney Madden are all capable of having breakout seasons.

“We’ve been waiting for Claire to be old enough to be varsity eligible for a long time. She is a multi-sport athlete, and her siblings were both standout athletes here at Sapulpa. We really look forward to seeing her develop her career as a distance runner. Victoria is one of those athletes who has no idea how talented she is. She quietly works hard and is just a great athlete. She had an incredible eighth grade season as a sprinter/relay member/hurdler, in addition to finishing her cross country season as our junior high leader last year. Laney is a quiet force. She has a great work ethic and will be an important part of our varsity this year,” said coach Williams.

Grace Givens is a senior and the glue of the team. After battling a few injuries, Givens is starting the year strong and should be a big help to the overall success of the program.

Other athletes to watch include Baylie Coleman (Sr.), Destinee Miller (Jr.), Jaidyn Adams and Ariana Cazzell.