August 5, 2025
East Ridge High Girls Cross-Country Team Eye Fourth Straight District Title in 2025
By Kyle Coppola
East Ridge High Girls Cross-Country Team Eye Fourth Straight District Title in 2025
Coming off the most successful season in program history, the East Ridge High School girls cross country team began official practices on July 28 with high expectations, hungry to build on last year’s historic run.
After a summer packed with miles, strength training, and scorching heat, the Knights look ready to chase their fourth straight Class 4A District 3 title and perhaps more.
East Ridge is coming off a breakthrough 2024 season that included its first-ever regional championship and a fifth-place team finish at the Class 4A State Championships in Tallahassee. Led by returning senior Rhyen Foley, who captured the Region 2 individual title last year in 18:07 and holds the school record (18:00), the Knights believe they’re built to contend at every level in 2025.
(The fastest times for both girls and boys East Ridge Cross-Country Teams were set in the last two years. The program has grown significantly.)
“We’ve put in a lot of work since June,” Foley says. “The goals are even higher this year.”
Joining Foley is a core group of decorated returners: fellow seniors Veronica Peterson and Adriana Mustin, along with juniors Taylor Walker and Jessie Volz. All five were among last season’s top scorers and have increased their training loads over the summer in hopes of pushing East Ridge toward its first-ever state title.
Veronica, who owns the second-fastest 5K time in program history, shared the team’s Breakthrough Award last year. Adriana ranks 10th all-time at East Ridge, and Walker, the ninth-fastest, looks primed for another strong season. Jessie, the team’s Most Improved runner in 2024, has reportedly taken major strides again during the offseason.
(Adriana Mustin and Taylor Walker at summer conditioning; photo by South Lake Photography)
Behind the seasoned front five, depth continues to grow. Junior Lexi Whitehead returns after a strong summer, while juniors Yeidy Diaz and sophomores Sara and Daniela Garzon bring valuable experience. Several newcomers have also emerged, including juniors Livia Chouinard, Marietta Aguirre Rincon, and Alexa Puello, as well as sophomore Helen Robertson and freshman standouts Hortance Sallault, Jamie Volz, Saryna Stewart, and Annabelle Baggot.
Helen and Hortance have impressed coaches early with their consistency and work ethic.
East Ridge will once again compete in the loaded Class 4A Region 2 District 3, which includes 21 schools. The top eight teams at the district meet will advance to regionals, along with the top four individuals not on qualifying teams.
Key challengers in the district include Boone, Olympia, Windermere, Harmony, and Osceola among others.
The Knights open their season on Saturday, August 16 with a preseason meet at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont. The varsity boys race begins at 7:30 a.m., with the girls race to follow.
East Ridge’s boys and girls programs are also launching a Vertical Raise fundraiser this season to help cover travel, entry fees, and team gear. Donations can be made online via the team’s fundraiser webpage.
Photos courtesy of Mr. Jeff Warren and South Lake Photography.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
