Both Raider Teams Head to the State Championships
Randolph cross country sends both its boys and girls teams to the AHSAA State Championships on Saturday, November 7, at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. The boys arrive as Sectional Champions, and the girls arrive as Sectional Runner Up.

The Raiders are using the final week to put the finishing touches on their preparation. The goal is simple: arrive healthy, confident and ready to deliver the best performances of the season.

How the Raiders Got Here
Boys: Sectional Champions. Randolph won the Private School Double AA Section 2 title with 30 points, 42 points ahead of second place St. John Paul II Catholic (72). Sophomore Brooks Johnson won the individual championship in 16:12.1, and junior Wick Pfitzer finished third in 16:43.7. Seniors Lucas Israel (sixth, 17:06.4), Andrew Walker (eighth, 17:29.2) and Landon Lee (12th, 17:43.5) completed the scoring five, with four Raiders in the top eight and six in the top 15.

Girls: Sectional Runner Up. Projected to finish third, the Raiders tied Briarwood Christian at 61 points and won the sixth runner tiebreaker. Senior Anna Ragsdale placed 20th in 22:57.6, ahead of Briarwood's sixth runner in 32nd. Junior Meredith Walker led the way in third place (20:43.2). Three seventh graders, Meg Brigance (13th), Lillian Orton (15th) and Olivia Landers (16th), were among the five scorers, and four Raiders finished within 14.3 seconds of one another.

From the Coach
Head Coach Twig says qualifying both teams means everything to the program, and credits the work behind it. "This didn't happen overnight," Twig said. "It started back in the summer with early morning runs, continued through months of training, racing, overcoming adversity, and learning to believe in one another. What I'm most proud of is how these athletes have grown together as a team. They have supported each other, pushed each other, and bought into what we are trying to build at Randolph."

With one week left, the focus is on health and rest. "At this point in the season, the hay is in the barn!" Twig said. "We aren't going to magically become faster in the final week. Now it's about being smart, staying healthy, getting plenty of rest, and arriving at Oakville physically and mentally ready to compete."

The Raiders have raced at Oakville before, so they know the course. Twig says the State Championships bring a different atmosphere. "We want our kids to be confident, but we also want them to be fearless," he said. "We aren't going to Oakville just to say we qualified for State. We're going there to compete, represent Randolph School with pride, and see just how good we can be when it matters most."

Raider Voices
Lucas Israel, senior: "It felt amazing qualifying for State, especially with how well everyone executed their race plans and came together for the decisive boys team victory. But as exciting as Sectionals was, we know it was only a warm-up for State. Our goal now is to become the fastest private school boys cross country team in Alabama, and while we'll be facing much tougher competition, I think Sectionals proved we're more than capable of competing with the best and bringing home the Blue Map."

Israel's personal goal is to run his strongest race of the season and gain every place he can to help the team score. "This week we're dialing back the mileage, focusing on eating and sleeping well, and making sure our legs are fresh so we can give everything we've got on race day," he said. He is proudest of his senior class. "I genuinely believe this senior class is one of the strongest Randolph has ever had, and I'm proud to have been part of it."

Meredith Walker, junior: "It was so exciting to finally qualify as a team after being so close last year. Before Sectionals, the girls were only focused on how to place as high as possible so that we can attend State. We have now begun thinking about how we are going to achieve personal goals such as times and places before the season ends next week."

Walker's goal at State is a top 15 finish. To prepare, she says she will be "planning with my team, doing a speed workout or two and getting plenty of rest."

State Meet Details
• Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
• Location: Oakville Indian Mounds Park, Oakville, Alabama
• Boys 5K: 8:10 AM
• Girls 5K: 9:30 AM
• Awards: 10:15 AM

For the seniors, this is the last chance to compete at the AHSAA State Championships in a Randolph uniform. For the younger runners, including three seventh graders in the girls scoring five, it is another chance to learn and grow at the highest level in the classification. Come out, be loud and be positive, and follow @rraiderscc for updates.