Senior Brady Mullen secured first place for the second consecutive year, leading the Blue Jays to their fourth straight LHSAA cross country Division I state championship on Monday at Northwestern State in Natchitoches.

Mullen, a Harvard commit, completed the three-mile course in 14:44.22 to top his own Division I boys record from a year ago.

The Division I race mirrored last year’s top three finishers, with junior Brady Monahan taking second place at 14:58. Monahan was the only other runner on the day to finish under 15 minutes. Junior Nick Accardo also delivered an impressive performance, finishing fifth at 15:15.

Led by Mullen’s record-breaking performance, the Blue Jays had three of the top five finishers, defeating Brother Martin 28-39.

First year head coach Nick Accardo commented, “We had a great team effort. All seven of our guys raced hard. I was really impressed with Mullen’s push in the last mile of the race to set the course record. I am happy for Monahan that he could break the 15-minute barrier and finish as runner-up, as well as Nick “Joe” Accardo and Sophomore Nicholas Braud’s top ten finish. Our other guys, junior Connor Fanberg, freshman Race Hughes, and sophomore Andrew Nimmo, ran well enough to earn composite all-state honors. Last year, we only had five composite all-state honorees, so having seven this year is a nice achievement.”

The cross country program has cultivated a culture of excellence, driven by a rigorous training regimen that consistently produces not just one standout athlete, but a roster of dedicated runners performing at the highest level. This culture has propelled the cross country team to continue setting new standards, with several members achieving personal bests and holding records across multiple distances.

The Blue Jays are not finished yet as they set their sights on the upcoming competition at the Nike Cross Nationals South meet in The Woodlands, TX, this Saturday, November 23. Winners will advance to the finals in Portland, OR, on December 7.

Division I Results:

Top 5 teams: 1. Jesuit, 28; 2. Brother Martin, 39; 3. Catholic-Baton Rouge, 102; 4. Parkway, 167; 5. Dutchtown, 181.

Top 10 individuals: 1. Brady Mullen, Jesuit, 14:44.22; 2. Brady Monahan, Jesuit, 14:58.28; 3. Noah Mooney, Brother Martin, 15:03.18; 4. Brennan Robin, Parkway, 15:10.09; 5. Nick Accardo, Jesuit, 15:15.34; 6. Jack Collins, Brother Martin, 156:20.80; 7. Nicholas Braud, Jesuit, 15:27.41; 8. William Decuir, Catholic-BR, 15:29.69; 9. Patrick Turner, Brother Martin, 15:30.69; 10. Braeden Dunne, Brother Martin, 15:35.04.