Maury and Granby High Schools Student Athletes Place at 2025 All-State Cross Country Meet
Maury and Granby High Schools Student Athletes Place at 2025 All-State Cross Country Meet
Maury High School seniors, Mateo Canga and Sophia Sadr as well as Granby High School junior and team captain, Ella Pringle all placed at the 2025 Virginia High School League’s All-State Cross Country competitions. This meet was held at the Oatlands course in Leesburg, Virginia on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Mateo placed third overall and made All-State Boys for his second consecutive season in Region 5B Champion as the Eastern District champion.
Sophia placed 7th overall and made All-State Girls in Region 5B Runner-Up as the Eastern District champion.
Ella placed 10th overall and made All-State Girls in Region 5B after finished 3rd in regionals.
It’s always a blessing to compete at the state level, and placing in a position that I feel reflects my ability is an amazing feeling,” said Mateo. “Going into the race, I was seeded third, and although it wasn’t my best day and I had hoped for a different outcome, finishing where I did is still something I’m really proud of.
Mateo Canga
Maury High School
Sophia had a goal in mind that she set after competing when she was a sophomore.
I was outside of the top 15 by one place and two seconds as a sophomore, so the next year I was determined to place inside of the top 15,” said Sophia. When she was a junior, she was in the top 10 the entire race, but she “collapsed on the ground a quarter mile away from the finish line” and did not finish. “Coming back as a senior, the meet became personal, as I wanted to not only satisfy my 12th grade self, but also my 10th and 11th grade self, who was so close yet so far to finishing at the top,” said Sophia. “When I placed on Saturday, I was more than happy; I finally got to fulfill my four-year-long goal that was just barely out of reach, and I was thrilled.
Sophia Sadr
Maury High School
Ella put in the work and was excited with the outcome at the competition.
Individually, I am extremely proud of my place,” said Ella. “My goal this year was to get All-State but it was one of those big goals that seems impossible to do. It feels kind of surreal to have actually accomplished it which makes the whole experience even better.
Ella Pringle
Granby High School
Effort plays a big part of races for these athletes, but consistency is key as they have worked diligently over the years. Mateo said, “From a training standpoint, year-round I follow a seven-day schedule that includes VO2 max workouts, lactate threshold runs, a long run, and as much easy mileage as my body can handle (ranges from 40-50 miles per week).” He strongly believes that recovery is what “separates good runners from great ones.” Also, Mateo is committed to a healthy diet with plenty of high-carb, high-protein foods and remaining hydrated throughout the day to support training. His bedtime routine includes avoiding his phone an hour before bed and he getting an average of eight to nine hours of sleep nightly.
A conversation that Sophia had with her brother this past summer made her want to go all in during the Cross Country season as a senior. “He said that, ‘his senior season was his favorite season of sports in all of high school and if he could, he would ‘switch places with me in a heartbeat.’” Sophia said, “I knew that I did not want to regret my last year on this team.” Her brother who also competed for Maury previously, helped her train. “My mileage per week slowly rose from 30 to 50 miles and I knew at this high level, it was going to be very easy to be injured,” said Sophia. “I made sure to take the proper vitamins and eat well and enough so that I can continue to train without injury.” She altered her training as to avoid injury. “This was a great idea as I did not feel overworked by still gained fitness by training a lot in the summer,” said Sophia.
For Ella, her training season started in June and continued until mid-November. “Within this time, I ran over 500 miles, put countless hours into training, and have dedicated myself to this team,” said Ella. “My biggest challenge in preparation for races has been my attitude towards racing; I tend to feel very nervous before running and so working with my coach to become a more confident runner has been the most important preparation in addition to consistency in practice and accountability across my team.”
For all three athletes, competing on this level and representing their respective schools has been very special.
“Representing Maury at this level fills me with immense pride,” said Mateo. “When I race, I feel like I'm competing for more than just my teammates and coaches, but also the administration, teachers, classmates, and the entire Norfolk community.
Sophia explained, “I feel so much pride and joy, knowing that I have made my school proud by placing in the top 10 at the state championship. This school has given me so much to be thankful for, like a good coach, great teammates, and a great community that welcomed me since I was a freshman. It felt extremely special to give back to the school that has given me so much and show off our name on a high level.”
Ella said, “Being a part of a team that has so many accomplishments is very special to me and feeling like I contribute to that success has also been rewarding. I have come to understand that cross country is one of the hardest working teams at Granby and it requires extensive dedication from each team member.”
Getting to this high level as a high school athlete is not something they have done on their own. Their support systems played a vital role to their success.
“I want to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love and for surrounding me with people who love and support me,” said Mateo. “I'm especially grateful for Coach Bennett, Coach McMurdie, my Trainer Coach Tim, and my family and friends. Their support in every part of my life has been incredible and I wouldn't be the runner or person I am today without them.”
Sophia is thankful to her family. “I would like to thank my mom for motivating me and supporting me throughout my whole journey, including my ups and downs and my older brother, Cameron, who gave me little speeches on motivation before all of my races, sending me songs to listen to before I run, telling stories of his experiences as a high school runner, and calling me before and after my meets. I would also like to thank my coaches, Coach Bennett and Coach McMurdie for supporting me and giving me races strategy before all my races. They would dissect my races and my splits, to tell me how to race to my full potential. And of course, I would like to thank God. My faith reminds me that there is a plan for me and to be happy with the outcome and enjoy the experience, because there are bigger and better things coming.”
Coach Bryan Bennett has played a central role in both Mateo’ and Sophia’s transformation while watching their dedication over the years. According to Coach Bennett, “
It was incredibly gratifying seeing Mateo place third and Sophia secure seventh place at the state championship was a moment of immense joy and pride. It’s not just about the medals and All-State placement; it's the ultimate validation of their consistent hard work and dedication, not just this season, but for four years. Knowing what they sacrificed to get there makes their success feel that much more significant. They represented Maury High School with distinction on the biggest stage.
Coach Bryan Bennett
Maury High School
The Cross Country program at Maury High School has been methodical in their approach to helping students perform at their best. Coach Bennett said, “While Mateo and Sophia had standout performances, their success is a reflection of our entire program's culture. We are building something special at Maury: a team environment where every runner, regardless of ability, is valued and pushed to find their personal best. I am just as proud of the athletes who set new personal records or who completed their first full season. This success gives our whole team momentum, and we are excited to keep building on it.”
Maury has competed at the state championship meet every season since 2016 and we want to continue and build on that success. Coach Bennett is thankful to the Maury High School administration, “especially Principal Karen Berg, all of our assistant principals, and Maury’s athletic director, Thomas Staples, and the Maury community for their support of our athletes and program this season.”
The support that Ella has received from her coach has been impactful. “My coach has been at every practice, race, and team bonding to help grow this team and the people in it as both runners and people,” said Ella. “He prioritizes the growth of us as young adults and cares for our character as well as our development as athletes. I appreciate him and I don’t think this program would be where it is without him.”
Granby’s Cross Country Coach Jonathan Harris explained,
I'm so proud of Ella's accomplishments. She continues to work hard and All-State is well deserved. Ella is one of the most driven athletes I've met. This team never complained. They would just put their head down and work. The key to a great Cross Country season is consistency. The Granby Cross Country was consistent day in and day out. Ella spearheaded that consistency all season.
Coach Jonathan Harris
Granby High School
Coach Harris started Cross Country at Granby High School with six boys. “Now to be recognized as one of the best XC teams in the Commonwealth of Virginia, this shows so much about the character and determination of this team,” said Coach Harris. “These athletes are the reason we have grown. Nothing I have done has brought these athletes to this team, it's the athletes like Ella, who have made this the success we are.”
