SSES Cross Country Team Leads the Charge at SPC Fall Championships

Spartan spirit was heightened during the three-day tournament packed with grit, heart and standout performances.

St. Stephen’s varsity athletes brought home wins from the Fall 2025 Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) 4A Division Championships, competing across Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys Volleyball and Girls Volleyball in and around Houston, Texas.

Cross Country Dominates in Tomball

The Spartan Boys and Girls Cross Country teams had strong finishes in Tomball, Texas and setting personal records on the challenging course. Oscar Whiteley Bermeo ’27 raced to first place in the 4A Boys race, clocking an impressive 15:55. With that victory, Whiteley Bermeo joins an elite lineage of St. Stephen’s champions —  six of the last 10 individual SPC champions have been Spartans: Crayton Carrozza ’19 (2016, 2017), Travis Dowd ’19 (2018), Julian Baeza ’20 (2019), Graham Boles ’25 (2024) and now Whiteley Bermeo (2025). Ben Oehler ’26 also stood out, earning a medal and his third consecutive All-Conference honor with a fifth place finish (16:33). In total, six Spartans ran personal bests, propelling the boys to a second place finish, behind St. John’s School (Houston) and ahead of St. Mark’s School of Texas (Dallas). 

“The Cross Country team had great seasons this year, culminating in strong performances at the SPC Championship meet,” said Cross Country Head Coach Greg Cook. “The group showed up to practice every day ready to work hard and support their teammates. Whether we were practicing in the heat of the summer afternoons or early in the morning before the sun came up, the whole team stayed positive and found joy in working together. That hard work paid off with strong improvements across the roster.”

The St. Stephen’s Girls Cross Country team delivered a wave of personal records, with seven of 10 runners improving their times at the championship meet. Lucia Shahan ’27 was four seconds shy of earning All-conference honors, placing 11th (20:07), while Felicite Jubelin ’26 finished 21st (20:55). The team earned an impressive fifth place finish overall. 

“While we’ll miss the leadership from our seniors next year, both our boys and girls teams look to be very strong next year as both teams return nine out of 10 SPC competitors,” added Coach Cook. “I can’t wait to see our young teams continue to grow and compete for SPC titles in 2026.”

Field Hockey Fights to the Finish

The Varsity Field Hockey team came out swinging as they entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed. On day one, the Spartans took down No. 5 Greenhill (Addison, Texas) in their first match. In the tight 1-0 win, Clare Burkhart ’26 scored on a penalty corner, and goalkeeper Jadyn Houston ’27 earned the shutout. Spartans fell to top-seeded St. John’s School (Houston) in the semifinals. The team started strong in the third place game against Episcopal High School. Maya Patel ’26 scored early off an assist from Eleanor Evarts ’26, but Episcopal rallied to win 3-1. The Spartans finished fourth in the 4A division. 

“There’s a lot to be proud of this year,” said Program Head Chelsea Richards. “We’ve played some tough teams, and I appreciate that our squad goes to battle together — and keeps battling — no matter the score. This group always looks to improve on their last performance, and a coach couldn’t ask for more from her players. I’m especially grateful for this class of senior hockey athletes. They led with enthusiasm and grit and their selflessness was evident every day!”

Boys Volleyball Delivers One of the Biggest Upsets

The Boys Varsity Volleyball team accomplished one of the tournament's biggest upsets, defeating No. 2 seed St. John's in a five-set thriller on day one. The Spartans had pushed the Mavericks to five sets in a regular season match, and the rematch delivered another high-intensity battle. The team fell to top-seeded Fort Worth Country Day School in the next round and then dropped a 3-1 match to Casady School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) in Saturday’s fifth place match, finishing sixth overall.

“To say we as coaches are proud of this team would be an incredible understatement,” said Boys Volleyball Head Coach Alex Hurlburt. “This team did more with less than any other team in the conference and showed what it looks like to compete with honor and discipline regardless of the odds. We will be graduating multiple starters and one of our key contributors this season, but we are optimistic in the future! We will be returning the majority of our starting core and have multiple up-and-coming athletes who have redoubled their commitment to improving in the offseason. We expect to surprise everyone when they walk in the gym next season. August 2026 can’t come soon enough!”

Girls Varsity Volleyball

The Girls Varsity Volleyball team showed determination throughout the weekend. Spartans dropped their first match to No. 2 seed St. John’s (Houston), then defeated Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (Houston) 3-1 on Friday. The team battled Houston Christian High School in the fifth place game, taking the higher-seeded Mustangs to five sets before falling 2-3. 

Elise Bowman ’27, Sydney Durrett ’28 and Katie Horton ’27 led the Spartan offense. Charlotte Perkins ’27 and Nadia Kareem ’28 anchored the defense with their improved blocking and ball-handling. April Song ’27 was a secret weapon, stepping in for an injured teammate and recording multiple kills.

“The most rewarding part of coaching this team was witnessing the daily growth from individual players,” said Volleyball Program Head Paula Trejos. “We have proven we have the fight and heart to compete, even against the toughest opponents. While we fell short in our last match, I was proud of the team’s determination. No one pulled back from playing different positions. Instead, everyone was all-in, fighting for every point.”

Learn more about St. Stephen’s athletics.