STC junior Jayva Gomez (far left) and senior team captain Livia Smith (second from left) will be key returners for this fall's Trojan girls cross country team. NEWS CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

For eight seasons in a row (and ten of the last eleven), the STC cross country program has sent at least one athlete to the state meet in Fort Dodge. It’s just one mark of a successful program that Edgar Tapia will look to continue in his second season as head coach of the boys and girls program.

“I feel really confident about this season,” Tapia said recently. “I feel like I have a really solid group of boys and girls and that they have the potential to do some amazing things.”

Joined by new assistant coach Leslie Keller, Tapia will see a mix of key returners and new faces on the course this fall. On the boys’ side, gone to graduation is long-time contributor Jovanie Perez. Also absent will be three-time state qualifier Barrett Jesina, who is running in his first season of cross country for Central College this fall. But the Trojans will return Jesina’s brother, junior Brady Jesina, who has been tabbed as a captain for this year’s squad. Tapia also noted the return of sophomore Max Schirmer, who had a solid freshman campaign, including setting a personal-best time at Montezuma towards the end of the season. The boys will also return three more sophomore runners in Kyler Johnson-Whitefish, Nolan Arp, and Riley Stubbs.

“The boys’ team has a lot of potential this year,” Tapia said. “They have really good leadership and I’m confident that they’ll find success this season.”

On the girl’s side, Tapia stated that senior Livia Smith and junior Jayva Gomez will be the key returners for the team. Smith will serve in her second year as team captain for the girls. Tapia also noted his excitement about a full girl’s roster. “I’m also really excited to have a full varsity girls lineup. We only had three girls last year, so it will be great to see them go out there and be able to score for us.”

STC junior team captain Brady Jesina (left) and sophomore Max Schirmer (right) will be key returners for this year's Trojan boys cross country team. NEWS CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

In addition, for both the boys and the girls, a fresh batch of new runners will add key pieces to their success.

“I’m really excited for the amount of new runners that will be joining us this year,” Tapia said. “We added a good amount on both the boys and girls side, which is great.”

Tapia also spoke about a growing sense of confidence as a coach, as he enters his second season at the helm.

“In my first season last fall, I learned how to manage my own team, how to make workout plans, how to keep my athletes healthy, manage emotions, and how to create a positive environment for the kids. This year, I come in more confident about the training program we have in place, the environment that’s been created, the South Tama community, and having the trust of the athletes and parents,” he said.

The Trojans will begin their season with the Bobcat Early Bird meet on Thursday, Aug. 27 in Marshalltown. Their lone home meet will be held on Monday, Sept. 14, at the STC High School campus. Other notable meets this season include: the Grinnell Invite (September 8), the Montezuma Invite (Oct. 8), and the WaMaC conference meet on Oct. 14 in Cedar Rapids.

Coach Tapia, Keller, and the STC cross country program will host a camp on Aug. 3-7 for all interested runners in 6th-12th grade. The camp will begin each day at 7 a.m.

The camp will mark the unofficial start of the 2026 season for the high school program. Looking ahead, Tapia reiterated his positive feeling about the fall.

“This year’s group is really locked in and focused on the main goal, which is so cool to see. I’m really excited to see how much these kids grow,” he said.