Gioia Coudriet, Galena Boys Looking To Defend 5A Gold

A year removed from her third-place finish as a freshman, Galena standout Gioia Coudriet capped off her stellar sophomore campaign with a NIAA 5A title. The incoming junior ran one of her four sub-18 performances of the year at Rancho San Rafael Park, pulling away from the field entirely and winning by over a minute. Two weeks later she lowered her PR to 17:10.54 with an eighth-place finish at NXR Southwest, just 14 seconds back from the final qualifying spot.

Somerset Academy Sky Pointe senior Aislin McMahon was the closest finisher last November, running 19:00 to take runner-up honors. Emme Ream, Coudriet's teammate, finished fourth as a freshman in 19:14, and wants to be the second piece of what could become a Galena 1-2 at the finish line.

The tables appear to have turned ahead of 2026, with Somerset Academy Sky Pointe looking like the strongest team in the field after spring graduation. The Eagles return McMahon alongside Lacy Tippetts (18:19), Katherine Hodges (19:33), Sophia Gallegos (19:47), and Aubrei Lay (20:10). Even in a tiebreaker scenario, Sky Pointe's depth would be hard to match, with Mackenzie McClain (20:24) and Olivia Wheeler (20:28) forming the best 6-7 duo in 5A.

Galena, Centennial, and Faith Lutheran will likely battle for the remaining podium spots, though it's far too early to predict the order.

With reigning 5A champion Carter Prater having graduated this spring, one might assume Galena has a clear path to defending their 2025 title.

Not so fast.

Even without Prater, Somerset Academy Sky Pointe isn't going to step aside quietly. That said, the defending champs are well-equipped to hold them off. Galena returns their top three runners, who rank first, eighth, and 14th among all 5A returners. David Coisson, Ayden Mosby, Cayden Mosby, and Caleb Pasillas combine for the strongest top-four in the state, posting season bests of 15:22, 15:46, 16:06, and 16:09, respectively.

Reno enters the picture with a dangerous trio of their own. The Huskies bring Maseco Colombant (15:32), Zachary Folen (15:46), and Gabriel Kenny (16:12), while Sky Pointe counters with Sawyer Hutton (15:23), Shane Ramirez (15:51), and Ryan Petty (15:57).

On paper, no one appears to have the depth to keep pace with Galena, but all it takes is one breakout performance to add some intrigue to a state title race.