Sophia Phillip was the closest from the Magnolia girls track and field team to reach the University Interscholastic League state meet last year.
The distance-running dynamo placed third at the Region III-5A meet in the 1,600-meter run and waited patiently through the rest of the weekend to find out if her time of 5:04.62 at Turner Stadium was good enough to advance as a wild card.
“I was so close,” Phillip said. “I placed third, which is kind of the lucky number if you get to go or not. I was really hoping, but it didn’t happen. I was just nervous because I really wanted to go. But when I found out, I was a little sad.”
A bronze medal is definitely a keepsake to cherish. But now as a senior, Phillip has one last shot at running in front of that massive crowd of Michael A. Myers Stadium in Austin the first weekend in May.
A distance runner since junior high and a two-time state qualifier at the UIL cross country meet in the fall, Phillip is confident.
“This year I can do it for sure,” Phillip said.
Phillip, who officially signed with Sam Houston State on Wednesday, has her work cut out for her. As does the rest of the program, which moved up to Class 6A this school year as Magnolia continues to see the population rise.
“We’re excited and also nervous,” Magnolia fifth year head coach Marquis Bean said. “It’s just a different feel. Now that we’re 6A and moving to this new district, we are in a fight every round. It’s the first time that we’re not Region III anymore, we’re Region II. We make it to regionals, we have to go up north and there’s some teams that we’ll be battling.”
No, Magnolia didn’t have anyone reach state a year ago in its 5A swan song.
But Bean’s seen some major happenings within the program since he came to the school during the COVID slowdown of the summer of 2020.
There were 25 athletes in the program then. Now, there’s about 65.
Bean actively recruits the hallways at Magnolia to get girls interested in coming out for track.
“We are growing,” Bean said. “I go around asking, ‘Hey, how come you haven’t come out for track?’. I just try to get kids involved with our success.”
Success has been for the taking for those who commit.
“Over the past couple years, we’ve broken almost every school record on the girls side,” Bean explained. “We’re consistent regional qualifiers. We’re working ourselves to be that elite program that gets kids out here that want to be successful.”
Back to Phillip. Not only did she run the 1,600 final at the regional meet last April, but she also placed fourth in the 3,200 (11:23.59).
“She’s our school record holder for cross country,” Bean said. “She also has the school record in the mile. So she’s one of our big returners. She’s one of the strongest distance runners in our district.”
Phillip finished 32nd at Round Rock this past November and Magnolia was 15th as a team in its 6A debut.
Discus thrower Jenna Cicherski is one who isn’t intimidated by moving up to 6A. The two-sport athlete – volleyball is her other sport – Cicherski was fifth last year at the region meet with a toss of 125-05.
Cicherski was new to the sport in eighth grade.
“It’s a lot of great experiences,” Cicherski said. “Starting my freshman year, I just really didn’t know the sport. It’s definitely grown on me and I love it now.”
Cicherski has investigated on her own where she stands in moving up to 6A. The three-time regional qualifier will for sure be in the mix.
“Last year, I got fifth at regionals,” Cicherski said. “I think I’m ranked eighth right now in 6A.”
Bean is looking forward to Cicherski’s senior year.
“We’re looking at her having a really big year in throws and feeding off that into other events,” Bean said.
Also back this season is shot put thrower Josie Honchell. As a sophomore, Honchell was 11th at the regional meet with a throw of 35.04.
Magnolia is in really good shape when it comes to relays. Bean stacks his relays in order to chase the biggest results.
Last year at the District 21-5A meet, the 4X400 relay of senior Aiyana Gramam Knight, junior Violet Unruh, senior Hannah Cleveland and Class of 2024 Paige Matthews broke the school record in 3:58.51. For good measure, the 4X200 relay of now-senior Gertrude Osafo, senior Lauren Lindl, Cleveland and Unruh broke the school record in 1:41.85.
“It felt amazing breaking those records and try to make it harder for the next group of people to break them,” Osafo said. “So I am really grateful to leave that legacy here.”
Bean had high praise of the relays and there are bigger goals this year.
4X100, 4X200 and 4X400 are all regional qualifiers. All returning school record holders.
“We’re bringing back really good kids,” Bean said. “We go out and compete every year. But this year, the goal is state and we’re working for that.”
Osafo is looking to make her own mark in sprinting.
“I do love running the 100,” Osafo said. “I do want to PR the 100, hopefully running a low 12 this year or even the 11s. In the 200, I want to run low 25s or maybe hit the 24s.”
Graham Knight is hoping to put pressure on the school record book as well.
“(My biggest goal) is to break the triple jump record,” Graham Knight said.
Although Knight Graham, who’s run track since seventh grade, hasn’t been to state, she doesn’t let that weigh on her.
“Just want to get as far as I can,” Graham Knight said. “That’s all I’m worried about.”
Lindl, who joined track her freshman year, is focused on not only relays but hurdling.
I“I love the relays,” Lindl said. “I think having such a close connection to my teammates makes running the relays so much better because we all know exactly what we want from each other. We all have the same aligned goals that we want to be as fast as we can and push each other. I know we’re just going to run so much faster this year and be better overall.”
Lindl is another experienced track athlete in the program who isn’t worried about moving up to 6A.
“I’m not nervous at all,” Lindl said. “Even if it’s harder, I know the competition is only going to push me to be a better athlete. I’m very excited to just go for it.”
During indoor season last month, freshman Amariah Molden set the school 400 record in 57.33 at the Carl Lewis Invitational.
Outdoor season starts Friday at Katy Paetow. Of course, the program is looking forward to hosting their very own Dog Pound Invitational on March 20.
The seven meet season will prepare them for District 15-6A at Tomball on April 3-4. The Bulldogs’ new district consists of rival Magnolia West, Tomball, Tomball Memorial, Klein, Klein Forest, Klein Cain, Klein Oak and Klein Collins.
“We’re confident in ourselves,” Bean said. “The work has shown this offseason. We’re still strong. Early results are okay, but that’s just how the training cycles build. So even later in the season, times start dropping real fast.”
It’ll be a fun, challenging season with a team that is very much bonded together.
“There’s a lot of team bonding since this my last year,” Phillip said. “I just want to spend as much time as I can with these people.”
Seen here are members of the 2025 Magnolia girls track and field team. (Chris Zorzi/SportCast Media)
