Marion’s Kelli Cielencki signs college cross country commitment

(Marion) — Marion High School senior Kelli Cielencki will continue her academic and athletic career in Waxahachie, Texas.

Cielencki, a star cross country student-athlete for the Lady Bulldogs, signed her name on paper to attend Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in front of classmates, coaches, friends and family at the high school on Wednesday.

Cielencki competed in the girls Class 3A 3200 meter race at the UIL Cross Country State Championships last November. In October, she had a stellar performance at the UIL Region IV Class 3A Cross Country Meet in Corpus Christi with a time of 13 minutes and 22.39 seconds despite very humid conditions. Cielencki improved on that time by nearly 10 seconds at the state meet.

Cielencki will study business administration and church leadership at SAGU, a private Christian university. She hopes to enter into ministry after graduation. Cielencki says she will miss her teammates and coaches in Marion.

“I can remember the losses, the wins, everything but the people here make the most of an impact,” Cielencki said. “My teammates, my coaches, the staff, they’ve been there for me every second of the way, supporting me everywhere I go. So, I think that’s what I’ll miss the most.”

Also a lead-off batter for the Marion softball team, Cielencki was a first team all-district outfielder for the Lady Bulldogs in 2023. She is batting .410 for head coach Sammy Scribner this year.

Marion took the District 26-3A softball title this season and will compete in the UIL Bi-District round next week. The Lady Bulldogs and Cielencki will host District 26-3A rival Randolph for Senior Night on Friday at the Marion High School softball/baseball complex.