By John Sullivan for DyeStat
Texas State Meet
Old Settlers Park, Round Rock, TX
Saturday, November 4, 2017
The course at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock is moderately hilly. Each race has 16 teams (top 4 from each of the four Region meets) plus the top 10 individuals from each Region whose team did not qualify.
Course Records at State:
(note: course changed in 2016. New loop is very similar to old one, but 5k start/finish is near the previous 2k spot & 3200m start-finish is near the previous midpoint)
Boys 5000m
14:34, Scott MacPherson, Plano, 2004 5A
Girls 5000m (5A-6A); moved from 3200 to 5k in 2012
17:06.72, London Culbreath, McKinney North, 2016 6A
Girls 3200m (1A-4A)
10:39, Erin Bedell, Plano West, 2004 5A
Schedule:
8:30AM 5A Girls 5K
9:10AM 5A Boys 5K
9:50AM 6A Girls 5K
10:30AM 6A Boys 5K
11:10AM 1A Girls 3200m
11:40AM 1A Boys 5K
12:20PM 2A Girls 3200m
12:50PM 2A Boys 5K
1:30PM 3A Girls 3200m
2:00PM 3A Boys 5K
2:40PM 4A Girls 3200m
3:10PM 4A Boys 5K
6A BOYS
(State rank per pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll, South Region & US per DyeStat)
TX#1/SO#1/US#19 The Woodlands is looking for its 3rd straight team title and also seeking its 20th title in 39 State appearances! With a season interrupted by Hurricane Harvey (two meets cancelled), they were able to take down a strong field at Nike South and won Region II despite a footwear selection error which contributed to its expected #2-3 boys ending up as #5 and #7. After Region, Coach Juris Green said, “I was very proud of them. The mark of great teams is the ability to not have a great day yet still come out on top.” Looking ahead to State, “Our next run is for all the marbles! No one is talking about us. The spotlight has been stolen by Region I teams. I hope we are all ready to rock this week in everything we do. Success is not an accident.”
TX#5/SO#2/US#30 Eastwood has been a bit of a surprise as last year’s #1 Daniel Bernal among others moved on to college. They earned silver at Desert Twilight on the NXN Southwest course in Arizona against a very deep field including squads from AZ, CA, CO, NM, and VA. At Region I they scored 55 for gold. Coach Mike McLain said, “Our team ran very well 1st to 7th man. That is what we have to learn to do in order to compete against programs like SL Carroll, Flower Mound, and The Woodlands. Our region is so tough - the bad part about that is it's very hard to get out, but the good thing is it gets us ready for the intensity we see at State and NXN South. We know SLC, FM and the Woodlands will all be hard to beat at state, but we are really just focusing on us and our team showing up and 1-7 giving our best. As long as we do this I know we will be happy with the outcome.”
TX#3/SO#3 Flower Mound boasts a potent 1-2 of heavy individual favorite jr Alex Maier (8:52.30 soph track 3200) and soph Jarrett Kirk (Nike South 2nd to Maier). They were Region I runner-up to Eastwood as well as Nike South 3rd to The Woodlands and College Park.
TX#4/SO#4 College Park graduated its first 4-year class in just 2009 (split off from The Woodlands), but has already established itself as a perennial contender with four top-3 finishes in its 6 straight appearances (7th this year). They earned silver at Nike South (81 points) behind The Woodlands (38) as well as at Region II – and beat Flower Mound (97) at Nike South.
TX#6 Tompkins topped the Region III field and makes it 2nd straight State appearance after opening its doors in 2013. Coach Walt Yarrow said, “We knew going into the championship season that we would have to be fit and in good form. The Regional meet plays to our depth a lot better than the District meet did with a bigger field. Senior Daniel Figueroa led the team with a very well-run 3rd place finish. Our 5th runner was 22nd overall which put us in position to move on to State which has been a goal all year. We will treat the State meet the same way as Regionals and go in and focus on the top 7 running at a high-level. We haven't seen many of the highly ranked schools this season because of a condensed schedule due to Hurricane Harvey.”
TX#2 Southlake Carroll lost sub-4:00 miler Reed Brown to the University of Oregon, but continues to reload each year. They’re looking for large-school division title #5 to add to the 4 consecutive they claimed from 2011-2014. They’ll need to improve on their Region performance which saw them 3rd (126 points) behind Eastwood (55) and Flower Mound (76).
TX#7/SO#5 Klein (Region II 3rd), Smithson Valley (Region IV champs) and TX#9 Kingwood (Region III 2nd) should also fare well.
Flower Mound jr Alex Maier (ranked US#2) has picked up right where he left off last season as a soph when he was 2nd at State and then 5th at both Nike Cross Nationals (3rd best-ever soph place) and Foot Locker Finals (clocked 2nd all-time soph course time). He’s undefeated this year including quick times at Nike South and Region I. He thought, “Region went well” and simply added, “I’m excited to do my best at the state meet.” We’d all agree and he’ll be tough to beat.
Region II champ The Woodlands sr Gavin Hoffpauir is the #2 returner (7th last season) and could lead the chase pack. He said, “My Region race went well. He (runner-up Haftu Knight) wanted to lead so I followed and kicked by him in the last 400. An ice bath helped my legs feel great for State. I’m going to stay closer to (Alex) Maier than I did at Nike South (3rd while Maier won). I started with him there, but dropped back too early. We’re ready!”
Tascosa sr Wes McPhail (8th last year) claimed silver at Region I, ahead of Flower Mound super-soph Jarrett Kirk who has Nike South silver to his credit. Atascocita sr Worthington Moore broke the tape at Region III which re-affirmed his #4 returner status (2016 15th).
Westlake sr Matthew Kearney makes his 4th State appearance as the Region IV champ and #7 returner. He’s looking to get back to the level which saw him qualify for NXN as a soph. Kearney said, “My coach and I went into Region with a specific strategy and we executed it exactly as planned. It was great to get to race some phenomenal runners and push one another. I’m extremely excited for the state meet! It is always fun to compete against the best and I think it’s a great opportunity for me to grow and improve as a runner.”
Region IV 2nd-placer Holmes sr Ethan Hageman is dangerous as evidenced by his stunning 4th as a soph (DNF last year). Region II runner-up Tyler Lee jr Haftu Knight will also make noise. Others with top 10 potential include Eastwood sr Anthony Molina (Region I 4th), Strake Jesuit soph Erik Lara (Region III 2nd), Tompkins sr Daniel Figueroa (Region III 3rd), PSJA Memorial jr Cruz Gomez (#10 returner and Region IV 3rd), and La Porte soph Ryun Schoppe (frosh 9:19 Texas Relays 3200).
The Top 10 returners:
1. Alex Maier, 11, Flower Mound, 2nd, 14:43.33
2. Gavin Hoffpauir, 12, The Woodlands, 7th, 15:11.40
3. Wes Mcphail, 12, Tascosa, 8th, 15:14.12
4. Worthington Moore, 12, Atascocita, 15th, 15:32.60
5. Tristan Pena, 12, Edinburg North, 16th, 15:33.59
6. Daniel Baker, 12 The Woodlands, 18th, 15:35.07
7. Matthew Kearney, 12, Westlake, 20th, 15:37.41
8. Daniel Figueroa, 12, Tompkins, 22nd, 15:37.90
9. Henos Andebrhan, 12, Richardson, 24th, 15:43.86
10. Cruz Gomez, 11, PSJA Memorial, 25th, 15:44.48
(Note: Eric Casarez 14th is back, but injured)
Best 6A Boys times:
5k & 3-mile
6A Girls
(State rank per pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll, South Region & US per DyeStat)
TX#1/SO#1/US#5 Keller has everyone back from its State champ (44 points), NXR South runner-up, and NXN 15th-place squad. That includes 4 of the top 9 State returners making them the prohibitive pre-season favorite. They’ve lived up to that billing and most recently swept through Region I with 28 points (and 5 of the top 8). Coach Brian Zaring said, “I am really happy with our progression this season. We are right where we need to be. The state meet will be highly competitive. We have very many elite programs and runners in this state, and it will force us to be at our best in order to win. People are out to get us, so we have to be ready.”
TX#2/SO#2/US#22 Southlake Carroll has been a dominant program with six wins since 2005 and ten top-2 places since 2003. They took down Keller last year at NXR South, but after losing 3 of its top 7 to graduation they’ve dropped back a bit. They’re still strong enough to garner 2nd at Region I (67 points) and will be in the hunt for State silver.
TX#3/SO#3/US#24 Flower Mound was a strong team last year, but was a non-advancing 4th in an unbelievably difficult District which saw advancers Carroll, Marcus and Hebron place 1-4-3 at Region and then 2-4-8 at State. This year it was SO#5 Marcus in the disappointing District 4th spot as the results were so tight - Hebron 60, Flower Mound 60, Carroll 61 and Marcus 64. Those 3 again performed well at Region I as Carroll (2nd), Flower Mound (3rd) and Hebron (4th) moved on to State. Flower Mound is led by sr Lauren Fairchild who was 6th at Nike South, won District, and then 7th at Region.
TX#8/SO#4 Hebron was 4th at tough Region I after its District squeaker so they have a shot at State top-3. They’re led by sr Abby Riordan who’d like to live up to her #5 returner status (9th last year).
TX#9 Coppell struck Region II gold with 61 points and no seniors and one junior in their top 7. TX#5 Stratford followed with 90.
Tompkins tallied 81 for Region III honors, ahead of Kingwood with 102.
TX#10 Kingwood is making its 28th consecutive State appearance. In the past 27 years they’ve racked up 21 top 3 finishes and have only missed the top 5 twice. Just last year they were a disappointed 9th and they’re itching to move back up.
College Park (Region II 3rd), Montgomery (Region II 4th with a top-notch 1-2), Cinco Ranch (Region III 3rd; just 2 more than 2nd Kingwood) and TX#6 Katy (Region III 4th; just 3 points from 2nd and 1 from 3rd), and Region IV champ Palmview will be in the mix.
The 6A girls individual race should look familiar near the front as 10 of the top 15 return this year. Interestingly this year’s Region winners aren’t in that 10. Plano jr Ashlyn Hillyard earned the Region I title and has only one blemish on her 2017 record.
That was a runner-up finish to Region II champ Montgomery jr Halena Rahmaan at Flower Mound in mid-September. Rahmaan also won all her races except one, a 4th at Nike South behind 2 non-UIL girls (TAPPS 5A champ Elizabeth Reneau and SPC favorite Adoette Vaughan) and Quinn Owen. Halena Rahmaan said, “My Region race went well. I got first place although I didn’t run as fast as I would’ve liked. Our team made it to State for the first time in our school’s history. I am very excited for the state meet and the competitors that will be there. I am hoping for a PR. Winning the state meet is my goal. Our team is working hard to try for a top seven finish.”
Marcus sr Quinn Owen started the season a bit slowly, but appears to be rounding into form including her Nike South 3rd and Region I silver. Her State 1600 track title in a 4:47.32 PR and bronze in the 3200 may indicate a strong finish. Region I also had Keller’s jr Isabel Van Camp (3rd), sr Julia Black (4th), and sr Abbey Santoro (6th) leading their team and all three are among the top 6 returners; Santoro and Black are #1 and #2.
Cinco Ranch fr Heidi Nielson led Region III by 18 seconds and added an impressive 5th at Nike South. Edinburg North sr Beth Ramos earned Region IV gold.
Others with top 10 potential include Montgomery jr Allison Wilson (Region II 2nd; #4 State returner), Franklin fr Eva Jess (Region I 5th), Kingwood soph Rachel James (Region III 2nd), Palmview sr Brianna Robles (IV 3rd; #3 returner), and Flower Mound sr Lauren Fairchild.
The Top 10 returners:
1. Abbey Santoro, 12, Keller, 3rd, 17:23.99
2. Julia Black, 12, Keller, 5th, 17:46.24
3. Brianna Robles, 12, Palmview, 7th, 17:58.86
4. Allison Wilson, 11, Montgomery, 8th, 18:02.55
5. Abby Riordan, 12, Hebron, 9th, 18:03.19
6. Isabel Van Camp, 11, Keller, 11th, 18:15.28
7. Ava Peeples, 11, Lake Highlands, 12th, 18:18.45
8. Allison Mopsik, 10, Vandegrift, 13th, 18:20.59
9. Vera Thompson, 10, Keller, 14th, 18:21.03
10. Martha Brown, 12, Plano East, 15th, 18:22.29
Best 6A Girls times:
5k & 3-mile
5A BOYS
(5A rank per pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll)
TX5A#1 Lovejoy scored 59 points in winning last year and returns 6 of 7. Last week they cleaned up at Region II with 67 points and 5 in the top 22, followed by TX5A#7 Wakeland with 115. TX5A#2 Grapevine struck gold at Region I with 80 and a 40-second 1-5 spread, ahead of TX5A#6 Randall’s 114. TX5A#4 Cedar Park claimed the Region III crown with 57 under first-year coach Jason Greiner who previously had a lot of success at Hebron and last year at Prosper. Kingwood Park (103) and TX5A#5 Georgetown (106) fought a tight battle for 2nd. At Region IV, Rio Grande City topped the charts with 85 while Mercedes (98) nipped Dripping Springs (99) for silver.
The top 3 individual returners all claimed Region titles setting up a dogfight for the podium. #1 returner Tuloso-Midway sr Ace Castillo hopes to move up a spot from silver and appears ready to go after topping the Region IV field, 7 seconds clear of #5 returner Mercedes sr Dominic Cavazos.
Aledo soph Graydon Morris (US#16 ranked; 5A #2 returner) took 5A bronze as a freshman and went on to become just the 4th yearling ever to qualify for Foot Locker Finals. He earned Region I honors last week, just 21 seconds “slower” than 6A champ Maier and 4 seconds ahead of Hanks soph Michael Abeyta (#4 returner). Morris said, “I was very pleased with the (Region) results, and felt like I executed my race plan. I am really happy with the time and hope to keep improving. I’ve got to give a shout out to Michael Abeyta - he pushed me hard from gun to tape. He has a bright future ahead of him. I feel ready for the state meet. My training has been going well, but I am staying focused because I know the guys from the other regions have been running fast this year”
Adamson sr Sergio Armendariz (returner #3) won the Region II crown, followed by Wakeland jr Nick Hendrix. Region II saw Rouse sr Danny Madrid break the tape in the 2nd fastest overall time at Atascocita, edging Cedar Park sr Travian Holst by 0.5 seconds in the 3rd fastest overall time.
Top Returners:
1. Ace Castillo, 12, Tuloso-Midway, 2nd, 15:10.95
2. Graydon Morris, 10, Aledo, 3rd, 15:15.25
3. Sergio Armendariz, 12, Adamson, 4th, 15:29.54
4. Michael Abeyta, 10, Hanks, 6th, 15:33.97
5. Dominic Cavazos, 12, Mercedes, 10th, 15:46.47
Best 5A Boys times:
5k & 3-mile
5A GIRLS
(5A rank per pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll)
Defending champ TX5A#1 Canyon Randall has been impressive, including the Region I title with 56 points, and could be the class of this field. However nothing is a given, and expect Region I silver-medalist TX5A#4 Canyon (94 points), Region III champ TX5A#6 Cedar Park (66) and runner-up TX5A#9 Rouse (72), and the close top 4 from Region II (Highland Park 87, Wakeland 94, Burleson Centennial 94, Frisco Liberty 95) to battle for podium spots if not gold.
Individually, McKinney North super-soph London Culbreath (ranked US#10) is seeking a successful title defense, after setting the overall TX course record last year with 17:06.72. She went on to a 12th place finish at Nike Cross Nationals, the top freshman in the country. In track she ran a Texas all-time high school record 10:04.73 for 2 miles.
Aledo soph Gracie Morris (returner #3) led the Region I field (Richland sr Binta Ka 2nd) and could lead the chase pack. Morris, twin of Graydon, said, “It’s really cool to have someone sharing the same experiences as me in the same house. It also pushes me to do better because of what he has accomplished as a freshman.” She added, “My (Region) race went exactly as planned. I stayed with the front girls the first two miles and separated myself from them the last mile. I feel very prepared. My coach has done everything he can and now it’s up to me.”
Frisco Liberty sr Carrie Fish, runner-up at Region II, will also be a formidable challenger. Brenham sr Meredith Clayton (Region III 1st) and Nixon jr Alexa Rodriguez (Region IV 1st) will also be in the mix.
Top Returners:
1. London Culbreath, 10, McKinney North, 1st, 17:06.72
2. Madison Acosta, 11, The Colony, 4th, 18:02.74
3. Gracie Morris, 10, Aledo, 9th, 18:07.12
4. Ayse Allison, 12, Canyon, 6th, 18:08.63
5. Carrie Fish, 12, Frisco Liberty, 7th, 18:10.64
6. Alyssa Duhart, 11, Frisco Heritage, 11, 18:11.68
Best 5A Girls times:
5k & 3-mile
4A BOYS & GIRLS
Top 4A Returners:
1. Emily Garcia, 1st, 11:28.71, Alvarado soph (2017 Region 1 1st)
“Based on my previous races and workouts, I feel confident going into State. The season was rough in the beginning, but I've learned a lot and used them as lessons. I'm actually glad it happened because it made me a stronger and smarter runner. Freshman year for me was all about just running to the best of my capabilities, seeing what I can do. (Now) more people seem to know who I am and expect greater things. I use it as motivation to keep striving and run faster. Being a returner also just gives me the experience. I've run on the course before and know the terrain. I'm confident in my training and believe it has set me up well for this Saturday!”
2. Tatum Fish, 7th, 11:48.87, Bushland soph (2017 Region 1 2nd)
1. Christian Rivera, 9th, 16:14.16, Kaufman soph (2017 Region 2 1st)
2. David Ceballos, 12th, 16:18.91, San Elizario sr (2017 Region 1 9th)
Best 4A times:
5k & 3-mile 2-mile & 3200
Castleberry girls topped the field at Region I. Coach Bart Beasley said, “Heading into Regionals we felt like we were in a good place as a team. You know it is going to be a fight every time especially with teams like Dalhart, Andrews, Brownwood, and Alvarado that are strong year in and year out. We felt we had a good chance if everyone just did their job like we have asked them to do all year long.
“When you have three freshman and a sophomore you never know how they will handle each meet as the stakes increase, but I could not be prouder of the will and determination they have shown on a weekly basis. One of our big topics of discussion has been keeping the gap close together and I felt we did a better job of that in Lubbock and will have to do that again in Round Rock. It looks like it could be a dogfight as well with some really great teams. We hope to be right in the mix if we continue doing what we have all season. We are so excited about the opportunity and the challenge this weekend. It’s going to be fun!”
4A pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll:
Boys Girls
1. San Elizario (2016 1st) 1. Decatur (2016 6th)
2. Melissa (2016 7th) 2. Bandera (2016 1st)
3. Decatur 3. Fairfield (2016 4th)
4A Region Team Champs:
Boys
1 San Elizario 2 Melissa 3 Palestine 4 Progreso
Girls
1 Castleberry 2 Kaufman 3 Llano 4 Bandera
3A BOYS & GIRLS
Luling boys will pursue a 9th straight State title, hoping to break its own UIL record of 8. Legendary coach Mike Barnett retired this past summer, but the program is in good hands with former assistant Brady Hand. Coach Hand said,”Our boys have been relentless in their pursuit of greatness. Whether it be running every day, running more than their competitors, properly hydrating and refueling, getting enough rest, or just being good teammates - they don't back down from any of it. They are chasing excellence in all that they do. Excellence, to us, means to do your very best on any given day, every day. The state meet will be no exception. They will be there, chasing excellence just like they have been doing since each individual joined Luling cross country. They are prepared mentally and physically for it, and if you watch them run you will notice it.”
“Coach Barnett has done something that is near impossible. He has created a culture here that is unlike any I have ever seen. Replacing him will be hard to do, but that is not really what I am trying to do. I just look to continue what he has started and keep chasing excellence, wherever that leads the Eagles of Luling.”
Top 3A Returners:
1. Buster Roberts, 3rd, 15:34.74, Luling sr (2017 Region 4 3rd)
2. Bryce Sevarino, 6th, 16:10.28 soph (2017 Region 2 14th)
1. Alexandra Earley, 2nd, 11:33.12, Randolph sr (2017 Region 4 14th)
2. Valery Tobias, 4th, 11:43.89, Edinburg IDEA Quest sr (2017 Region 4 2nd)
Best 3A times:
5k & 3-mile 2-mile & 3200
3A pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll:
Boys Girls
1. Luling (2016 1st) 1. East Bernard (2016 1st)
2. Tornillo (2016 2nd) 2. Franklin (2016 3rd)
3. Pilot Point (2016 6th) 3. Holliday (2016 5th)
3A Region Team Champs:
Boys
1 Tornillo 2 Pilot Point 3 Pollok Central 4 Luling
Girls
1 Presidio 2 Eustace 3 East Bernard 4 Lago Vista
2A BOYS & GIRLS
Sundown claimed the boys and girls team titles last year and is loaded again. Coach Paul Darden said, “Our Region performance was pretty good. Our girls packed in well and had a good 1-5 split of 33 seconds. Our boys ran well - Steven (jr Quintanilla) ran a PR on the Lubbock Region course and the 2-5 split was as good as it's been all season. Our boys have had quite a few changes throughout the season with injuries and new kids. Both the boys and girls races in 2A ought to be very interesting. It's gonna be fun to see how it plays out.”
Top 2A Returners:
1. Steven Quintanilla, 1st, 16:13.98, Sundown, jr (2017 Region 1 1st)
(Burton’s Cash Kunkel 4th moved to 5A Brenham HS)
2. Justin Torres, 5th, 16:47.23, Sundown sr (2017 Region 1 5th)
1. Kaleigh Ellis, 2nd, 11:42.99, San Saba jr (2017 Region 4 7th)
(Simms Bowie’s Kaytlyn Sweatman 3rd moved to 4A Pleasant Grove)
2. Hannah Dillard, 4th, 12:08.38, Valley Mills jr (2017 Region 3 1st)
Best 2A times:
5k & 3-mile 2-mile & 3200
2A pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll:
Boys Girls
1. Sundown (2016 1st) 1. San Saba (2016 3rd)
2. New Summerfield (2016 3rd) 2. Sundown (2016 1st)
3. Valley View (2016 4th) 3. Hamilton (2016 2nd)
2A Region Team Champs:
Boys
1 Sundown 2 Valley View 3 New Summerfield 4 Great Hearts Monte Vista
Girls
1 Sundown 2 Seymour 3 Valley Mills 4 San Saba
1A BOYS & GIRLS
Top 1A Returners:
1. Dustin Dominey, 1st, 16:06.13, Spur sr (2017 Region 1 2nd)
2. Klay Howard, 4th, 16:52.01, Covington sr (2017 Region 3 1st)
1. Izabelle Smith, 1st, 11:49.75, Spur sr (2017 Region 1 4th)
2. Shailyn Kendrick-Dickerson, 2nd, 12:03.09, Rotan soph (2017 Region 2 1st)
Best 1A times:
5k & 3-mile 2-mile & 3200
1A pre-District TX Coaches Assn Poll:
Boys Girls
1tie. Cumby Miller Grove (2016 3rd) 1. Cumby Miller Grove (2016 5th)
1tie. Goodrich (2016 5th) 2. Nazareth (2016 2nd)
3. Springlake-Earth 3. Blum (2016 3rd)
1A Region Team Champs:
Boys
1 Springlake-Earth 2 Comstock 3 Miller Grove 4 Goodrich
Girls
1 Nazareth 2 Roby 3 Miller Grove 4 Abbott
