Introducing the 2022 Star-Telegram boys and girls cross country all-area teams
Boys
Runner of the Year
Adam Burlison, Junior, Grapevine
For the second straight year, Grapevine takes home boys runner of the year during the cross country season. Burlison follows in the footsteps of Walker St. John. Burlison helped the Mustangs to their third straight Class 5A state championship with a runner-up finish in Round Rock. Burlison was district champ and regional champ.
Team of the Year
Southlake Carroll
The Dragons captured their fourth straight UIL Class 6A state championship after scoring 62 points at the state meet, nearly 20 points better than second place Austin Vandegrift. Carroll had three runners in the Top 15 and all six runners finished in 32nd place and better. Carroll also won regional and district meets.
Coach of the Year
Justin Leonard, Southlake Carroll
Led the Dragons to their fourth straight UIL Class 6A state championship. It’s also the 13th consecutive year where the Carroll boys have finished either first or second place at the state meet. Leonard was also named Star-Telegram all-area coach of the year last season.
All-Area Team
Alberto Rayon, Sr., Grapevine: Finished in third place at the 5A meet to help the Mustangs win their third straight state championship. Finished fourth at regional and third at district.
Chase Gunn, Sr., FW Arlington Heights: Gunn was District 6-5A champ, fifth at the regional meet and placed 10th at state. Gunn finishes his cross country career as one of the top runners in Fort Worth ISD all time.
Riley Nedrow, Sr., Boyd: Nedrow wrapped up his cross country career with another strong showing in the postseason meets. He was Top 3 in all three races, first at district, second at regional and took home the UIL bronze medal at the Class 3A state meet.
Logan Cantu, Sr., Southlake Carroll: Cantu was among the catalyst for the state champs. He had the third best showing at state with a 15th place finish. He was second at district and second at regional.
Jeremiah Barrera, Sr., Arlington Sam Houston: Barrera was the first Sam Houston runner to qualify for the UIL state meet in program history. Barrera won the District 8-6A meet.
Evan Ventrca, Sr., LD Bell: Ventrca was the first Bell runner to qualify for the UIL state meet since 1992. Ventrca came in second place at the District 3-6A meet.
Angel Sanchez, Jr., FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis: Sanchez swept the postseason awards, winning the championship at district, regional and capped it off with the title at the UIL Class 4A state meet.
Adam Burlison, Jr., Grapevine: All-area runner of the year.
Jude Alvarez, Jr., Southlake Carroll: Alvarez makes the all-area team in back to back years. He finished in ninth place at state for the Dragons. He was also district champ and sixth place at regional.
Caden Leonard, Fr., Southlake Carroll: As a freshman, Leonard was the highest placer for the 6A state champs at sixth place. Leonard came in fourth place at district and ninth at regional.
Girls
Runner of the Year
Ava Bushaw, Senior, Southlake Carroll
Bushaw was named to the all-area team for the second straight year and this time she led the Dragons in all three postseason races. She came in fifth at state to help Carroll come in second in the team standings. Bushaw also came in second at the regional meet and first in the District 4-6A championship.
Team of the Year
Southlake Carroll
The Dragons finished in second place at the 6A state meet and had two runners in the Top 10 and five runners in the Top 25. It was the 26th straight season that the girls program reached the UIL state meet and 22nd time overall they’ve reached the medal podium. Carroll won the district title and came in second at the regional meet.
Coach of the Year
Nick Taylor, Colleyville Heritage
The Panthers made some history this season with their first district team championship in 7-5A. They had two runners in the Top 5 and four runners in the Top 10. Colleyville followed that up with the regional championship as four girls went in the Top 25, including individual champ Allie Love. The Panthers just missed the medal podium at the UIL 5A state meet with a fourth place finish.
All-Area Team
Ava Bushaw, Sr., Carroll: All-area runner of the year.
Audrey Dunn, Sr., Carroll: Dunn finished off her career with some major points for the Dragons. She came in second place at the District 4-6A meet and 12th place in both the regional meet and state meet.
Kylie Himes, Sr., Grapevine: Himes makes the all-area team in back to back years and helps the Mustangs improve in 2022. Grapevine went from seventh to fifth at state this season. Himes was third at district and fourth at regional.
Sylvia Schwedler, Jr., Carroll: Schwedler was in the Top 3 for Carroll all postseason long, finishing in third place at district and then in 11th place at regional and seventh place at state.
Emily Smith, Jr., Colleyville Covenant: Smith won her third straight TAPPS state title and should end her career next season as a four-time state champion cross country runner.
Quinn Dixon, Jr., Birdville: Dixon won the District 7-5A championship. Then she qualified for state with a sixth place finish and went in the Top 30 in Round Rock.
Allie Love, Jr., Colleyville Heritage: Love continues to add to her already illustrious high school career. She finished second at district, first at regional and took home the UIL bronze medal at the Class 5A state meet. Love was the all-area runner of the year last season.
Elizabeth Smits, Soph., Carroll: Make it 2 for 2 on all-area teams for Smits, who helped the Dragons to a runner-up trophy in the team standings. Smits was fifth in district, 17th in regional and 22nd at state.
Molly Garrison, Fr., Aledo: Garrison had among the strongest freshman showings this season with first at district, second at regional and a Top 50 finish at the state meet.
Elizabeth Griffin, Fr., Aledo: After finishing as the third best Ladycat in both district and regional, Griffin was the top runner from Aledo at the 5A state race, finishing in the Top 25 with a 21st place showing.
