Cross country roundup: Southlake Carroll runners off to strong start
The Southlake Carroll cross country program wasted no time showing its swagger by opening the season with a double victory Saturday at the 31st Greenhill Six Mile Cross Country Relays in Dallas.
“The meet went really well,” coach Justin Leonard said. “I’m pleased with the kid’s performances. The Greenhill is a different format then what we usually run, because it is a mile and a half leg, and it’s a relay. I like to call it our rust-buster when we’re getting back into the season.
“The kids finally get to lace up their spikes and get some different opponents then what they trained with. So that was kind of exciting to see where we’re at and gauge our fitness level. I thought the kids performed really well.”
The Carroll Boys Elite team of Reed Brown, Charlie Gardner, Michael Waugh and Shea Whatley won their race and set a new course record with a time of 29:28.
The Elite girls team of Antigone Archer, Kayli Jones, Gillian Mortimer and Sarah Odneal took first place for the second straight year with a time of 35:48.
The Dragons cross country program has become synonymous with excellence, having won four consecutive state championships on the boys side and seven state championships on the girls side since 2000.
“The goal is to be able to compete for those state championships, and that’s what we are aiming for every year,” Leonard said. “The kids put in so much work, and a big part of that is because they want to carry on that tradition and that legacy. I think that if we keep progressing the way we are, we’ll be in the hunt.”
Carroll will compete in the Marcus I Invitational on Saturday, and Leonard said he feels certain his team will be in for a challenge.
“That is our first 5K of the season, and there is some pretty stiff competition,” Leonard said. “There are a lot of regional level teams there, so it is really another test for us to see where we are at with a little longer race. We’re looking forward to it, and the kids are really amped up for it.”
Nelson excels at Hebron
The Trophy Club Nelson boys cross country team won the 5A & Under division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational this past week, claiming five of the first seven spots.
Emmett Rasmussen finished second overall with a time of 11:15.90, while teammate Michael Anderson was fourth at the competition with a time of 11:23.40.
Brandon Johnson (11:26.80), David Norton (11:27.30) and Bryce Gyure (11:28.40) finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively at the race.
The Keller Timber Creek boys cross country team finished second overall at the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational in the 6A division with a total of 66 points, eight points behind first place Hebron.
The Falcons had three top 10 finishes at the meet, including Hasaan Jordan, who finished sixth overall with a time of 10:12.00, Mauricio Padilla, who finished ninth with a time of 10:20.50 and Kristian Ramirez, who was 10th with a time of 10:20.80.
The Trophy Club Nelson girls cross countryy team finished second at the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational in the 5A & Under division with a total of 44 points.
The Lady Bobcats had three runners finish in the top 10 at the meet, including Kelly Dorn, who finished fourth with a time of 13:06.80, Gracie Eddleman, who finished eighth with a time of 13:47.10, and Samantha Jahn, who finished ninth overall with a time of 13:49.60.
Top Performers
Boys
1. David Strome, Colleyville Heritage, won the 6A division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 9:39.10.
2. Alexis Martinez, FW South Hills, won the 5A & Under division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 11:11.30.
3. Caleb Jones, Colleyville Covenant, finished third in the 5A & Under division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 11:17.80.
Girls
1. Johnnie Wilkinson, FW South Hills, finished second in the 5A & Under division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 12:50.80.
2. Jessica Kyle, Decatur, finished seventh overall at in the 6A division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 12:16.00.
3. Andrea Karlen, Trophy Club Nelson, finished ninth in the 6A division of the Hebron Hawk Friday Night Invitational with a time of 12:25.60.
This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Cross country roundup: Southlake Carroll runners off to strong start."