TEXAS STATE MEET

Cook, Flower Mound Dominate 6A Girls Competition

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Natalie Cook and Lewisville Flower Mound produced another great result on Saturday at the UIL Cross Country Championships at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. The meet was split over two days. 

Just one year after Brynn Brown's historic time of 16:25.9, Cook got within seven seconds (16:32.4) of it and beat the Class 6A field by a whopping 56 seconds. It was the senior's first state title. 

"I felt really comfortable. I felt really smooth," Cook said. "Going into it I knew I just had to hammer at the beginning and that's what I did. The second mile, the middle mile, I felt pretty smooth. I started hammering again near the end and I was feeling it, but I think I finished better than (I usually do)."

US#12 Flower Mound scored 41 points and put all five scorers in the top 21 overall. 

Prosper took second, thanks to a 2-3 finish for teammates Aubrey O'Connell and Shewaye Johnson. A transfer, Johnson won a state title in Iowa (Class 3A) in 2020. 

Southlake Carroll, which improved steadily since the start of the season, won the boys team title for the sixth time. The Dragons lost all five scorers due to graduation off of last year's team and produced a 15-second on five runners who all finished inside 16 minutes. 

Junior Kevin Sanchez of Austin Vandergrift beat a strong field in the boys 6A race, winning by about 10 seconds in 14:53.4. Plano West's Hudson Heikkinen was second in 15:04.9.

PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS by John Sullivan

US#14 Grapevine scored 53 points to capture the Class 5A title, led by Walker St. John's victory in 15:06.6. St. John successfully defended his individual title as well as the team championship. Grapevine put four runners in the top 13 and the team's fifth came across 60th overall. 

Lucas Lovejoy won a tight four-team battle for the 5A girls title with 65 points. Lovejoy put four in the top 13 and the team's fifth finished 57th. Cameron McConnell of Randall won the individual title, running 17:15.4.

San Elilzario won the 4A boys title with 93 points as three teams finished within nine points. Senior Micah Swann of Athens ran 15:42.4 for the win. 

Abi Bass from Melissa won the 3,200-meter 4A girls final in 11:07.2. Celina won the team title with 80 points.

Wyatt Hoover of Poth won a photo-finish with Angel Torres of Tornillo after both finished in 15:57.4. Whitesboro took the team title with four guys in the top 25. 

Holliday won the girls competition by putting three in the top 11 overall, including winner Hannah Spears (11:34.9).

Kyla Kane led Wellington's girls to the 2A title by winning the state final in 11:54.6. Abraham Morales of Brackettville Brackett ran 16:04.4 to win the boys race. Poolsville won the team crown.

Cumby Miller Grove won its fifth consecutive Class 1A title with five scorers in the top 20. Senior Brandon Passman of Guthrie won the race in 15:32.9. Imperial Buena Vista won the girls team title. Sophomore Taytum Goodman of Springlake-Earth won the race in 10:59.36, by more than a minute.

Team Champions - 

Class 6A - Southlake Carroll boys 65 points, Lewisville Flower Mound girls 41 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Grapevine boys 53 points, Lucas Lovejoy girls 65 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - San Elizario boys 93 points, Celina girls 80 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Whitesboro boys 62 points, Holliday girls 39 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Poolville boys 68 points, Wellington girls 78 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Cumby Miller Grove boys 50 points, Imperial Buena Vista girls 105 points - RESULTS