TEXAS STATE MEET

Southlake Carroll Boys, Flower Mound Girls Repeat At 6A Champions

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

INTERVIEWS

The loss of all-timer Natalie Cook to graduation hasn't slowed Lewisville Flower Mound's girls cross country team. The Jaguars went 1-2-3 with junior twins Nicole Humphries and Samantha Humphries and sophomore Alexandra Fox on the way to a third consecutive UIL 6A team championship with 42 points. 

Windy conditions greeted state qualifiers for the Texas state championships in Round Rock, which were held over two days, Nov. 4-5 at Old Settlers Park. 

Kevin Sanchez's victory in the 6A boys race was notable for overcoming a bizarre situation in which an older runner suited up and snuck into the race. The "bandit" somehow made it through the entire course and crossed the finish line in front of everyone except Sanchez, who ran 15:26.3. The Vandergrift senior led his team to a second-place finish.

Perennial power Southlake Carroll, with one of the deepest packs in the country, put five scorers between sixth and 28th and won the boys 6A team title. Freshman Caden Leonard, the son of coach Justin Leonard, was the team's top finisher. 

The girls from Lucas Lovejoy put together an impressive 28-point performance to win the 5A championship. All five scorers fit between fifth and 11th place and were separated by just 22 seconds. The quintet includes two sets of sisters -- Amy and Sara Morefield and Camryn and Peyton Benson. 

McKenzie Bailey from Georgetown won the 5A race in 17:36.4, beating 2020 champion Isabel Conde de Frankenberg of Cedar Park by 10 seconds.

David Mora from Lubbock Montgomery, one of the top runners in Texas all season, capped his senior year with a state meet 5A victory in 15:15.4, improving from third in 2021. Grapevine came on strong late in the season and won its third consecutive championship with a new cast, scoring 56 points. Adam Burlison and Alberto Rayon Cardenas went 2-3 for the Mustangs. 

The Canyon boys, dominant in Class 4A all season, scored 40 points to run away with the team championship. The Eagles put four in the top 15, led by fourth-place finisher Alex Niemiec. Up front, it was junior Angel Sanchez from FW Diamond Hill-Jarvis winning the final in 15:47.5.

Avery Brown of Canyon ran 11:36.6 to win a tight race over Taylor Grona of Fredericksburg (11:38.3) and Jetzibe Trevino (11:38.6) after those three moved far out ahead of the field. Celina won the girls championship with 70 points. 

Freshman Noah Strohman of Holliday remained undefeated this season as he won the Class 3A boys final in 15:49.5 and staked his claim as one of the top ninth graders in the country. Strohman won the middle school at Nike Outdoor Nationals last June. Lytle scored 72 points to get past Eustace (82) for the 3A team title. 

Addison Hite of Pilot Point won the 3A girls individual crown with a time of 12:01.2 for 3,200 meters. Whitesboro won the team title with 90 points. 

Connor Bartek from Goldthwaite ran to a 49-second victory in the Class 2A boys race, running 16:13.8. He finished third in 2021. Plains edged Tenaha 72-79 for the boys title. 

Hamilton's girls packed five scorers between 18th and 51st overall on the way to a team victory. Four of the five scorers were freshmen. Emily Pharris of Shelbyville, a junior, won the race in 12:32.2.

Junior Taytum Goodman from Springlake-Earth won her third consecutive Class 1A title, covering 3,200 meters in 11:11.2 and winning by 75 seconds. 

Cumby Miller Grove continued to be a powerhouse in the small-school meet, winning the girls title with 105 points and the boys finished second to Saltillo by two points. Saltillo had two in the two in the top 12 along the way to victory, led by seventh-place finisher Gunner Tarver.

Senior Tayte Cormier ran away from the 1A field to win by 35 seconds in 16:25.0. 

Team Champions - 

Class 6A - Southlake Carroll boys 62 points, Lewisville Flower Mound girls 42 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Grapevine boys 56 points, Lucas Lovejoy girls 28 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Canyon boys 40 points, Celina girls 70 points - RESULTS

Class 3A - Lytle boys 72 points, Whitesboro girls 90 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Plains boys 72 points, Hamilton girls 76 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Saltillo boys 73 points, Cumby Miller Grove girls 105 points - RESULTS