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THE WRAP: DFW, San Antonio teams dominate State XC Meet, Bridgeland excels from Houston
Just like that, the first series of Fall championships has come and gone.
Teams from around the state gathered at Old Settler's Park in Round Rock, TX this past weekend to take part in the annual UIL State Cross Country Meet, and there was a vast array of individuals who went on to excel.
In Class 6A, Southlake Carroll (Boys) took gold as a team, after Caden Leanord (1st), Blake Bullard (8th) and Griffin Cords (11th) finished within the Top 20.
On the girls' side, Flower Mound brought home first prize, due to top placements from Adeline Bennett (4th), Alexandra Fox (5th) and Ava Cole (6th). Additionally, Denton Braswell's Maxy Wingard took the top spot individually.
Representing H-Town, Bridgeland featured some stand-outs, with Benjamin Montgomery and Lily Fawcett placing second overall in their respective races, leading to the Bears finishing 3rd (Boys) and 2nd (Girls) as a team in 6A.
Onto the Class 5A scene, Lucas Lovejoy (Boys) claimed the State Title, while San Antonio's Smithson Valley won it all in the UIL-5A Girls competition, with the Lovejoy Leopards finishing 2nd.
Individually, Boerne-Champion's Elizabeth Leachman took gold by almost a full minute ahead of second place (Dana Rojas Vazquez - McAllen).
Other noteworthy performances include Friendswood's Aiden Fitzgerald (2nd in 5A Boys), Smithson Valley's Brady Solansky (3rd in 5A Girls), Denton Braswell's Aleksandr Acuna (3rd in 6A Boys), Coppell's Maya Easterwood (3rd in 6A Girls), Boerne-Champion's Charlie Houck (4th in 5A Boys) and SA Reagan's Gavin Chapa (4th in 6A Boys).
With all the best Texas high school racers having crossed the finish line, here is the full break-down of what took place at the final UIL Meet this past Friday and Saturday.
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CLASS 6A (BOYS)
TEAM RESULTS (5K):
1st Place -- Southlake Carroll Dragons (Total Score: 49)
2nd Place -- Vandegrift Vipers (53)
3rd Place -- Bridgeland Bears (84)
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Individual Results
1. Caden Leonard - Southlake Carroll (14:50.10)***
2. Benjamin Montgomery - Bridgeland (15:01.30)
3. Aleksandr Acuna - Denton Braswell (15:03.80)
4. Gavin Chapa - SA Reagan (15:06.40)
5. Ruel Newberry - Denton Guyer (15:09.50)
6. Kai McCullough - Vandegrift (15:11.80)
7. Joaquin De La Cruz - McKinney Boyd (15:13.10)
8. Blake Bullard - Southlake Carroll (15:15.80)
9. Zachary Miller - Brennan (15:16.10)
10. Aidan Danny Torres - El Paso Eastwood (15:19.60)
11. Griffin Cords - Southlake Carroll (15:24.20)
12. Griffin Hummel - Austin Bowie (15:24.50)
13. Collin Goodwin - Vandegrift (15:27.00)
14. Elton Martin - The Woodlands (15:28.40)
15. Luke Bone - Austin High (15:31.70)
16. Chris Creedon - Clear Creek (15:33.10)
17. Tyler Hedgepeth - The Woodlands (15:34.90)
18. Christian Cruz-Castro - Vandegrift (15:35.90)
19. Jayce Love - Schertz Clemens (15:39.60)
20. Benjamin Pearce - Stratford (15:39.80)
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CLASS 6A (GIRLS)
TEAM REULTS (5K):
1st Place -- Flower Mound Jaguars (Total Score: 47)
2nd Place -- Bridgeland Bears (81)
3rd Place -- Katy Tigers (139)
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Individual Results
1. Macy Wingard - Denton Braswell (17:07.90)***
2. Lily Fawcett - Bridgeland (17:32.10)
3. Maya Easterwood - Coppell (17:36.80)
4. Adeline Bennett - Flower Mound (17:43.70)
5. Alexandra Fox - Flower Mound (17:44.00)
6. Ava Cole - Flower Mound (18:00.40)
7. Meredith Wolfe - Round Rock (18:01.40)
8. Rowan Saacke - Bridgeland (18:03.40)
9. Adelynn Rodriguez - El Paso Eastwood (18:06.40)
10. Emily Orr - El Paso Franklin (18:12.70)
11. Taryn Elmer - Lewisville Marcus (18:13.20)
12. Jamie Klander - Mayde Creek (18:18.20)
13. Clare Boneau - Keller (18:20.50)
14. Susana Rawls - Bridgeland (18:21.10)
15. Sophia Lopez -- RR Stony Point (18:21.50)
16. Stoya Laydevant - The Woodlands (18:23.30)
17. Addison Scott - Houston Memorial (18:27.00)
18. Naomi Weller - The Woodlands (18:27.70)
19. Marian Mann - Klein (18:30.00)
20. Isabella Porter - SA Johnson (18:30.20)
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CLASS 5A (BOYS)
TEAM RESULTS (5K):
1st Place -- Lucas Lovejoy Leopards (Total Score: 77)
2nd Place -- Boerne Greyhounds (137)
3rd Place -- Frisco Wakeland Wolverines (153)
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Individual Results
1. Bryce Denton - Anna (15:16.90)***
2. Aiden Fitzgerald - Friendswood (15:32.00)
3. Miles Westbrook - El Paso (15:39.20)
4. Charlie Houck - Boerne-Champion (15:41.90)
5. Jaxon Asbill - Dayton (15:51.60)
6. Colby Huntress - Austin Anderson (15:52.10)
7. Diego Romero - El Paso Americas (15:52.90)
8. Elijah Merino - Kingwood Park (15:53.20)
9. Tristan Arceneau - Lucas Lovejoy (15:54.00)
10. Matthew Binkley - Montgomery (15:58.60)
11. Carson Brown - Kingwood Park (16:00.30)
12. Andrew Malan - Frisco Lebanon Trail (16:00.40)
13. Andrew DeYoung - Grapevine (16:00.50)
14. Tyler Connelly - Aledo (16:01.10)
15. Matthew Morales - Georgetown (16:01.40)
16. Luis Tovar - Boerne-Champion (16:02.10)
17. William Carlson - Lucas Lovejoy (16:04.40)
18. Gage Horejsi - Leander (16:06.30)
19. Malin Arnoldusen - El Paso Burges (16:06.60)
20. Amisadai Yanez - Texas City (16:07.70)
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CLASS 5A (GIRLS)
TEAM RESULTS (5K):
1st Place -- Smithson Valley Rangers (Total Score: 54)
2nd Place -- Lucas Lovejoy Leopards (97)
3rd Place -- Aledo Bearcats (145)
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Individual Results
1. Elizabeth Leachman - Boerne-Champion (17:14.80)***
2. Dana Rojas Vazquez - McAllen (18:07.60)
3. Brady Solansky - Smithson Valley (18:10.50)
4. Sofia Phillips - Birdville (18:15.40)
5. Savanah Moya - New Braunfels (18:15.60)
6. Molly Garrison - Aledo (18:16.60)
7. Ella Magallan - Burleson Centennial (18:24.60)
8. Eva Cragnolino - Austin LASA (18:24.90)
9. Camryn Benson - Lucas Lovejoy (18:31.80)
10. Lilly Koenig - Smithson Valley (18:37.40)
11. Kenzi Ramirez - McAllen (18:41.10)
12. Micah Neal - Aledo (18:42.70)
13. Natali Velasquez - Colleyville Heritage (18:49.50)
14. Presley Robertson - Frisco Wakeland (18:53.80)
15. Mykel Murry - Aledo (18:54.50)
16. Kynley Albright - Boerne-Champion (18:55.20)
17. Mason Murray - Abilene (18:59.50)
18. Skyler Fonseca - Smithson Valley (19:00.40)
19. Mia Perez - Smithson Valley (19:02.60)
20. Aubrey Pozzi - Smithson Valley (19:03.80)
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STATE SEMIFINALS: Flower Mound Jaguars hunt for a repeat
With only four losses this season, the reigning state champions are making their way back to the state tournament where they look to repeat this season. Flower Mound has put in the work and they're reaping the rewards as they prepare to take on Pearland in the UIL Class 6A Baseball State Semifinals. VYPE DFW takes a look at their season and what fans can expect moving forward:
So Far
The likes of Garrett Wallace, Adrian Rodriguez, Wes Brown, Cody Brady, Adam Hawrylak, Sam Distel, Josh Glaser, Zane Becker, and other talented athletes began Flower Mound's hunt for a repeat early in non-district play as the team secured victories over tough opponents including Barbe, Opelousas Catholic, Gulfport, Arlington, Keller, Wylie, Aledo, Frisco Lone Star, and more. As they sharpened their skills and prepared for their district schedule, it was clear that there was going to be nothing that could possibly stand in the way of their goals this season.
In district play, the team went undefeated with a 14-0 record and a top-of-the-standings finish in their district. Victories over Flower Mound Marcus, Plano, Plano West, Lewisville, Coppell, and more powered their motivation and fire when inching toward postseason play. With determination, the team waltzed into the playoffs and took down Little Elm (7-1, 6-4), Dallas Jesuit (3-1, 10-0), Prosper (1-0, 5-3), Keller (1-6, 2-1, 10-4), and, most recently, Richardson's JJ Pearce (5-4, 0-3, 6-2) in order to punch their ticket back to the state tournament and continue their mission.
What to Expect
The team is searching for their third title in their fifth appearance at the state tournament. With titles in 2014 and 2023, the Jaguars are already used to this level of play and can be expected to play at their very best from the moment they step foot onto the diamond until the final moments of the last inning. Looking to take down Pearland, the team can be expected to bring the heat at the plate, but also remain focused and cohesive as a defensive unit. Pearland boasts a 36-8 record and can be expected to be one of the biggest challenges Flower Mound has seen so far this season. Remaining determined should help power the team to the state finals in Round Rock, Texas!