GAMES
RANKINGS
Alief Elsik's Bissinatt Abdelasis
THE LAST TRAIL: Previewing the 2024 UIL State Cross Country Meet
In what feels like the blink of an eye, the final cross country meet of the year is already upon us.
Given the superfluous number of runners who stood out in their respective Regional races, it is a likely possibility that H-Town could take gold in the coming days.
On the boys' side, both Katy and Bridgeland feature several individuals -- such as Ryder Darcey (Katy) and Benjamin Montgomery (Bridgeland) -- who could potentially wind up on the winner's podium.
Humble ISD is representing as well, with Atascocita, Summer Creek, Kingwood, and Kingwood Park sending multiple competitors to State.
Additionally, Caroline Barrow (Katy Taylor), Jamie Klander (Mayde Creek), Bissinatt Abdelasis (Alief Elsik), Lily Fawcett (Bridgeland), Addison Scott (Houston Memorial), Brooke Marshall (Lake Creek), and Rowan Saacke (Bridgeland) are just a few names to headline the girls' entrants.
As teams around the state prepare to travel to Old Settler's Park in Round Rock, TX, here are the Houston-area contestants we expect to shine in the ensuing UIL State Cross Country Meet this week.
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Top Contenders out of Houston
*Numbering is based on how runners finished at Regionals (5K)
UIL-6A Region III (Boys)
1. Benjamin Pearce - Stratford (15:08.32)
2. Ryder Darcey - Katy (15:23.96)
3. Eli Mugambi - Atascocita (15:26.66)
4. Chris Creedon - Clear Creek (15:27.96)
5. Mathias Pitzel - Tompkins (15:29. 86)
6. Da'Juan Allison - Summer Creek (15:41.71)
7. Evan Couture - Katy (15:41.80)
8. Shepherd Steen - Fulshear (15:44.44)
9. Zachariah Morin -- Fort Bend Elkins (15:46.54)
10. Alex Hahn Vadstein - Cinco Ranch (15:49.79)
11. Emilio Garza - Kingwood (15:50.09)
12. Michael Klahn - Katy Taylor (15:51.30)
13. Joshua Perez - Katy (15:52.90)
14. Elijah Emerson - Paetow (15:53.40)
15. Zach Madsen - Clear Lake (15:59.11)
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UIL-6A Region III (Girls)
1. Caroline Barrow - Katy Taylor (17:35.21)
2. Jamie Klander - Mayde Creek (17:42.00)
3. Addison Scott - Houston Memorial (18:04.63)
4. Eliana Contreras - Kingwood (18:12.07)
5. Sophie Peterson - Houston Memorial (18:35.71)
6. Victoria Guerrero - Katy (18:36.05)
7. Katherine Valentine - Clear Falls (18:39.23)
8. Bissinatt Abdelasis - Alief Elsik (18:44.69)
9. Lauren Acopa - Katy (18:44.85)
10. Clara Dye - Kingwood (18:48.55)
11. Claudia Klander - Mayde Creek (18:53.83)
12. Casey Scherpereel - Katy Taylor (18:57.04)
13. Sophia Hamdani - Bellaire (18:58.65)
14. Vienna Fish - Katy (19:09.89)
15. Jimena Cavazos - Deer Park (19:12.41)
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UIL-6A Region II (Boys)
1. Benjamin Montgomery - Bridgeland (14:56.81)*
2. Griffen Saacke - Bridgeland (15:16.57)
3. Elton Martin - The Woodlands (15:19.74)
4. Camden Gibson - College Park (15:30.43)
8. Yannick Broos - College Park (15:45.47)
9. Kyle Pawlak - Bridgeland (15:45.73)
10. Tyler Weston - Bridgeland (15:46.03)
12. Tyler Hedgepeth - The Woodlands
13. Maddox McCallister - Bridgeland (15:47.26)
15. Dylan Yarbrough - Klein Collins (15:51.83)
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UIL-6A Region II (Girls)
1. Lily Fawcett - Bridgeland (17:32.28)*
2. Rowan Saacke - Bridgeland (17:51.12)
3. Lydia Butler - Klein Oak (18:08.17)
4. Sophia Phillip - Magnolia (18:11.45)
5. Susana Rawls - Bridgeland (18:13.64)
7. Alexis Garza - Tomball Memorial (18:15.52)
8. Marian Mann - Klein (18:27.09)
9. Stoya Laydevant - The Woodlands (18:30.29)
10. Keara Zver - Grand Oaks (18:32.93)
11. Naomi Weller - The Woodlands (18:34.20)
12. Sophia Goerlich - Klein (18:42.04)
14. Haley Hill - Bridgeland (18:43.90)
15. Brynlee Weston - Bridgeland (18:44.81)
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UIL-5A Region III (Boys)
1. Aiden Fitzgerald - Friendswood (15:19.73)
2. Matthew Binkley - Montgomery (15:39.60)
3. Amisadai Yanez - Texas City (15:40.96)
4. Jaxon Asbill - Dayton (15:48.82)
5. Elijah Merino - Kingwood Park (15:51.00)
7. Carson Brown - Kingwood Park (15:58.74)
11. Alex Hillier - Friendswood (16:14.99)
15. Aiden Lowery - Friendswood (16:27.62)
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UIL-5A Region III (Girls)
5. Lauren Semeniuk - Montgomery (19:09.91)
6. Brooke Marshall - Lake Creek (19:15.25)
12. Charlie Tran - Friendswood (19:35.38)
Foster Water Polo's Jasmine Brown & Connie Garcia
THE RECAP: UIL Water Polo/Team Tennis 2024 State Tournament Results
Over the course of this past week, numerous state champions were ultimately decided in the first edition of the UIL Fall tournaments.
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At the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, two Houston heavyweights in Brazoswood (26-2) and Foster (30-0) advanced to the 6A Girls Finals, on the heels of defeating Southlake Carroll (Score: 14-8) and Boerne-Champion (Score: 23-4), respectively.
Both faced off this past Saturday, in what was a hard-fought battle that was ultimately decided by an 11-9 overtime victory for Brazoswood.
This marked the first state title for the Buccaneers, who denied the back-to-back champs Foster the opportunity to secure a three-peat.
In terms of accolades, Brazoswood's Mallory Kesler (Sr.) was named the State MVP, with Kinley Niles (Foster), Gigi Lower (Brazoswood), Cassidy Jacks (Foster), Hope Kadlecik (Brazoswood), Cayden VanDyne (Boerne-Champion), and Sydney Rubin (Southlake Carroll) being named to the 2024 All-Tournament team.
On the boys' side, Clear Creek (30-0-1) defeated perennial state contender Foster, by the score of 19-12, while Marcus (22-0) toppled Boerne-Champion (Score: 22-16) in order to move on to the State Final.
By the end of regulation, it would be the Clear Creek Wildcats who dethroned the 2023 state champions Marcus Marauders, in a definitive 14-10 triumph on Saturday afternoon.
Clear Creek senior Jamie De Zwart was named State MVP, while the All-Tournament team included Owen Kroh (Marcus), Ethan Jerla (Clear Creek), Landon Heuer (Marcus), Caden Digby (Clear Creek), Bexon Harrison (Boerne-Champion), and Foster's Ethan Molina.
Regardless of the result, all sides should feel pride in the dominance they've shown since the sport was finally recognized by the UIL in 2021.
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Meanwhile, at the Baylor University Tennis Center, there was a slew of teams competing for gold this past Thursday.
In the Class 4A bracket, the two squads who climbed all the way to the top were Canyon Randall (33-1) and Willis Point (21-3).
When all was said and done, however, it was Randall who took the title home after winning 10-4, to reclaim their 2022 championship-status.
Abilene Wylie (23-5) and Frisco Centennial (19-2) went head-to-head, representing the 5A classification, with the Centennial Titans emerging victorious (Score: 10-2), marking their second-straight title acquisition.
Last, but not least, in Thursday's proceedings, the UIL-6A Final came down between Round Rock Westwood (19-0) and Seven Lakes (17-3-1).
Despite a valiant effort by Seven Lakes, the, now, back-to-back-to-back State Champs Westwood Warriors were simply too much to handle, having won it all by the score of 10-3, also marking the fifth time in seven years that the program has done so.