Preseason XC Countdown: Boys #9

<p> Texas MileSplit is counting down the 12 days until the first full weekend of cross country meets. &nbsp;Each day we will highlight one boys team and one girls team, with the idea that they are &quot;programs to watch&quot; for the upcoming season. &nbsp;This series is not intended to be a true ranking of the top 12 teams in the state overall, but instead an opportunity to highlight schools that have had strong recent success or have lots of talent returning for this fall.</p>

For the first time in the countdown, we're focusing on an experienced, veteran team instead of a young, rising squad.

 

We're in the middle of a run of 5A teams, in both the girls and boys countdowns, and Straford grades out as the 2nd-best returning team in that classification according to the database.  We've also reached the first team that fits the more typical "win now" configuration of a boys cross country team that can contend for a state title.  With 4 rising seniors in their projected top 7 (3 in the top 5), and the rest juniors, this is a veteran team that should have an advantage when the stakes get high.  Austin Richard looks ready to step into the role of #1 runner after a strong track season, as he led 3 Spartans that ran under 10 minutes in the spring.  After showing strong improvement last year, Stratford only needed one more good summer to have a shot at the 5A crown; pretty soon, we'll get to see if that happened!

 

	Houston Stratford (TX)
	1) Austin Richard		15:43.73
	2) Hayden Richard		16:34.40
	3) Nick Terrazas		16:36.88
	4) Jake Roberts		16:53.50
	5) Douglas Baker		17:04.64
	Average Time: 16:34.63 Total Time: 1:22:53.15 1-5 Split: 1:20.91
	6) Paul Brastrom		17:19.43
	7) Grant Kay		18:05.20