If you want an example of a team that was young in 2013 but got valuable experience for a title run in 2014, look no further.
Depth is in great supply for Vandegrift's girls, who bring back all 7 girls from the 10th-place 4A squad last year, including three freshmen and 6 girls that broke 20 last fall. That kind of young talent has the Vipers ranked first among this fall's 5A teams, making them legitimate state title contenders. The projected top 7 for 2014 has two seniors, and losing only two girls over a two-year period is a formula for improvement. For example, last fall's #3 runner, Nikki Keys, went off in track season, clocking 5:18 and 11:24; those times are more closely associated with a high-18's 5K runner. Given that, would it be a huge stretch to see Vandegrift with three girls under 19 minutes? The Vipers ranked 4th in Texas in 5-girl 1600 average during the outdoor season, and 7th in the state in 5-girl 3200 average. There's a good chance they'll rank first when it matters this fall, at the state meet.
| Vandegrift (TX) | |||
| 1) Natalie Goddard | 19:10.00 | ||
| 2) Loren Goddard | 19:18.50 | ||
| 3) Nikki Keys | 19:31.20 | ||
| 4) Taylor Grikis | 19:38.00 | ||
| 5) Madie Ibrahim | 19:50.90 | ||
| Average Time: 19:29.72 Total Time: 1:37:28.60 1-5 Split: 40.90 | |||
| 6) Lexi Vukelic | 19:53.40 | ||
| 7) Sydney Prucha | 20:08.20 | ||