DFW Metro Third Team
21. Kathryn Tucker (Jr.) Kaufman
Tucker ran extremely well last year on both grass and on the track. The Kaufman junior-to-be won Region 2-4A and then placed ninth at the state cross country meet. She ran a 11:25 PR to win the Celina Cross Country Invitational against a lot of state meet competition. She also added two 18 minute 5Ks.
Tucker peaked at the right time during the track season running PRs of 5:08 and 10:56 to win the 1600m and 3200m at the Region 2-4A track meet. However, complications kept her from crossing the finish line at the state track meet.
With a little bit of unsavory taste from last spring's finish, look for the Kaufman star to take it out on the courses.
20. Reagan Reed (Jr.) Prosper
If Reed has the type of jump between her sophomore and junior year as she did between her freshman and sophomore year, this position could be grossly underpredicted for her.
She improved from a 19:20 PR as a freshman to running 18:47 out of the gate at the Southlake Carroll XC Invite. She went on to run a 18:22 PR and five meets under 19-minutes.
She ran a 2:19 PR in the 800m, which could also help her excel this year.
19. Addison Hite (Sr.) Pilot Point
Hite is about as versatile of a runner there is in the state this year. The baller from Pilot Point has shifted all of her focus to training for running only and we saw the the benefits last year on grass and on the track.
Hite won the UIL 3A state title at the cross country state meet and then won the 3200m on the track. She also had a big time year in the 800m finishing sixth at the state meet.
With PRs last year in the 1:01, 2:15, and 11:14 and her return from a USA distance training camp, look for Hite to have another stellar season.
18. Kayla Dickerson (Sr.) Dallas Highland Park
Dickerson is a senior this year and she goes from important to "key" for HP. She ran a PR of 18:25 at the Jesuit XC Classic, so we know about her capabilities.
Last spring, Dickerson focused on the 800m and even ran 200m and 400m races. She PRed with a 2:14 at the Region 1-6A meet and she doubled that with a 11:16 PR in the 3200m at regionals.
Expect that pairing of speed with the endurance to project her season forward this fall.
17. Kailey Littlefield (Sr.) Lucas Lovejoy
Littlefield has been major impact at Lovejoy since her arrival. Many know of her track exploits in the 400m through the 1600m, but don't dismiss her ability on grass.
At the UIL 5A state meet, she finished eighth as a freshman, seventh as a sophomore, and eleventh as a junior and has a 17:52 PR.
Lovejoy saw Amy Morefield graduate and Littlefield will again be important to the team's success, so expect her to be well rested and don't count on her to take it easy in the fall.
16. MJ Novelli (Jr.) Northwest Nelson
As a Chicagoan, I have first hand knowledge what athletes who go by MJ are capable of and with that knowledge, listing Novelli as only No. 14 could come back to haunt my preseason predictions.
She ran a 18:22 PR last year as a sophomore and returns for what could be a breakout junior season.
Novelli went 5:05 and 11:04 on the track in the spring. Last weekend at Southlake, she ran 5:10 in the mile to show where she stands heading into the year.
15. Madeline Heckler (So.) Dallas Highland Park
The Lady Scots moved up to 6A last year and were thrown in the fire of the "Region of Doom" (Region 1). They missed qualifying for the state meet as a team by one point when the finished in fifth with 167 point, just behind Plano West's 166.
However, as a freshman, Heckler handled the varsity level very well. She ran 19:36 in her first high school 5K and then ran a fast as 18:32 twice. An eleventh place individual finish at regionals led to a state meet berth where she finished 39th overall.
She proved to have good turnover in the track season. She ran 2:28, 5:15, and 11:29. The Highland Park tradition has plenty of evidence with linear improvement and that's a good sign for the sophomore Heckler.