6. Kathryn Koonts (Sr) Klein

Last year Koonts led the Klein ladies in the state rankings. The incoming senior has been talking to some of the best NCAA teams in the country such as the University of Alabama (placed third at NCAA's), Tulsa, LSU, and Ohio State.

During last year's cross season, Koonts opened her season at the 2022 Marcus Coach T Invitational running 18:09.10 in a super stacked field and finished with a season best of 18:01.70 ran at Nike South Invitational. 

The outdoor track season may have not ended up back at the state meet like Koonts would have liked, but she end up running some huge personal best times in both the 1600m and 3200m. In the 1600m, she came just short of breaking five minutes but still clocked an impressive 5:00.37 at District 15-16 Area Meet and improved on her 3200m time down to 10:45.67 ran at the UIL 6A Region 2 Championships. 

5. Rowan Saacke (So) Katy Tompkins

Katy Tompkins's very own Rowan Saacke opened the eyes of many during last year's 2022 cross country season. Saacke and the flock of Falcons opened their season last year at the Friday Night Lights and boy oh boy did Saacke deliver.

She won versus a super loaded field in the Woodlands. Afterward, Saacke opened her first 5k race at the Seven Lakes Spartan Invitational clocking in at a time of 18:41.20 and improved on her time two weeks later at the 2022 Lovejoy XC Fall Festival clocking in a time of 18:09.72.

Sources have told MileSplit that Saacke was training toward the end of the summer in Georgetown, Colorado which stands at a breathtaking 2,600 meters high or 8,530ft. She recently had a mile time trial where she clocked a 5:02 just days after coming back to the lone star state. 

When the outdoor season came outdoor Saacke broke the school record in the 3200m clocking in a time of 10:42.89 at the 13th Annual Seven Lakes Relays, 4:58.64 in the 1600m ran at the Texas Distance Festival, 4:38.27 in the 1500m at the 2023 Victor Lopez Classic, and 2:20.78 in the 800m at the Cy Creek Cougars Relays. 

4. Sophia Nguyen (Jr) Richmond George Ranch

After having a great freshman year back in 2021, Nguyen had some shoes to fill and lead the lady longhorns to the state meet in Round Rock. She opened her season last year at the 2022 Will Sirmon 5k clocking in a time of 19:16.50 and closed out the year with a huge personal best in the 5k running 17:54.40 at the Nike South Invitational. 

During the 2023 track season, Nguyen was up in the state rankings timewise clocking in 2:12.38 800m at the 2023 LCISD Relays, 4:57.11 later on that same day at the same meet, and setting another 3200m school record running 10:52.59 ran at the Katy ISD Bubba Fife Relays. Keep in mind Nguyen was still swimming in UIL meets during the spring as well.

3. Stoya Laydevant (Jr) The Woodlands

Laydevant led the Lady Highlanders throughout the cross country season. She opened her season at the College Park Invite clocking in an 18:57.81 and later improved on time and set a personal record time of 18:28.10 ran at the Nike South Invitational (which puts her in the top ten category for their school program). 

Laydevant was an absolute star in the spring. She had a groundbreaking track season in the 3200m running 10:42.00 ranking her No.4 in the illustrious The Woodlands program's history.

She showed some speed throughout the outdoor season running 2:14.81 in the 800m at Sam Mosley Relays in Humble, 4:36.70 in the 1500m ran at the 2023 Victor Lopez Classic, 4:59.00 in the 1600m at the 2023 Atascocita Corn Soup Invitational, and 10:08.45 in the 3000m which she also won at the Victor Lopez Classic. 

What makes the upcoming cross country season intriguing for Laydevant  is the way she ended the track season.

She of course exhibited her speed throughout the track season, but she further demonstrated her ability and moxy running at the state track meet. She and the other 6A 3200m girls ran 1600m at a 5:15 pace when the race was interrupted due to inclement weather. When the race was re-started, Laydevant was able to return on short rest and still ran 10:50.

2. Staucie Lees (Sr) Conroe Grand Oaks

Lees had a solid season opening 5k at her home meet at the Grizzly XC Invitational clocking in 18:55.00, she'd later improve throughout the year breaking yet another school record with a time of 18:04.10 ran at the Nike South Invitational. What kind of time can Lees run this year, well I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Lees was on a quest during the outdoor season running personal record after another, she made her appearance at the UIL State track meet running her 3200m personal best time of 10:36.89, 10:12.36 3000m at the Victor Lopez Classic, 4:59.97 1600m at the Region 2 6A Championships, 4:42.69 1500m at the Victor Lopez Classic, 2:19.22 at the 2023 Generations Park T&F Invitational.

The intrigue for Lees' cross country season is high for the same reason as Laydevant. She was running the 6A girls state meet 3200m in the rain when it was interrupted. She returned on short notice and was able to go 10:36 after running a 5:15 split in the first attempt.

1. Madison Peters (Sr) Pearland 

The 2023 was a huge success for Peters. Last year she made her first appearance at the UIL 6A State Cross Country Championships after some medical issues the past two years at the Region 3 championships.

Peters took off and no one was catching her at her season opening meet at the 2022 Southlake Carroll XC Invite when she clocked a 17:00.76 which puts her number three all time on the leaderboard to ever run at Bob Jones Park just behind Texas legend Brynn Brown and Ava Bushaw.

Peters told MileSplit that she has been in contact with the University of New Mexico (finished team runner-up at the 2022 NCAA D1 Cross Country Championships), the University of Houston (just hired an assistant coach from Oklahoma State University coach Kyle Gibson earlier this summer), the University of Texas (made their appearance at the 2022 NCAA D1 Cross Country Championships), and Mississippi State University. Peters stated she is still keeping all doors open in her recruitment process.

Can Peters improve on her personal best time of 17:00.76 and join the many Texas legends such as Julia Heymach, Sophie Atkinson, Brynn Brown, Natalie Cook, London Culbreath, and many legendary lone star state athletes?

During the 2023 outdoor track season, Peters kept shattering her own school records and moving her way up in the state rankings. At the end of the season, she made her way to the UIL State Track and Field State meet, Peters ended her season running 10:36.81 ran at Texas Relays, 10:10.24 3000m ran at the Victor Lopez Classic, 4:56.69 at the UIL District 23-24 6A Championships, 4:37.08 1500m at the Victor Lopez Classic, and 2:15.17 800m at the UIL District 23-6A Varsity meet.