GIRLS: Vista Ridge sophomore Ashley Isham took the lead from the start, followed closely last year's Cedar Park Invitational individual champion Georgetown senior Alicia Jenkins and homeschooler Catherine Westenhover. Isham hit the mile mark in 5:25 with a :07 lead over Jenkins who was starting to break away from Westenhover. Over the last mile, Isham continued to pull away from Jenkins, who also continued to pull away Westenhover. Isham won in 11:22, with Jenkins :16 back in 11:38 and Westenhover in 11:46. Vista Ridge junior Zoe Galbraith (4th) and Georgetown junior Courtney Hale (5th) made strong moves in the last half of the race to grab top five positions. Killeen Ellison junior Anamaris Hernandez (6th), Harker Heights' Aliese Hyde (7th), and Westwood senior Emily Potter (8th) clocked 12:00 or faster for the 2 mile twisting course.
The girls team chase was rather close, with Georgetown coming out on top with 70 points over Vista Ridge (84 pts.), Cameron Yoe (86 pts.), and Harker Heights (92 pts.)
BOYS: This race was packed up front with Vista Ridge junior Zach Ornelas, Cedar Park sophomore twins Jay and Bobby McIllece, Round Rock senior Carl Stones, and Mayde Creek senior Daniel Balbontin forming a tight early pack in the front. Ornelas lead the same lead pack by less than a stride through the mile mark in 4:42, followed closely by Georgetown junior Evan Hibbs and Corpus Christi Carroll's Justin Adame and another couple of Cedar Park runners, senior Ben Wroblewski and junior Austin Krohn. The race opened up slightly in the last 1.1 mile with Ornelas getting some space at the finish on Hibbs who was charging hard in the last mile. Ornelas won in 15:39, followed by Hibbs in 15:42 and Balbontin in 15:47. Stones (4th), Adame (5th), Bobby McIllece (6th), Georgetown senior Jonathan Kern (7th), Mayde Creek seniors Collin Durham (8th) and Eric Doll (9th) and Georgetown's Jacob Guerrero (10th) rounded out those who ran 16:00 or faster. Cedar Park's top runner, Jay McIllece, who was in the lead pack for most of the race, had some late race difficulties (dehydration?) and collasped shortly before the finish.
The boys team chase was close up top with Cedar Park edging out Georgetown 58 points to 64. Mayde Creek (80 pts.) rounded out the top three teams. A second Cedar Park squad (115 pts.) grabbed 4th place, showing the impressive depth of the Cedar Park program.
