Why: Lucas Lovejoy has been ranked #1 all seson long. Their domination of Region 2-5A exhibits why they have been unanimous. They racked up only 41 points and their split was just 23 seconds. Lovejoy has been on a mission all year improve their runner up finish from a year ago.
Region 1-5A competitors will come in the form of El Paso Austin and Grapevine. These guys are coming to Round Rock fresh of regionals where they were separated by only one point. El Paso Austin took the victory 93-94. They took out Grapevine with crazy 23 second split. Grapevine did place third last year, so they do have the big meet composure need to take down a heavy favorite.
The biggest threat to Lovejoy looks to be the guys from Region 4-5A. Donna North and Donna both have legit squads that can definitely compete. Donna North won the region over Donna and they definitely have their eyes on the top spot. Statistically, Donna North's best meet possibly was the McNeil Invitational a few weeks ago, on the same course they'll on Saturday. If they can replicate that mojo and performance where they had an unheard of 13 second split, they'll have a shot at the top spot.
Individuals: Ace Castillo, Graydon Morris, Brandon Gracia, Butare Rugenerwa, Zephyr Seagraves, Jaime Vega, Dominic Cavazos, Grant Tiff, Jonathan Reyes, Daniel De La Cruz, Pedro Flores
Region 4-5A race led by Ace Castillo
Ace Castillo, is the runner-up from last season. He has been the 5A leader all season and one of the top guys in the state all around. Castillo has won every race this season excpet for a third place finish at McNeil, in which he dropped a 14:56. Another to guy figuring to be in the mix is freshman Graydon Morris. Morris has taken on Texas' top guys all season and has demonstrated the poise worthy to be considered a favorite. Brandon Gracia ran a close second to Castillo in the Region 4 race. Gracia has been running well all season and is looking for a breakout race. Class 5A will be a very interesting race to watch for the individual crown. There are many guys that will be in the mix for an award, guys like Butare Rugenerwa, Zephyr Seagraves, Jaime Vega, Dominic Cavazos, Grant Tiff, Jonathan Reyes, Daniel De La Cruz, and Pedro Flores. Tiff, Seagraves, and Reyes were all in the top ten last year and they should be looking to improve.