MileSplit Girls Preseason Individual Top #20 -25


25. Vera Thompson - Keller

Keller senior Vera Thompson had a resurgence in the 2018/2019 seasons. She found her groove and she ran in hard all season long. A 18:39 opener at Marcus I was a good sign an was evidence of things to come. She went 18:13 at the tough District 5-6A meet for third place and then 18:19 for 33rd at state. Thompson is about as smooth of a runner as the come and she can be a silent but costly competitor all season long if her off season was a good one. 


24. Brenna Zerby - Allen

Brenna Zerby was Allen's shiny freshman, but this year she will be one of Texas's best. Unlike many on the list, the young Eagle runner will not have as much of a burden to carry in terms of a team. Zerby will be able to run loose on cross country courses everywhere just as she did last year. She showed composure for such a young runner from the beginning as she ran 19:17 at Marcus I early on in the season. An 18:41 at McNeil and a 18:14 at state showed she can roll with the best of them. Those times also put her high on the returners list, but her 5:06 and 10:50 put her in good company few girls who ran 5 low and sub 11:00. 


23. Grace Williamson - Southlake Carroll

Last week, we named Grace Williamson as an athlete who could possibly have a break out season. The Southlake Carroll junior is the top returner for possibly the best team in the state. Williamson started last year off with a 19:31 at Marcus I. From there, she continued to get faster and faster. She went 19:06 at McNeil, 18:47 at district, and then 18:11 for 27th place at state. A 17:47 3 mile PR at the Woodbridge XC Classic also proves to how well she can compete. Williamson demonstrated her ability to be consistent and run fast when it counted. She went 2:21, 5:12, 11:16, and a 17:39 5K at TDF. Williamson proved during track that she can run by herself and for herself, which will come in handy this cross season, but make no mistake she will be leading the 2019 pack of Dragons.


22. Tatum Castillo - Prosper

Castillo returns as Prosper's senior leader. She will be incredibly relied upon as she is the glue of the squad that hopes to get back to the state meet and on the awards stand. Last year, Castillo dropped a season's best of 17:57 at McNeil as well as 18:48 at Marcus I. The end of the season was big for Castillo as she ran 18:23 at state for 36th and 19:30 at NXR South for 26th place. Those finishes helped lead her teams to third place at state and then to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals. Castillo's fitness level should be good to go as she ran club track in the 3,000m. Her summer not only resulted in an AAU Region 18 win and an AAU Junior Olympic Games 17-18 year old championship. 


21. Abigail Parra - Buda Hays

Buda Hays got an outstanding freshman runner last year when Abigail Parra walked on campus. She isn't one of the class of 2022 stars that initially come to mind, but her stats and performances can hang with the best of them. Her first 5K of the season was a 19:11 and then the times began to drop. She went 18:18 at McNeil to win the 6A varsity girls race. Then she went 17:56 at state for an 18th place finish and 19:29 at NXR South for an impressive 26th place finish. During track season, she kept the momentum rolling with her 5:08 PR and and 11:19. She proved to be a real racer as she was 13th at the Texas Relays 1600m and was 9th at the state meet.


20. Chloe Hassman - Coppell

Chloe Hassman will be one of the leaders of the Coppell Lady Cowboys charging the state toward a repeat state championship. Last year, she and her teammates put on a masterful race to win the UIL 6A state championships. They ran a 18:18 team average and an outstanding 15 second 1-5 split. Hassman went 18:10 for a 26th place finish and was the top finisher from that race for her team. She put in her best effort to get her team to the Nike Cross Nationals as she backed her state meet performance up with a 19:26 and 24th place finish at NXR South. Earlier in the season, she came up big at the Woodbridge XC Classic taking on the best competitors on the West Coast dropping a 17:25 3 mile PR. Track season was when Hassman showed how versatile she is. She ran a range of events throughout the season PRing in each one. She went 2:19, 4:55, 11:10, and she dropped a 18:05 5K PR at TDF.