7. Jordan Mathis - Austin Vandegrift
The Austin Vandegrift senior has been one to watch since her first days as a high school athlete. Potential could be seen with each race and all of the results. Last year, as a junior, she elevated her running from potential to arrival. She finished the 2018 cross country season as the 13th fastest girl in Texas and she returns as the seventh fastest heading into this season. Mathis ran to a 17:26 PR and an eighth place finish at the UIL 6A state meet. The sign that she was headed for a breakthrough season was evident in her first 5K of the year at Marcus I where she finished in 10th overall with a 18:14. That was the start of her top 10 finish streak that lasted throughout the season and was her lowest finish until NXR South where she finished 17th in 19:07. She then finished 28th in 18:15 at the Foot Locker South championships. Mathis ran big all track season long with outstanding performances in all of the big meets. She went 4:57 in the 1600m (6th place) at Texas Relays, won the Vandegrift Viper Distance festival in the 3200m and then dropped a 10:36 at Region 2-6A (2nd place), and also dropped a 17:17 5K at TDF (7th) place. Mathis finished 9th in the 3200m at the UIL 6A state track meet. Mathis led her Vandegrift squad to a 6th place finish at state and eighth place at NXR South. This year, we could witness Mathis take things up another notch to a higher level. She has bigger individual and team aspirations for her senior year. She is tall, lean, and fit and just oozes DI athlete qualities when she runs.