How Texas Teams And South Individuals Fared At NXN

Prosper huddles after a draining race at NXN

The best cross country teams in the nation have been decided. The decision was settled on the Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon.

Individual national champions were also crowned in the individual race and there were several Texas athletes to come away with All-American honors.

The boys race was the first on the course. There were three Texas teams competing and five individual athletes. Texas was represented all around in the race with UIL 5A state champs El Paso Eastwood, UIL 6A champions Southlake Carroll, and runners-up The Woodlands. 

The individual qualifiers also represented a variety of Texas athletes with TAPPS runners Abraham Avila-Martinez (Austin San Juan Diego) and Ben Shearer (The Woodlands Christian) as well as UIL runners like 4A state champ Judson Greer (Melissa), UIL 6A state champ Ryan Schoppe (La Porte), and runner-up Anthony Monte (Austin Vandegrift).

The girls race was also packed with a variety of Texas talent. UIL 6A team champions Southlake Carroll and third place Prosper represented the Lone Star state in the team race. There was an extra measure of Texas spice in the girls individual race this year. Automatic qualifiers Brynn Brown (Denton Guyer), Colleen Stegmann (Frisco Reedy), Eva Jess (El Paso Franklin), Amy Morefield (Lucas Lovejoy), and Avery Clover (Atascocita) suited up as the South team. Then Heidi Nielson (Katy Cinco Ranch) and Krianne McBride (Leander Texas Home School) also represented Texas and the South team as only two of the five at-large qualifiers nation wide.

The weather and the course conditions were a combination of cold, rainy, wet, and muddy. Being a complete contrast to the conventional running weather and conditions for Texas, the athletes competed at an admiral level.

Below are the team and individual places:

Ben Shearer battles the rain and mud at NXN

Boys Individual qualifiers