Texas Boys Distance Runners Of All-Time


The state of Texas is known for it's sprints and relays. However, we also have a history of seeing some outstanding distance talent come through here.

The other day, we took a poll on whether two graduating seniors were two of the best we've ever seen. Seniors Graydon Morris and Ryan Schoppe have used three and a half years to put together times and national level races to create a resume that appropriately poses the question.

We took a poll on your thoughts on how and where the careers of these two athlete's would stack up against the rest of the Texas high school boys distance runners in history.

The results show some think either Morris and Schoppe are the greatest of all time, but are they really? Some think they crack the top 10 and others believe they are definitely top 25.

Related: Ryan Schoppe And Graydon Morris Top 10 All-Time In Texas?

In my personal opinion, Morris and Schoppe have had exceptional careers. Their accomplishments and times have been enough to put them in the All-Time Top-10, but was it enough to earn one of them the top spot and the chance to be called the GOAT?

You will have to click through the pages and see if one of them has earned that title from my point of view. However, I will say that their lack of a senior track season has placed them at a disadvantage compared to the athletes who had the chance to compete for four complete seasons. 

I ranked the top 50; this is perhaps one of the hardest tasks I've ever had to do. Intentionally omitted were runners who ran during periods where either cross country hadn't become a participated sport yet, or they haven't competed in 5Ks, or there wasn't a 3200m event  at the state track meet.

Runners like like Falfurrias' Robert Gonzalez who ran 4:07 in 1967 but didn't have cross country, El Paso's Tony Zuniga who ran 4:15 and 9:36 in the 2 mile for cross country in the first year of cross in Texas in 1973, Todd Harbour from Port Isabel, who was the 1977 800m champion in 1:51, San Antonio Jay's Mark Andersen - 4;11, 9:36 in the cross country 2 mile in 1977, and Kyle Wright from Conroe McCullough who won state cross country in 1981 and 1982 in 9:32 and 15:01, but didn't have the 3200m in track season.

Again, it was hard, but check it out. Feel free to jump on the discussion thread and let us know what you think about our list.

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