Boys All-Time Distance Runners 1 - 10
10. Scott MacPherson - 2002 - 2005 - (Plano) - MacPherson was a force! His 1:54.50, 4:12.24, 8:54.50, and 14:34.10 5K show how good he was. His two state titles in track coupled with two in cross country are a reminder just how good MacPherson was. He qualified for Foot Locker Nationals twice finishing 14th as a junior and 39th as a senior. Only a faster 1600m and a better national level finish are keeping MacPherson out of the top spot.
9. Graydon Morris - 2017 - 2020 - (Aledo) - The whole point of this was to see if Morris would rank in our Top 10, especially without a senior track season. As you can see, the Top 50 list was difficult to make let alone the Top 10, but I feel Morris has done enough to be here. The only question was his 1600m time and that is perhaps what would have kept him from being in the top three, but the rest of his career did enough. Not only did he do what no other person on this list has done, but he did something only one other person in American high school history has done. Morris qualified for Foot Locker Nationals all four years in high school finishing 34th, second, third, and fourth; that's three top five national finishes. He also ran 8:50.52 for third place in the Brooks PR two mile. On the state level, he won three consecutive UIL 5A cross country state title and two in track. Morris' times of 1:57.38, 4:14.11, 9:03.67 (8:50.52 - two mile), and 14:32 5K are almost as good as they get. If COVID-19 didn't keep Morris from having a senior year, it would have been interesting to see if he could have added more state titles and run faster in the 1600m. A key TDF race and face off against Schoppe, Texas Relays, and a sub 4:05 are what a senior year could have put Morris in the GOAT spot, but his accomplishments and times are enough to earn Top 10.
8. Ryan Schoppe - 2017 - 2020 - (La Porte) - It wasn't a race or a competitor that kept Schoppe from the GOAT spot, rather it was COVID-19. He has done just about all he could do and if you add his unofficial senior year running, Schoppe just might be the best Texas distance runner ever. What has he done though puts him in the Top 10 and within consideration for the GOAT position? Well, he has won two consecutive UIL 6A 3200m titles and a cross country titles. Schoppe has a NXR South title with a 15th place NXN finish. On the track, Schoppe won the Adidas Boost Games one mile in 4:09.15. His official PRs are stacked with 1:55.59, 4:07.47, 8:52.73, and 14:14.02 for the US No. 2 All-Time 5K run to win state. Unofficially, Schoppe didn't let a derailed season stop him. He kept training and put in some insane time trials going 4:00 and 8:48 in time trials on his neighborhood track. If he would have had a real season and official times along the likes of the unofficials, that might have been enough to make him the GOAT if he would have beat Morris along the way. Without a senior year, his times are good enough to at least land him in the Top 10.
7. Craig Lutz - 2008 - 2011 - (Marcus) - Craig Lutz is no doubt one of the best in Texas. he has accomplished so much in his prep career, it's hard pointing out a specific accomplishment. He won three UIL 5A state titles, won Foot Locker South, and made Team USA for the IAFF World XC Championships. Lutz also won NXN as a junior then added a fifth place finish as a senior. With his elite PRs of 1:55, 4:09.38, and 8:52.91, the most impressive accomplishment and time was his 14:45 at the old UIL state meet course that shows how dominant he was as a distance runner.
6. Eric Henry - 1984 - 1987 - (McCullough) - Henry led McCullough (The Woodlands) to four team titles in the mid 80s against some outstanding teams and individuals. Henry only won one individual cross country title, but he added 1987 championships in the 1600m and 3200m by going 4:09.50 and 8:52.20.Henry did it battling super studs like Ruben Reina and John Holmes. He then qualified for Kinney/Foot Locker Nationals three times with an 11th place finish as a junior.
5. Brian Sullivan - 2001 - 2004 - (The Woodlands) - Another runner from The Woodlands, Sullivan also led his teams to state titles. He added two individual titles with his 4:14.67 and 15:22 5K. Sullivan's PRs of 4:08.87 1600m PR and 8:52.92 to win Texas Relays were what made him dominant. Sullivan had two Foot Locker Nationals appearances.
4. Colby Lowe - 2005 - 2008 - (Southlake Carroll) - Lowe won the 2007 and the 2008 UIL 5A state cross country meets but also dominated on the track with five state titles. With PRs of 4:06.87, 8:53.32, and 14:45, Lowe was a force. Nationally, he had stud track and cross country finishes with one of the best post seasons by any Texas athlete with his second place finish at NXN, and fourth place at Foot Locker Nationals.
3. Reed Brown - 2014 -2017 - (Southlake Carroll) - Being the top runner at Carroll is an accomplishment in itself let alone being one of the best All-Time runners in Texas. Listing Brown's accomplishments would take the entire page, so I'll note the most important ones. Brown won the 2016 and 2017 state titles in the 3200m including going for the 8:50.43 state meet record. He ran 4:02.49 in the 1600m, (3:59.30 - one mile), and 14:41.46 in cross country. Brown qualified for NXN three times with a sixth place and 14th place finish to go along with two Foot Locker Nationals qualifications finishing 16th as a junior and then winning the National title his senior year. To top things off, Brown was second at Brooks PR in the 800m with a 1:51.01 to show off his range. Being picky, the only thing keeping Brown from being the GOAT is that he didn't win state in neither the 1600m nor in cross country.
2. Sam Worley - 2014 -2017 - (New Braunfels Canyon) - Worley is another athlete with a long and impressive resume and the type of range to be of one of the best ever. He ran PRs of 50.06, 1:48.25, 4:02.30 (4:00.61- one mile), 8:51.44, and 14:40.82 in cross country. Worley won two track championships in 2017 including the 1600m in a state meet record; he also add one in cross country. Worley then went on to win NXR South and Foot Locker South titles eventually finishing 2nd at NXN and ninth at Foot Locker Nationals. Again, being picky, the only thing keeping Worley from the GOAT position is not winning a 3200m state title or a national championship.
1. Ruben Reina - 1983 - 1986 - (San Antonio Jay) - Reina came from a running family; he had an older brother Roland who was fast and a state champion in his own right. Reina went on to run post collegiate and represent the Team USA in both track and field and cross country. San Antonio Jay HS was known for turning out talented distance runners, so the pressure was definitely on him just as much as any other runner from top programs. Not to mention, the level of the individual athletes he had to compete against was like a gauntlet both state wide and nationally. Reina was able to come out with big time wins back in his days that made him the favorite to be the best ever. However, with the load of talent and fast times that followed his days, in my opinion, Reina still holds the top spot. Reason being, he is a state champion like many others on this list; he was a national champion like a couple of others on this list, and he is a record holder like a couple others on this list. Reina's 4:05.19, 8:58.60, and 15:07.86 on the old state meet course are all good, but not good enough to hold off Worley, Brown, Lowe, Sullivan, Henry, Lutz, Schoppe, Morris, and MacPherson time wise. However, what sets him a part and keeps him No. 1 to this day is that he holds a meet record at a national event. Reina was able to accomplish something that neither a Texan nor any other American distance runner has done yet. He ran 14:36 to win the 1986 Foot Locker Nationals as a course record that has yet to be surpassed. Therefore, in my opinion, Reina is still the GOAT of Texas high school distance running.