Lovejoy XC Fall Festival Pivots To Small But Explosive Meet

Last week, we saw the Coach T Invitational (formerly the Marcus I Inv.) scaled down from a meet with hundreds of athletes in each race and 10 - 12 races per year to just 80 athletes in each race and just four races on the day. This weekend, we'll see the same at another typically large meet in the DFW for the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival.

The Lovejoy meet will again be scaled down, but entires for the meet will provide a picture into what the state meet might look like.

There will be several teams and individuals with 2019 UIL state meet experience and just as many who look to medal and win team trophies at this year's state meet.

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Boys

Judson Greer (Melissa) - Two time UIL 4A state champion Greer is expected to run this weekend. Greer who was 26th at last year's Team Cross Country Nationals and fifth at Foot Locker National Championship is Texas' No. 2 ranked runner this season with his 14:45.81 at the Desert Twilight XC Festival. Greer will be racing for just the second time this season.

Foster Wilfong (Boerne Champion) - Wilfong is the No. 3 ranked boy in Texas this season with his 15:15. The Boerne Champion senior has three races under 15:38.40 this season showing his consistency. He only has one loss this year to Ben Shearer at McNeil, the only person to beat Greer as well.

Martin Chavez (Duncanville) - Chavez has a 15:38 SB this year. He hasn't raced much this year with only two races on his profile, but he has been competing on a high level. He ran a 14:50 5K on the track at the Nomad Corona race in March and a 9:17.13 2 mile indoors at the Texas A&M High School Indoor Classic.

Caden Cox (Richland) - Richland senior Caden Cox is running extremely well this year; he has two 15:47 and under races this year and two 16:08 and under races on tough courses.

Lucas Tauch (Melissa)- Tauch, another Melissa senior is a legit runner that has helped boost Melissa's chances of a team trophy this season. He went 15:50.47 for the win at Celina last weekend. 

Trey Leathers (Grapevine) - Leathers has been running as the No. 1 runner this season for Grapevine. The junior has a 16:02 SB from McNeil and this weekend will go a long way to moving him and his team into the championship season.

Walker St. John (Grapevine) - St. John is the No. 2 for Grapevine, but he isn't far from the top spot. That is what makes the Mustangs so dangerous; his 16:02 at McNeil is his SB, but that could be surpassed this weekend.

Girls

Allie Love (Colleyville Heritage) - Heritage freshman Love has proven that she is the next big name in the game. She has a 17:14.90 from the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational a few weeks ago. She also has a win and 5K PR of 18:04.28 at the Timber Creek Falcon Fast Invite.

Emma Curry (Waxahachie) - Curry is having a very good season of her own. She ran a 17:15.40 at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Inv. when she took Love right down to the wire. Curry followed that up with a 18:15.89 5K at the Coach T Invitational.

Chachi Gonzales (Boerne Champion) - Gonzalez dropped a 17:51.40 last week at Seguin and has two races under 18:13. A second place finish at McNeil to Amy Morefield could have her ready to shoot for a win over the Lovejoy star.

Amy Morefield (Lucas Lovejoy) - Morefield is warming up with two wins in her last two races. The win at McNeil was a signature win on the season, but this weekend will be just as competitive of a race she might face all season long. The South team qualifier for the Team Cross Country Nationals is a big race kind of runner and this weekend will be right up her alley.

Felisa Saheib (Colleyville Heritage) - Saheib's last race was Sept. 26th at the Timber Creek Falcon Fast Invite. That resulted in a 19:00 and shows she has built up a good fitness base; if she runs this weekend, she'll be in the front pack.

Emilee Jones (Waxahachie) - Jones will assume the top spot at Waxahachie when Emma Curry graduates. The freshman has come up with big races all season long. A two sport star usually has a busy day on Saturday dropping a big 5K and heading off to soccer games. This weekend could be her biggest yet.

Cameron Fawcett (Highland Park) - Seeing Fawett race this weekend will be one of the more highly anticipated occasions of the weekend. She has been destroying courses all season long and winning big for the most part. This weekend, she should have girls who will either run with her or take the race out for her. She has a 17:55.15 on a fast Flower Mound course a couple of weeks ago. This weekend might not be a fast course, but it will still tell a lot about Fawcett.

Caroline Burrow (Grapevine) - Burrow has been running as Grapevine's number one all season long. Her team continues to rally around her and run fast and the better she runs the better they seem to get.

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Teams To Watch

The boys and girls varsity races will be like mini state meets with several teams having aspirations of winning a state title. The 5A teams will provide the show. The showdown at McNeil proved that things won't be ironed out until November, but there will be plenty to watch for until then.

Grapevine - Both the girls and both boys squads are two of the best in the state. The boys won McNeil by seven points over Boerne Champion and they were 34 points ahead of Lovejoy. The Grapevine boys run fast and tight making this match up even more anticipated. 

The girls didn't have their best race at McNeil, but they weren't bad. Grapevine was still strong and have looked good since. Just like their boys squad, they still run fast and tight as a pack. They have been running without Rachel Sutliff, their No. 1 runner from last year.

Lovejoy - The hosts will look to measure up the competition and prove a little more this weekend. The Lovejoy girls won McNeil with a fast average; their split makes them a little vulnerable, but they have seen girls step up in the following meets making them look even more formidable.

The boys finished third at McNeil behind Grapevine and Champion. The Lovejoy boys are known for their pack running and they can run close to a minute with in one another.

Boerne Champion - The Champion boys have a very solid 1-4 punch. They have race in some big meets this season and are battle tested. They were only seven points behind Grapevine at McNeil.

The Charger girls also have a solid group of girls. They are the defending state champions and have most of their girls back from last season. Senior Molly Breuer who was out last season due to injury is back and is running well. She makes their top five eve better.

Highland Park- The Scots have taken the top spot in 5A and have jumped the squads mentioned above. They have been running strong all year long, but don't expect them to take a day off this Saturday. Highland Park has a legit low stick and a pack of girls doing work behind her.

Colleyville Heritage - Heritage could be the best team in the state. They ran with Southlake Carroll nearly point for point a couple of weeks ago and then had a solid follow up at Waxahachie. They utilize their "leach" mentality to keep pushing the pack mid race.

Waxahachie - The Waxahachie girls believe they can qualify for the state meet this year; they are right. Things look good as they have quality runners, leadership, and a chip on their shoulders. They have two front runners and a solid support group to keep them in contention.

Melissa - Like the Waxahachie girls, the Melissa boys have thoughts of qualifying for the state meet and finishing on the podium. They have two individual state meet qualifiers and a group looking to shake things up in 4A.

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