We Will WINSday: Reese Vannerson's 15:03 Wins Strake Jesuit

Reese Vannerson adds another win to his 2021 cross country season with a 15:03 PR

Reese Vannerson was a youth star in track and field. Then . . . he kind of went off the radar at Houston Strake Jesuit during his freshman season.

Reason being, is because freshmen have to run sub-varsity at Strake. It doesn't mean Vannerson fell off or that he couldn't cut the mustard in high school.

Coach Michael Kerley and Vannerson knew that patience was all that was needed; they were right. Last year as a sophomore, Vannerson showed us he was who we thought he was. He ended up being a key varsity member to Stake's UIL 6A state meet qualifying squad. He went on to run 15:51 at the district meet and eventually finished 62nd at the state meet.

The spring is when the young Crusader began to show his true talents. He ran 9:44.25 early in the season for the two mile distance, but he really found his rhythm as the track season progressed.

Vannerson ran PRs of 4:12.76 and placing fourth at the UIL 6A state track meet in the 1,600m and he ran a 9:15.48 in the 3,200m.

Swinging things back around to this cross country season, the front running has continued for the junior distance runner. He won the Friday Night Lights 4,000m race in 12:28.60 and then followed that up with a 15:27.80 5,000m PR a week later. 

Four weeks into his 2021 cross country season, the times keep dropping. Over the weekend at the Strake Jesuit Crusader Invitational, Vannerson busted a new 5,000m personal best time of 15:03 and helped lead Strake Jesuit to a team victory.

The state ranked runner isn't new to the big lights and high expectations. Vannerson is also an accomplished triathlete; he is the US No. 1 ranked triathlete for the class of 2023.

Vannerson has a couple of wins already under his belt for the 2021 cross country season, but being an elite endurance multi-sport athlete could bode well for more wins down the road.

Reese Vannerson Athlete Profile and PRs