Hudson Heikkinen 2021 Garmin MileSplit Inv. post race interview
Class 6A
The UIL 6A girls race will be one heck of race, and it's hard to know where to begin.
Shewaye Johnson (Prosper) will enter the meet with the fastest time on the season with her 17:24. Johnson has led Prosper all season long and her front running style and that should be the start of a great race.
Natalie Cook (Flower Mound) isn't far behind with her 17:25 from district. it was her first 5K of the season, but her fitness is definitely there.
Aubrey O'Connell (Prosper) is the top returner from last year's regional race. She was runner-up and then went on to finish fourth at state. She has appeared to be in chill mode all season long, but championship season seems to be O'Connell's best part of each season. She is the one runner in the race who is an individual state champion.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. There are four other girls with sub 18:00 minute performances on the season. Southlake Carroll duo Kaylie Cox (17:35) and Audrey Dunn(17:49) and El Paso Eastwood has two superb runners of their own in Lauren Walls-Portillo (17:47) and Adelynn Rodriguez (17:56) who should both be front runners.
Flower Mound is the defending UIL 6A state champs and are ranked as one of the top teams in the nation (MileSplit50 US No. 9). They've competed against several top national teams and in state have ran without Cook for most of the year and not missed a beat. Samantha Humphries has been the Lady Jags top runner in those races and has a 18:07 SB. Checking in with a 19:11 SB, Allison Buemi is FM's seventh runner based on time and she is good enough to be the second to fifth best runner on most squads competing on Monday.
Carroll was second last year at both regionals and state. They are coming off a fast district race and could be peaking at the most important time of the season. Yes, Cox and Dunn are two of the leaders, but they also have Ava Bushaw, Sylvia Schwedler, and Natalie NG who are very solid. Carroll's strength is always their ability to run tight; not only are they fast, but their pack running is unmatched by most teams.
The next state qualifiers could come out of nowhere with how deep this region is. Prosper has been one of Texas' best for the last several years. They finished fourth last year and just missed qualifying as a team, but this year they've strengthened their team and with Johnson and O'Connell leading the way, the rest of the group has been running confident all year long. They are one of the favorites to get a team qualifying spot.
Northwest Eaton, Keller Timber Creek, and Northwest Nelson all look like they're in good shape right now after their district championship meet. Hebron is another strong team with experienced runners.
If you're looking for a non DFW area team to make an impact, then expect to see El Paso Franklin in the mix. Alyssa Laspada leads this year's team, but these girls have been to state three consecutive seasons and they have the experience. They might be the most experienced team in the field next week and that could go a long way.
Eastwood is another team to watch for. They have two studs in Walls-Portillo and Rodriguez who'll be working at the front of the race and if their 3-5 runners run as tight as they're capable of doing they could be a dangerous team. Eastwood has competed in a couple of national races, so they are a tested team.
Just like in the UIL 5A boys race, we have a sub 15 minute runner in the field. Hudson Heikkinen (Plano West) has a 14:59 PR and is that's the fastest time heading into the meet. Heikkinen could easily be considered the favorite, as his only loss this season has come to St. John who won't be in this race.
There are several other runners who have been competing at high levels this year. Omer Ibrahim (El Paso Pebble HIlls) has beaten everyone in El Paso and the best in Houston at Nike South. Ibrahim wasn't able to finish last year's regional race, so he has the motivation to really prove himself this year. His 15:02 SB helps to prove that he will be one of the stars on Monday.
El Paso is loaded with hot shots who are fast and confident. Israel David (El Paso Eastlake) is the top returner from last year at both the regional meet and the state meets where he was third overall in Round Rock; he also has a 15:02 SB. Include Luis Pastor (El Paso Coronado), Andres Gurrola (El Paso Eastwood), Jared Laverty (El Paso Americas), and Isaac Mendoza (El Paso Eastwood) and you have a lot of guys who will be challenging for the individual win.
Some runners to watch and who you'll see front running: Andruw Villa (Abilene), Jason Alcala (Little Elm), Jack Johnston (Prosper), Andrew Mullen (Coppell), and Dawson Svoboda (Prosper) should be all in contention and in the front pack of this race.
The boys UIL 6A team race will be an all out "Royal Rumble" type of race - - As it always is.
Southlake Carroll and El Paso Eastwood were first and second last year at both the regional and state meets. They have mostly different line ups this year, but they have been nationally ranked at times this season and are still favorites.
The race for the second two qualifying positions will have several suitors. Plano West has several guys who can run tight after Heikkinen and have competed in big meets this season to prepare for this race.
Hebron has been a team all season who has been lingering, they are possibly the tightest pack of them all, but now is the time for them to run fast.
Coppell is another interesting group. They have Mullen as a low stick, and several others who are experienced. Much like Hebron, they'll have to have a good day on Monday.
The list doesn't get any lighter. Keller, Prosper, Flower Mound, El Paso Franklin, and McKinney Boyd are all very talented teams and have low 16 minute averages and even very good 1-5 splits. It's the Region of Doom, so expect the unexpected; nothing is a formality in this region and it's likely to get wild.