2022 Preseason Houston Metro XC Girls To Watch

Preseason Third Team

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21.) Gia Kurp - The Woodlands

The 2021 cross country was something to remember for Kurp and the lady Highlanders. Kurp helped her squad to the  the 2021 bronze team medal at the UIL State Cross Country Championships. She finished the season with a 19:20.30 SB at the UIL 6A Region 2 Championships where she took 23rd overall.

During the outdoor season, Kurp was on fire. She showed her turnover by going 59.80 in the 400m at the Dan Green Invitational, 2:15.00 in the 800m at the Atascocita Invitational, and then 5:14.24 at the John Cooper Moonlight Mile.


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20.) Lucy Holden - Houston Episcopal

Coming into the cross country season Holden had the eye of a tiger. Holden through down many fast times in the 2021 cross country season for the Episcopal Knight. The time that sticks out the most is her personal best time of 18:45.00 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships. 

Track season was go time for Holden; she finished the 2022 outdoor track season where she ran PRs all across the board running with 2:26.58 in the 800m at the Nick Finnegan Spring Invitational, 5:10.71 at the John Cooper Moonlight Mile, 11:38.83 in the 3,200m at the SPC Championships, and she showed some speed in the process running a 1:05.97 at 400m at the St. John's Maverick Relays. 


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19.) Stoya Laydevant - The Woodlands

Coming in as a freshman last year lots of pressure was applied to Laydevant but there is nothing that the Woodlands would let get in their way to be a nationally ranked cross country team. 

The AAU track start brought her talents to the Woodlands program showed it on the cross country course too, she debuted her high school running career at the famous Friday Night Lights where she'd finish in the top 10 in a super stacked field. Laydevant finished her freshman cross country season with huge personal best in the 5k running a time of 18:39.80 at the UIL State Cross Country Championships where she contributed to the team title where the lady Highlanders finished 3rd on the team scores. 

Finishing right where she left off during her AAU time, Laydevant debuted her high school outdoor track career running a personal record in the 3,200m running an 11:34.00 at the Atascocita Invitational, and would later finish running a personal best in the 1,600m running 5:11.47 in a super compact district meet. 


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18.) Maddy Hunter - Katy

Hunter has played a major role for last year for the Katy Tigers. She helped them qualified as a team for the 2021 UIL State Cross Country Championships. 

The 2021 cross country season was one to remember for in the incoming sophomore. Hunter opened last year's cross country season 5k with a time of 18:49.30 at the Clear Falls Invitational. When championship season came around she rose to the occasion when she finished 24th overall at the 2021 UIL State Cross Country Championships and in a personal best 18:31.20.

Hunter didn't have many open races to her name in the track season, nevertheless Hunter made the most of it. She ran 5:28.23 in the 1,600m at the Bridgeland Relays, and 11:53.23 in the 3,200m. 


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17.) Victoria Livingston - Houston Kinkaid

The SPC superstar had a fantastic 2021 cross country & 2022 outdoor track season. During the 2021 cross country season Livingston was consistent by running times ranging from low 19's- to mid 18's. Livingston would conclude her sophomore year season at the national level finishing with a fast time of 18:25.41 at the AAU National Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. 

The 2022 outdoor track season was something to remember for the incoming junior. Livingston ran personal records in all distance events going 2:21.01 at the Kinkaid Falcon Relays, 5:08.96 at the St John's Nick Finnegan Spring Invitational, and was super close to having a sub 11:00 minute 3,200m when she ran 11:07.80 at the Lamar Quad Meet.



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16.) Summer Call - Atascocita

Coming from a star-studded team Call answered the Call when she needed to deliver and execute a fast championship race during the 2021 cross country season.

From the start of the 2021 cross country season Call would always make her presence known on the course. She opened her season at the Atascocita Invitational with a  19:06.70. She would finish out the regular season running a person best of 18:32.09 at the College Park Invite where she took 6th place overall in a stacked Houston field.

Closing out the cross country season Call ended her year at the UIL State Cross Country Championships running 18:49.10 where she closed out placing 40th

Call may have not finished the 2022 outdoor track season with any personal records but again she was consistent. She ran a season best in the 3,200m with her 11:40.00 at the Atascocita Invitational, then a 10:41.84 3,000m at the Victor Lopez Classic, 5:20.00 at the Atascocita Invitational, 5:00.99 for 1,500m at the Victor Lopez Classic, and did set one personal best in the 800m by going 2:35.00 at the Spring ISD Invitational. 



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15.) Laney NashTomball

Nash started things on a high note last cross country season with a fast time of 18:58.60. She had a strong season through the UIL State Cross Country Championships where she ran 19:25.70 to finish 82nd. In the postseason, Nash would finish out the season running a huge personal best of 18:26.94 at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships finishing 31st in the Silver division. 

Nash was also consistent in the 2022 outdoor track season. She ran multiple 5:20s in the 1,600m and low 12 minute races through high 11 minute 3,200m races. Nash finished her sophomore track season running a PR in the 3,200m of 11:45.39 at the Oak Ridge Invitational Meet and a 1,600m PR at the John Cooper Moonlight Mile in  5:20.85.