Preseason 1st Team
Archie had a great 2021 cross country season and is a top returner for the Atascocita Eagles.Archie concluded his 2021 cross country season finishing with a personal best in the 5k. He ran a time of 15:30.06 at the 2021 Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships where he finished 63rd in a super stacked field.
Track was go-time for Archie due to having national experience from AAU. Archie brought his talents into the 2022 Spring outdoor track season. Archie finished 6th in the 1600m at the 2022 6A Region 3, running an impressive 4:22.10. He finished the 2022 track season with personal records in the 800m running 1:58.00, 4:00.88 in the 1500m at the 2022 Victor Lopez Classic, and 4:27.34 in the mile at the 2022 Dan Green Invitational.
6.) Pablo Lesarri - The Woodlands
Lesarri is going to play a major role in this year's Woodlands cross country season. The incoming senior wants to put a lot of the load on his shoulders, but the Highlanders are never afraid to meet a challenge and overcome any obstacles that stand in their way.
Cross country was an exciting year for Lesarri where in every cross country race he went sub 16 minutes. Lesarri's individual placement at the 2021 UIL 6A State Cross Country Championships helped guide The Woodlands toward yet another podium finish, where he ran a time of 15:33.20 and placed 15th overall.
In the 2022 track season, Lesarri showed the depth of his range by running the 800m where he set a personal best with a time of 1:57.03 at the Dan Green Invitational, 4:00.43 in the 1500m at the Victor Lopez Classic, and setting yet another personal record in the 3200m with a time of 9:25.56.
5.) Zain Hamdani - Houston Bellaire
Hamdani raced only a handful of races in September followed by his appearance in Nike South. His season came to a close due to an unfortunate injury that he sustained.
During the fall 2021 cross country season he ran a personal best time of 15:33.30 at the Clear Falls Invitational which he won by over 45 seconds.
Having to make a comeback, Hamdani was hungry to get races under his belt. Having a late start to his season, he was not going to let it set him back from the goals he wanted to attain. Hamdani had a presence on the state level and the national level too, running 4:12.37 at the 2022 New Balance Nationals Outdoor Mile that was super stacked.
Maldonado had quite the 2021 cross country season. Playing a large role at the Region 3 6A Championships, Maldonado helped the Eagles soar their way to the team title.
Maldonado also played a part in the 6A UIL Cross Country Championships where the Eagles placed fourth, one point away from the medal stand. Nevertheless, Maldonado later ran 15:15.84 for 22nd place at The Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships in the Silver Boys 5K division that led Atascocita to another fourth place team finish against some of the best in the country.
Track season was an eye opener for Maldonado. He ran 8:34.30 in the Varsity Boys 3000m at the 2022 Victor Lopez Classic. He finished the 2022 track season with PRs of 4:08.59 - 1500m, 4:22.00 - 1600m, and 9:21.00 - 3200m.
3.) Thomas Kubala - Klein
Kubala didn't have many cross country races under his belt, but later on in the 2022 outdoor track season he found himself rising to the occasion.
Last year's cross country season fueled him toward the bigger picture which was his outstanding 2022 track season. Kubala finished fifth in the UIL 6A boys 3200m at the state meet. After tasting success in the spring, Kubala is a sure bet to leave his mark on this year's cross country season.
2.) Jerry Mendez - Klein
Mendez may not have had a memorable cross country season, but the 2022 outdoor track season was something for the incoming senior to remember.
On the track, Mendez kept the momentum rolling. In a tough Region 2 1600m, Mendez placed second running a time of 4:13.50, but this was just the beginning of something great. Advancing to the UIL 6A 1600m race, Mendez had a lot of weight on his shoulders knowing this was his first appearance at the state meet level.
Although Mendez placed fourth at the UIL 6A 1600m, he enters this cross country season as the fastest incoming 6A runner over 1600m. Knowing the ability Mendez possesses, he could well be on a path to success this upcoming cross country season.
Vannerson is coming off of a successful cross country where he nearly ran sub 15 minutes at the 2021 Strake Jesuit Crusader Invitational with a time of 15:03. Vannerson finished 26th at the UIL 6A State Cross Country Championship and later finished 20th in a stacked Eastbay South Regional national qualifier with a time of 15:33.58.
In the 2022 track season, Vannerson finished third in the Boys 1600m at UIL 6A Region 3 Championship running a time of 4:13.85. Coming just short of earning the wild card spot for the 6A 1600m State Championships Vannerson said, "I'm not leaving Austin without a medal," backing up his word, Vannerson finished second in the UIL 6A State Championship Boys 3200m by running a time of 9:01.17.