Amy Pitzel coached track and field and cross country for 16 years. Her most recent stint was at Katy Tompkins in Katy ISD. She led the Tompkins girls to three consecutive UIL 6A state meet team qualifications in 2017, 2018, and 2019 with a 2017 Region 3-6A team championship and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019. Pitzel was named Gulf Coast Scholastic Track and Field Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2017.
This season, she will pick Texas high school coaches and athletes throughout the season to discuss a variety of topics.
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On Monday and Tuesday, the UIL Region 3 Championships will be hosted by Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Texas. Included in the slate of teams running for a chance to qualify for the state championships will be the Katy Mayde Creek girls cross country team.
While Mayde Creek has experienced a lot of success over the years in track and field, they haven't particularly been known for their distance running. Don't try to convince this group of girls they don't belong amongst the region's top teams.
They advanced to the next round from one of the toughest districts in the Houston area. With teams like Katy, Tompkins, Seven Lakes, Cinco Ranch, and newly established Jordan, all teams consistently qualify for the state cross country championships. Annually, it's a mental and physical grind for both the coaches and athletes to not only make it out of the region, but also beyond the first stage of qualifying out of the district.
Mayde Creek accomplished that feat in their first season under the tutelage of Coach Shawn Siemers. Credit the coach who has directed Katy Morton Ranch for years and most recently the Houston Stratford girls and boys teams to the state meet.
However, recognition also goes to the athletes for buying in and elevating their level of running. They executed their development by advancing; we'll get to watch them take the next step at the Region 3-6A championships.