DFW Metro First Team
7. Sylvia Schwedler (Sr.) Southlake Carroll
Schwedler was key to Carroll's runner-up team finish and NXN berth last year. She ran a 17:27 PR and finished seventh at the UIL 6A state meet and 13th at NXR South. Her running was able to help the team competitive for a state title and the podium when their No. 1 runner suffered an injury.
The tack season didn't see Schwedler compete often, but she was able to run 5:10, 11:05, and 18:09 in the 5K at the Texas distance Festival.
She ran 5:19 in the team 1600m time trial last weekend.
6. Sara Morefield (Sr.) Lucas Lovejoy
Morefield has enjoyed a smooth high school career with the powerful Lovejoy squad. She has had several stars and strong runners around her for support, including her older sister Amy, who graduated as arguably the best distance runner in school history. Morefield heavily contributed to the two consecutive UIL 5A state cross country team titles and helped the team qualify for NXN last fall.
However, Morefield grew as a runner last season and broke through her supportive role. She was the No. 2 runner on the cross country team, ran a 17:39 PR and was sixth at the UIL 5A state meet, then placed 15th at NXR South.
Morefield displayed more development on the track. She won the TTFCA Meet of Champions steeplechase with a time of 7:00. She ran a 5:02 PR in the 1600m and a 10:43 in the 3200m for a third place finish at the state track meet.
The leadership role and perhaps overtaking her sister as the best cross country runner in Lovejoy history are at stake this season. Optimism swirls around Morefield after running a 2:20 PR in the 800m last year along with going 17:48 in the 5,000m at the Texas Distance Festival.
5. Macy Wingard (So.) Denton Braswell
Wingard had a fabulous freshman cross country season. She began with a fast 18:07 in her first meet of the year and by the third meet she had already run 17:15 for 5,000m. She was consistent all season long staying under 18 minutes throughout the regular season.
Wingard placed 10th at the UIL 6A state cross country meet and then finished seventh at the NXR South meet to qualify for NXN. She was 43rd there with a 18:05, which is a great time for a freshman on a tough course.
On the track, she found success in the steeplechase when she PRed in 7:01 at Texas Relays for runner-up. She als0 ran 4:57 in the 1600m and 10:37 in the 3200m.
Year two for Wingard should be even better as more strength and experience is on her side.
4. Alexandra Walsh (Sr.) Southlake Carroll
Walsh didn't finish the season like she would have liked. She was injured at a difficult time in the season. Prior to that injury, there weren't many girls in the state and not even nationally who could beat her. Walsh ran a 10:28 in a 3200m time trial right before the cross country season and then ran a 17:05 PR in the 5K followed by a 16:03 in the three mile at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic four a fourth place finish.
Then came the injury and a run for her team to challenge for the state title. Walsh came back with health for the track season when she ran a 5:02 season best in the 1600m and a 10:36 in the 3200m.
The optimistic outlook on her health and the upcoming cross country season is in the numbers. Last month, at the team preseason training sight, she ran faster than she did last year, including breaking the course record. This past weekend, Walsh ran a 5:02 in the team 1600m time trial, just a full second off of what she ran last year at this time.
3. Alexandra Fox (Jr.) Flower Mound
Fox was the No. 3 runner on her team, but don't let that position fool you. She is good enough to be everyone else's No. 1 and was the top finisher in the state last year amongst everyone not wearing the same jersey she had on. To go along with the third place UIL 6A state meet finish, Fox ran sub 18-minutes all year and PRed with a 17:25. She was eighth at NXR and 32nd at NXN.
On the track, she was unable to make it back to the state meet like she did as a freshman, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. She was fourth at Region 1-6A in the 1600m with a 4:54 (4:50 in the mile) and fourth in the 3200m with a 10:18 PR.
Fox is now a junior and knows nothing gets handed to her. She trains with two of the top girls in the nation and the track season she had should see her continue to develop on the cross country courses.
2. Samantha Humphries (Sr.) Flower Mound
Samantha was runner-up at the UIL 6A state meet by the slimmest of margins to her twin sister. She ran 18:00 and under all season long including a 17:11 PR at Nike South. A win at District 6 and Region 1-6A precluded her runner-up finish and major contribution to Flower Mound's third straight UIL 6A team title. Samantha also went on to help lead the team to NXN and with her 11th place finish helped them finish fifth in the nation.
During the track season, she qualified for the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m for the second season in a row running for a 2:10 season best, a 4:40 PR, and a 10:12 PR. Samantha was runner-up in both the 1600m and 3200m at the state meet.
1. Nicole Humphries (Sr.) Flower Mound
Nicole had a huge junior season in both cross country and on the track. She had top finishes in the big Texas meets all season long and won the meet that counts --the state cross country meet, finishing in 17:36. She only ran over 18-minutes in two events, the far from perfect weathered NXR South (18:02) and the difficult Champs Nationals course (18:09). She was the only DFW girl to qualify for both NXN and Champs Nationals.
On the track, Nicole was out of sight and the way she took things to the next level is optimistic for the fall. She dropped over six seconds to PR in the 800m at 2:06, alson in the 1600m for a 4:44 PR, had a 10:11 PR in the 3200m.