2023 Strake Jesuit XC Inv. Boys race
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The second Cross Country Coaches Association Poll was released on Friday Morning and only two boys teams in the Houston metropolitan area were in the top-10; No. 3 ranked The Woodlands and No. 5 ranked Katy Tompkins. That meant a day later at the Strake Jesuit XC Invitational , two top- five teams in the state would be facing off.
Tompkins, who will get a huge test when they head to the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival next weekend would first get a taste of an up-and-coming Highlanders squad.
That face off was as good as you would think.
What Did We See
In the early goings of the race, it was The Woodlands looking like their usual self. They were a front running pack with their full slate of seven runners in the lead pack or top-12 runners. From the 800m through the first mile, red jerseys and green split shorts were as visible as the morning sky.
Tompkins who had three front runners in the lead pack saw their supporting next three runners closely following the leadpack.
At roughly the 3K mark, it was Tompkins senior Parker Wood leading what was now only a three man front pack. The Woodlands runners Ethan Sharkowicz and Bryson Meredith were step in step with Wood who were all closely followed by Tompkins sophomore Griffen Saacke and Friday Night Lights winner Jackson Jamison from Strake Jesuit.
While the lead pack diminished in numbers as the race proceeded, the race was being decided by the next group of runners over then next 2 - 3 thousand meters. Tompkins senior Austin Garcia was being closely followed by two Highlanders in Tyler Hedgepeth and Austin Roberts.
With Tompkins running without top five runner Mathias Pitzel a lot was on the shoulders of supporting runners Diego Reyes and Juan Perez Salas. The Woodlands must have a laboratory somewhere in North Houston where they somehow infuse their runner's DNA with clutch running genes and runners in their lineup because they were getting it done. On Saturday, guys like Gavin Ripa, William Bishop and Axxeton Miller were demonstrating just that, added with Grayer Bates who transferred to The Woodlands from Southlake Carroll and you have a group of guys who just get the team running thing.
However, on this day, it was Tompkins coming away with the 35<41 win over the perennial powerhouse program, The Woodlands. Wood, Saacke and Garcia finished 1, 2, 3 to get the jump on The Woodlands' 5, 6, 7 place finishes turned in by Meredith, Sharkowics, and Hedgepeth.
What Did We Learn
It doesn't take a genius to know that unless the world is coming to an end that The Woodlands will be one of the best boys cross country programs in the state. This group earned their ranking this weekend by going for a 15:50 team average and a 27 second 1-5 split .... on the ninth day of September. This group appears to have the Highlander way instilled in their running.
We learned that despite not truly knowing what the Highlanders were going to look like, they did show that they are worth a top ranking that they have been given by the CCCAT based on their name, coach, and history. It is no longer an unknown of how good this team is and is going to be.
We also learned that Tompkins looks like their legs are equipped to run fast and their maturation is ready for the next level. They beat The Woodlands, which might not be a big thing to the Highlanders, but it's huge for Tompkins. They ran a 15:47 team average and a 42 second deviation without one of their top runners.
It looks like they're ready for the high level team running they'll see from the Arkansas, Austin, San Antonio, and DFW area schools at the Lovejoy Fall XC Festival. The question now is if the Lovejoy Fall XC Festival is ready for Tompkins.
