Amy Pitzel coached track and field and cross country for 16 years and 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.
League City Clear Falls girls are a team under the radar, but they definitely have earned the right to be getting some serious attention. As a team led by Coach Almendariz, they have been consistently around the top 5 in Region III. In 2020, they earned a spot at the State Meet as a team and this last year they finished 5th, but just 2 points from 4th and 4 points from 3rd. Clear Falls has won District 24-6A 5 straight times, but their goal is to become a powerhouse in Region III. The spring season of Track was incredible for this team and they showed they could run really fast times in the 800, 1600, 3200 and 5K on the track.So far this season, they have won Pearland Dawson Invite and the Seven Lakes Showcase at both Varsity and JV levels against some of the top teams from the Greater Houston Area.
The team this year is led by standouts, Junior Katherine Valentine and Senior Kaitlyn Gale. These two are racing well together and creating a 1-2 punch of not one but two low pointers on the team. Katherine had a breakout season this spring running a 2:14 800m and a 4:53 1600m while earning 4th at State in the 1600m. She has had an injury-free summer of training and is already racing with the best of the best. Kaitlyn ran a 5:16 1600m and 18:15 5K last year, but is hungry to prove she can do so much more. Junior Hailey Castillo battled a knee injury this last spring, but still ran a 5:25 1600m. She is a positive light on the team and their consistent number 3 runner. Their top 5 runners rotate, but Sophomore Ava Shannon who ran a 5:38 1600m as a Freshmen this past spring and Junior Ava Guerra, 400m and 800m runner, are two that can make a big difference for this team and are fully committed to contributing.
Please enjoy my interview with this positive, charming and talented team.