So far, this season has played out largely as expected as the expected top teams have performed as such with many of the top individuals also living up to expectations. However, there are several teams who have flown far under the radar until this point in the year.
Whether it be coming into the year with lower expectations or a massive improvement from where they'd normally finish, these teams have given all of us something to think about.
So, let's take a look at six teams that could make unexpected noise heading into the championship season.
1. Houston Stratford
In recent years, Stratford has felt like a team with all the right pieces to be great, with a combination of several outstanding individuals with a wide range of strengths Stratford had everything they needed. Despite this, Stratford hasn't made the state meet in several years due to either tough regional competition, or having a bad day on the wrong day.
However, this year's team feels different as they've remained consistent and near the front of every race they've been in up to this point. Stratford are led by two strong runners in the form of Benjamin Pearce and Jona Morford who we've seen run under the sixteen-minute mark for much of the year. Daylan Rushing and Andrew Hopkins have also been solid in the third and fourth spots as they've both been right around 16:00 on their best day this season.
What's put Stratford under the radar this year is the teams they'll have to face at the Region III meet as they're in a historically tough region where the same teams generally make it out every year. Having said this, Stratford has the potential to finally put it all together this year as Region III appears to be weaker than usual.
The only team currently ranked ahead of the Spartans is Tompkins, who are currently the number three ranked team in the state. Couple this with a region that lacks depth this year, and Stratford looks primed to finally make a run at the state meet. However, don't mistake their success for a lucky region as Stratford have all the pieces necessary and have shown this season that they have what it takes to go all the way this year.
If Pearce and Morford continue to hold strong as they have all year, and their depth continues to produce as they have, Stratford will undoubtedly find a lot of success this championship season that they weren't expected to have when the year began.
2. The Woodlands College Park
Often overshadowed by their neighbor The Woodlands, College Park are a team that's been consistently good for a long time but always seems to fly under the radar. But being down the street from one of the most successful programs in the state's history has never defined this team and that surely hasn't changed this year as the Cavaliers are putting together a quiet but great season with a lot of potential to continue getting better.
College Park are led by superstar sophomore Camden Gibson who's in his first year with the program after having an outstanding freshman track season for Klein Cain. Gibson showcased incredible range for a senior, let alone a freshman as he ended his freshman track campaign with personal bests of 1:56 over 800m, 4:16 over 1600m, and 9:47 over 3200m.
However, Gibson isn't the only piece that's made College Park a team to watch up to this point, as their second through fifth runners really make this team one to watch. The Cavaliers post one of the tightest splits in the state with their first and fifth runners separated by just twenty-eight seconds. This is impressive in and of itself, however, when you factor this is with a team average of 16:15, this team becomes a team to keep your eye on.
Given the makeup of Region II, College Park will have to have their best day on the right day as the third and fourth qualifying spots for the state meet are wide open. Bridgeland and The Woodlands will likely battle for the win however College Park will have to utilize their impressive closeness as a group if they want to have their best chance at making it back to the state meet.
While the road to the state meet will by no means be easy for College Park, they have one key advantage over their other regional competitors that could make their route to Round Rock easier. If the Cavaliers can move their pack up even the slightest bit, the state meet looks like the most logical outcome for them. However, if they struggle to assert themselves in the right place their path becomes much harder to predict.
3. Katy
More traditionally known for the school's historic football program, Katy cross-country has often fallen under the radar in comparison to its behemoth football program. That being said, this looks to be the best year for Katy cross-country in a long time as the Tigers have had several good performances as of late that cause us to take a closer look at their potential in the upcoming championship season.
This year's revamped Tigers team are led by David Kalwahali who came into the program from Stratford in the Spring. Kalwahali has long been an impressive runner for both programs as he came into this season with personal bests of 4:22 over 1600m, 9:22 over 3200m, and 15:34 over 5000m. The addition of Kalwahali has made all the difference for this Katy program as his presence on the team also appears to have motivated the rest of the team to step up.
Katy's most telling performance this year came at the Nike South Invitational as the Tigers fared well against some of the best teams in the state. While placing sixth doesn't seem crazily impressive, the weight of Katy's performance stems more from who they beat rather than where they placed.
The battle for the final state qualifying spot in Region III looks to be between Katy, Katy Seven Lakes, and Clear Lake and the battle will likely be the tightest we see. Considering this, the way in which Katy was able to beat both schools, who they're currently ranked behind, signals what the goal for this team becomes from here on out. Katy is positioned as best as they have been for nearly a decade now and based on this performance, the team knows this.
From here, the Tigers will look to continue improving in the way that they have throughout the year and if they're able to do so, they're likely in a great position to fight for a place in Round Rock.
4. El Paso Eastwood
It seems absurd that a team could average 15:48 over 5000m and currently not be slated to make it out of their region, however in Region I, this is an unfortunate reality. However, this is by no means set in stone for El Paso Eastwood as the battle for the second through fourth spots in Region I is as wide open as it could be.
In a region as talent-rich as this one, we often see teams succeed or fail by the slimmest of margins and that will be especially true this year. Currently, the third through sixth-ranked teams in the region hold average times that are all within five seconds of each other. It simply doesn't get any closer than this which makes an objective look at this underrated El Paso Eastwood team all the more warranted.
Eastwood are led by star junior Aidan Danny Torres who most recently put on an incredible performance on a national stage as he battled to the line at the Desert Twilight XC Invite and finished a valiant third in a time of 15:11. However, Torres isn't the only outstanding member of this talented team as Eastwood boasts an additional three runners who consistently produce under the sixteen-minute mark.
Sulliman Rodriguez, Leo Espino, and Luke Cruz have all been critical to Eastwood's success as their consistent production under the sixteen-minute mark provides Eastwood with reliable production that they can count on week in and week out.
The battle for Eastwood stems from the distance between their fourth and fifth runner which currently sits at thirty-five seconds. While this gap is worrisome, Eastwood's volume in the front has offset this factor and it's something they've been able to succeed with so far.
From here, Eastwood's season becomes about running as close together as possible as the fine margins will be the difference between a state meet appearance and going home unsatisfied in the gauntlet that is Region I.
5. McKinney Boyd
This season has been everything McKinney Boyd could've wanted and more as they've been able to remain consistently good after one of the hottest starts we saw this year. However, in the pressure cooker that is Region I, if a team has hopes of competing at the state meet this is largely expected as if you aren't able to consistently produce at a high level, you're most likely out of the running.
However, being faced with such a daunting task hasn't deterred McKinney Boyd as they've continued to outshine some of their competition within their region. So far, Boyd has won every meet except for the Southlake #1 XC Invite which saw them place second behind the unanimous best team in the state. Couple this with the fact that they've regularly faced their Region I competition throughout the year, McKinney Boyd looks like a scary team for anyone to have to face.
McKinney Boyd are led by a sub 15:20 duo in the form of Joaquin De La Cruz and Caleb Millard who've run 15:08 and 15:16 respectively. In addition to this, the Boyd team are rounded out by a team average of 15:43 and a 67-second split.
The key for McKinney Boyd heading into the championship season will likely come down to how far upfront their two star runners can get and where their depth can place in comparison to their competition. If all goes right for McKinney Boyd there's no reason why they can't ride the momentum from their hot start through to the state meet in November.
For now, McKinney Boyd's season becomes about continuing to keep up their momentum and ensuring they peak at the right time to give themselves their best shot at getting out of a very difficult Region I.
6. Round Rock
Round Rock isn't just the place every UIL team aspires to reach in November, but it's the home of the sixth team on this list. The Dragons have been running well for years and they've been having luck on their side qualifying out of Region 4.
Every team needs a little bit of luck in the championship season, but so far this year, they've been running without the assistance of luck; the've been impressive and we may not have seen the last of their next level ascend.
Last month, they went on a reckless abandoned type of running. They went to the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival and produced a15:45 with a 0.41 second deviation. The next race was a second place finish in the Gold Race at the Hoka/McNeil Invitational against some of Texas' best teams.
Round Rock has a tight pack and their top three runners of Kebede Kerlin, Christian Mathurin, and Judsen Massey lead the way for the team and their capability of running within 10-12 seconds of one another is proof to their pack run-ability.