Region 3-1A Girls
Girls Team Race Preview:
The Throckmorton girls are the only team in the region that has a ranking by the CCCAT. Their No. 9 rank makes them one of the teams to watch this week.
The Miller Grove girls won the state meet last year and didn't have graduation affect them. However, they have run without three key girls from last year's squad including the individual state meet runner-up Shaylee Stracener.
Like Miller Grove, Dodd City didn't have any of the seven runners on their 2022 state meet roster graduate. At the district meet, they only ran three girls and didn't field a complete squad.
The teams with the best team averages in the region are Saint Jo, Slidell, Saltillo, and Gorman.
Favorites: Throckmorton, Saint Jo, Slidell Saltillo
Sleepers: Miller Grove
Region 3-1A Boys
Boys Team Race Preview:
There are five ranked boys teams in Region 3-1A. No. 2 Slidell No. 3 Miller Grove, No. 6 Zephyr No. 7 Saltillo, and No. 8 Sulphur Bluff.
We know this is always one of the toughest 1A boys regions to advance from thanks to perennial 1A powers Miller Grove and Saltillo. Miller Grove won the region title last year and Saltillo was second. Saltillo was able to flip that script at state for the state title and they are the reigning defending state champs.
After a fourth place finish at last year's state meet, Slidell comes in with the best team average on the season thanks to some fast runs at the Muenster Inv. Their season bests say they can run near a 17:47 average and with a sub sixty-second compression. It might take that to win the regional title.
Miller Grove is the second best team average wise at 17:49, Saltillo has a 18:34, and Zephyr has a 18:49 average.
With five good teams gunning for four state meet qualifying spots, this will be one of the best races across the state.
Favorites: Slidell, Miller Grove, Saltillo, Zephyr, Sulphur Bluff
Boys Individual Race Preview:
There are three boys in this field who were all-state runners last year. Joshua Garvin (Slidell) was fourth last year in Round Rock with a time of 17:20, Ryker Haivala (Miller Grove) was on his heels in fifth place with a time of 17:21, and Landon Cobb (Graford) placed ninth with a time of 17:35.
While he didn't finish in the top-10, Manny Peralta (Sildell) was 13th overall last year at state and will be a dangerous runner for the remainder of the season.
Favorites: Joshua Garvin, Ryker Haivala, Landon Cobb, Manny Peralta
Runners To Watch: Isaac Renteria, Nicholas Romo, Jaden Mahar