Region 4-5A
Girls Team Race Preview:
CCCAT Ranked Teams: No. 7 Laredo Nixon, and No. 10 Boerne Champion
Laredo Nixon has a No. 7 ranking and they also have one of the top team averages entering this regional race. Their 19:35 is solid, but their ability to run with a tight compression when needed will be key if they can execute it.
No. 10 ranked Boerne Champion has the best average with their 19:33, but a lot of that is due to Elizabeth Leachman and her sixteen-minute mid runs. However, the rest of the Champion team does what their program is trained and that is run as tight as possible. The Champion two through five runners can hover around a 60 second split.
District foes Sharyland and McAllen are the next fastest teams. Sharlyand won the district by three points with a 20:05 average. McAllen ran faster over all with their 19:45, but their split opened things up for Sharyland's win.
Comal Canyon is ready for this race. They only ran a 20:08 average at district, but they ran a 32 second split and the sixth runner was only six seconds back from the five runner. That allowed them to take the district win and any momentum could see them heading to Round Rock.
One last team to keep an eye on is Leander. They won their district and had a nice 20:03 average. Their compression might make a top four finish challenging, but they should be in the race.
Favorites: Laredo Nixon, Boerne Champion, Sharyland, McAllen, Canyon
Teams To Watch: Leander, Edinburg Vela, Palmview, Alamo Heights
Girls Individual Race Preview:
After the UIL 5A state track meet, the Region 4-5A cross country meet was one of the highly anticipated races. However, Isabel Conde De Frankenberg hasn't quite made it back to form from an injury and Elizabeth Leachman is running out of this world.
Leachman has rattled off solo mid sixteen-minute runs off all season long. While she is making it look easy, there are several other girls also running well and will be a little bit further back in the pack.
Dana Rojas Vasquez (McAllen), Yazmin Guerra (PSJA Southwest), Kenzi Ramirez (McAllen), Rebecca Davila (Edcouch-Elsa), Morgan Ramos (Rio Grande City), and Mia Perez (Smithson Valley) are all sub nineteen-minute girls this season along with Frankenberg.
Favorites: Elizabeth Leachman, Dana Rojas Vasquez, Isabel Conde De Frankenberg, yazmin Guerra, Mia Perez
Sleepers: Ciara Catton, Jadelynne Arellano, Daira Rojas Vasquez, Cecilia Cavazos
Boys Team Race Preview:
CCCAT Ranked Teams: No 4 Boerne Champion and No. 5 McAllen
As of today, the Boerne Champion boys are considered the fourth best 5A team in the state. Data shows they can run a 16:24 average and with a 51 second deviation when they all run at their best.
In their last three races, they ran a 16:49 average at the Hoka/McNeil Inv. with a 60 second split, then a 16:34 average with a 0.48 split at Dallas Jesuit, and a 16:28 average with a 1:05 compression at the District 26-5A meet.
At their individual bests McAllen enters with the fastest team average of 16:20 and are only separated by 0.24 seconds.
In actual racing, they are on Champion's heels. In their last three races, the Bulldogs have gone 17:14 at Hoka/McNeil (0.46), 16:50 (0.49) at Nike South, and 16:41 (0.41) at the District 31-5A meet.
Other teams who will be in the mix should be Smithson Valley who ran a 16:55 team average at their district, Alamo Heights who ran a 16:57 average, and Leander with a 17:04 run at their district.
Favorites: Boerne Chamion and McAllen
Teams To Watch: Smithson Valley, SA Alamo Heights, Leander
Boys Individual Race Preview:
The Corpus Christi King boys have proven to be fifteen-minute boys. Jackson Lovvorn went 15:48 and Diego Canto went 15:52 at the Hoka/McNeil Inv and have been hovering around the mark all season long.
Edwin Rotich (Leander Rouse) has lived under sixteen-minutes all season log and his 15:43 SB on a tough Texas A&M course proves he is ready for the championship season.
Also under sixteen-minutes is Anthony Zapata (Southwest Legacy), Bradyn Youngdahl (Smithson Valley), Luis Tovar (Boerne Champion), and Roehl Rodriguez (McAllen Memorial).
Favorites: Edwin Rotich, Jackson Lovvorn, Diego Canto, Anthony Zapata
Runners To Watch: Bradyn Youngdahl, Luis Tovar, Roehl Rodriguez