Addison Hite (Pilot Point) runs to the Region 2-3A Championship
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This year's UIL 3A race should be what is expected at the state championship level.
There are several girls individuals, six to be exact who were all-state and top-ten finishers who are back to race it out for podium finishes again.
That includes the defending state champ, so the individual race will be fast and will be good.
The boys individual race is in the exact same situation. Last year's stat champ ran at regionals for the first time in five weeks, but it looked like not a beat was missed.
Both team races should be just as good if not better than last season.
UIL 3A Girls Individual Preview
The 3A girls state meet race is going to be extremely good.
The defending state champion Addison Hite (Pilot Point) is back to try to do it again. She showed off at the Region 2-3A championships by going 10:58, which was far faster than her 12:01 run that won last year's state meet.
Cara Sims (Elysian Fields) at 11:19, Tehya Lang (Callisburg) at 11:37 and three other girls ran sub 12-minutes.
Sophia Bendet (Randolph) had a great run in 11:28 to win Region 4 with teammate Aubrey Milam and Brooklyn Albert (Poth) in third.
The Holliday duo of Kenli Atwood and Simone Mouras went 1-2 at Region 1 with Atwood winning in 11:36.
Yvonne Legarreta (Friona) who was third at last year's state meet was third at this year's Region 1-3A meet. The senior can run, but most importantly she has experience of doing it at this time of the season on this level. The expectation is for her to be in the mix for the podium again.
Makayla Stephens (Maypearl) won Region 3-3A with a 12:09 over Brynleigh McFarlin's (Keene) 12:22. Stephens had a fantastic track season and looks to continue that on the grass this weekend.
UIL 3A Girls Team Preview
All three podium teams are back this season and seven of the top ten finishers from last season have qualified.
The 2022 championship Whitesboro team was third at Region 2-3A, but they are running without their top runner and all-state finisher Rory Hake.
That opens the door for teams like Poth, Lytle, and Holliday who were second, third, and fourth last year.
Poth won Region 4-3A last week with a 72 point total and a 13:07 average. Their 1:24 one through five split has them looking like a championship looking squad.
Lytle was a little bit back from Poth at the regional meet and a slightly slower 13:28 average, but their 1:15 split will make Poths margin for error small.
East Bernard and McGregor had a tight battle at Region 3-3A with East Bernard taking the win with 94 points over McGregor's 97. McGregor ran a faster team average with their 13:17 being faster than EB's 13:29.
However, their 2:06 split is what was the difference and could be what keeps them off the podium if they don't reach it. EB was within 40 seconds from one through five.
Pilot Point and Holliday will be serious contenders for the 3A state title.
Pilot Point ran a 12:22 in Grand Prairie for the Region 2-3A win. Much of that was thanks to Hite's swift run, but the team is good.
Holliday has three girls who could potentially run their way into the top-ten. This squad has four who will cross the line early, but they'll wait on the five runner to see if they win or podium.
UIL 3A Individual Preview
Last year's state champion Noah Strohman (Holliday) put together an entire season of impressive runs throughout the entire season.
This year, it's been a bit of a different go at it. He shut things down back in early September to heal a nagging injury. He stayed on the shelf the rest of the season and didn't even run at his district meet.
His Holliday team is good and didn't need him to advance to Regionals. That's where he did lace up the spikes and hit the course. Strohman's fitness looked better than one would expect as he ran 15:46 to win the regional title. That was faster than his 15:49 that he ran to win last year's state meet.
Behind Strohman was another Strohman.....Ryder Strohman made it a 1-2 punch for the team and the family with his 16:19 and runner-up race. Ryder is the district champion and led the team to Lubbock and now looks to get on the podium this weekend.
Region 1 is packed with good runners and Jim Ned's duo of Kenny Pritchard and Samuel Bryan are proof. The freshman Pritchard ran 16:24 for third and Bryan was fourth in 16:35. Lubbock Roosevelt's Dax Mahan ran 16:40.
Oliver Roberts (Commerce) and teammate Chase Gossett went 1-2 at Region 2-3A by going 16:10 and 16:15.
Winona also has a talented duo that ran under 16:25. Kason Miles ran 16:20 and Miguel Cedillo went 16:24 and they should challenge for podium finishes in Round Rock.
Chris Kopecky (East Bernard) won Region 3-3A with a 15:58 to top Troy's Carlos Jose Cortez and his 16:02. Benjamin Castro (McGregor) at 16:12 looks to be in the run for a podium spot.
Ryan Porte (Eustace) was only fifth at Region 3-3A with his 16:34 run, but he has the experience of placing sixth at state last year that should come into play.
UIL 3A Boys Team Preview
The best team performances from regionals were in Region 4.
Reigning defending state champions Lytle took the region championships with their 17:14 team average with only a 28 second split. That's arguably better than their race at state.
Great Hearts Northern Oaks was third last year at state and was runner-up at last week's Region 4 and only six points behind the state champs with a 17:10 average.
Randolph was third at region 4 and ran a 17:36 team average and a 1:35 split, which could put them in the mix at state.
Eustace and East Bernard ran a tight Region 3 race. Eustace's 17:29 average and 1:32 split will have them in them in the mix.
Each of the Region 1 team qualifiers ran sub 18-minute team averages. Lubbock Roosevelt is going back to state and they're looking to make a bigger impact. They went for a 17:35 average with a 1:23 split at regionals and that could give them a shot.
The Holliday boys ran a 17:17 average and Jim Ned ran a 17:27 average and that will put them in the race on Friday.