Syndi Wilkins and the Lovejoy girls compete Region 2-5A
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Last year's UIL 5A state champion McKenzie Bailey graduated and is competing at TCU this fall. That left runner-up Isabel Conde De Frankenberg (Cedar Park), third place finisher Allie Love (Colleyville Heritage), and fourth place finisher Reese Pena (Lubbock) as the top returners from 2022.
Frankenberg is still trying to return to form after an injury during track season and Love isn't competing. Frankenburg was fourth at the Region 4-5A championships and Pena was third at the Region 1-5A championships.
Nonetheless, it looks indubitable that anyone else could have been the favorite heading into tomorrow's UIL 5A state meet.
Related: Predictions: 5A Boys UIL State Championship
Girls Individual Preview
This race is for Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion) to lose. The sophomore has developed into one of the top runners nationally and not only could the state meet be hers to lose, but so could any one of the upcoming national championship races.
Leachman only has one race that wasn't a sub seventeen-minute race and it is still faster than any other 5A girl in the state.
Also out of Region 4 was Dana Rojas Vasquez (McAllen) has run 17:56 this season before experiencing a nagging injury. She finished runner-up in Corpus and could be a top ten finisher.
Delaney Ulrich (College Station) won Region 3-5A, Micah Neal (Aledo) won Region 1, and Sara Morefield (Lucas Lovejoy) won Region 2.
The regional winners should definitely be considered favorites to medal, but there are definitely others as well.
Only a freshman, Neal ran to victory like a veteran. The DFW area gauntlet of running looks to have sharpened this youngster at the rifgt time of the year.
Ella Magallan (Burleson Centennial) was runner-up and as mentioned Reese Pena (Lubbock) was third.
Behind Morefield's authoritative 17:46 run and Region 2 win was her teammate Camryn Benson who was runner-up in 17:51. The third place finisher Sydni Wilkins (Frisco Liberty) was eighth at last year's state meet and has been impressive all year long.
Runners To Watch
Bridget Bernal (Lucas Lovejoy)
Kailey Littlefield (Lucas Lovejoy)
Ki Rendon (White Settlement Brewer)
Josie Osbourne (Colleyville Heritage)
Jadelynne Arellano (Leander Rouse)
Isabel Conde De Frankenberg (Cedar Park)
Yazmin Guerra (PSJA Southwest)
Girls Team Preview
The girls team race is just as indubitable as the individual race.
Back-to-back state champions Lovejoy are in the driver's seat for their third consecutive state title. They have been the top ranked 5A girls team all season long and there haven't been any signs not to expect anything less than a state title performance tomorrow.
Morefield, the Benson sisters, Bernal, and Littlefield are so solid that this year's squad is potentially better than the previous two championship winning squads.
Aledo and Colleyville Heritage should challenge for the silver trophy. Aledo has looked good all year long and with the growth from Neal they should be even better. Molly Garrison and Madison Larson help form a solid top three.
Heritage is going to be tough to keep off the podium as they get good front pack running from Josie Osbourne and Natali Velasquez. However, their four, five, six and seven runners were all within two seconds at regionals making it hard for an off day from them.
Frisco Wakeland and Frisco Liberty both run tough and Wakeland's 42 second split make them tough to shake. Georgetown and Boerne Champion will be tough teams to keep away from the podium. Region 3 champions Georgetown run within 1:15 including the first three who ran five seconds tight at regionals.
Champion has Leachman as the low stick and Kynley Albright who also will be in the mix up front. Their three, four, and five runners were within 22 seconds of each other at regionals and that could keep them close.