Boys compete at the 2023 Texas Distance Festival
With the 2024 Texas Distance Festival just days away, anticipation for what's sure to be yet another impressive meet is nearing its peak. While we've already given a preview into some of the key entries in each event, several additional entrants could have a real impact on this weekend's races.
Whether it be a further injection of speed into a loaded 800m field or another round of cross-country talent taking to the track over 5000m, the races this weekend are looking fast. We're excited to see yet another showcase of Texas's elite distance talent.
800m
The shortest of the distances contested at TDF, the 800m is often one of the more understated races of the weekend with more attention generally geared toward the 5000m.
However, this year's 800m field makes this race one of the presumably faster races to watch over the weekend. We've known this for a few weeks with the likes of Bridgeland 1:51 man Adin Lathrop and 1:53 man Christopher Harris (Cornerstone Christian) having been entered for a while.
Both had impressive weekends as the competed at Nike Indoors Nationals and New Balance Nationals Indoors.
But, some new entries prior to the deadling have spiced up the field even more, so let's see what they bring to the table.
The first of these new entrants is Clear Lake's Jack Musgrave who comes into the meet with the fastest seed time of the group.
Musgrave has been one of the fastest and most consistent 800m runners in the state throughout his career. He comes into Texas Distance Festival with a 1:51.50 personal best that he set at New Balance Nationals last year. He also finished on the podium at the state meet last year and has already started this season hot.
Recently, Musgrave ran 1:53.51 at the Texas A&M Bluebonnet High School Invitational where he placed third. When you combine Musgrave's incredibly fast personal best with his strong start to the season, there's no question as to why he's one of the top runners to watch this weekend.
Another key new entrant to watch is Canyon's Alexander Niemiec who currently holds the third-fastest seed time headed into this weekend.
Niemiec has proven to be a runner with great range as he's showcased an ability to run in the low 1:50s over 800m as well as the low 15:10s in cross-country. He set his personal best of 1:51.75 at the Running Lane Track Championships last year and he recently started his season with a win at the Canyon Invitational where he ran 1:57.91.
Niemiec also had a great cross-country season which saw him run 15:12.40 and place second at the UIL 4A state meet. Niemiec probably could've contested any event this weekend and run well, but look for him to be in the mix over 800m and run in the low 1:50s yet again.
The third key entrant to watch is Kolton Bennett of Westmoore High School in Oklahoma City. Unlike some of the other top runners in the field, Bennet has shown to be more sprint-based rather than some of the more distance-based runners we've seen so far.
He's proven to be a dual threat over 400m and 800m, and he'll look to showcase that speed this weekend. He comes into Texas Distance Festival with an 800m personal best of 1:52.92 which he ran at the OSSAA Outdoor State Championships where he took home second place.
Because of his 400m experience, it wouldn't be outlandish to suggest that Bennet has a speed advantage over some of the field and look for him to use it to come home around the 1:51-1:52 mark this weekend if the race goes well.
Another key sub-1:54 entrant into this weekend's race is Justin Northwest freshman Cooper Lutkenhaus.
Lutkenhaus has one of the most impressive young resumes we've seen, and there's no question that he'll only continue to get better. He comes into this weekend with personal bests of 22.12 over 200m, 48.25 over 400m, and 1:53.59 over 800m.
While his racing efforts have been more speed-based, he's still shown to be extremely well rounded and that will continue to pay dividends this weekend and beyond. Look for Lutkenhaus to lower his personal best this weekend as he's shown to be at his best in ultra-competitive fields like this one.
The last of our new key entrants under the 1:54 mark is Round Rock senior Mason Page. Page is another member of this field that's shown to be more sprint-oriented.
He's proven to be lightning quick over 400m where he's already run 47.35 this year at the Round Rock Invitational and he's run just as well over 800m.
He started his season by running 1:53.67 and then followed it up by running 1:55 the next week for another win. Page is off to an incredibly hot start and it'll be no surprise if he continues that hot start and breaks into the 1:52s this weekend.
1600m
The 1600m is another race that's benefited from an influx of entries, with several very talented runners choosing to contest it this weekend. This field has everything from state champions to sub-4:10 guys so look for the race to be fast and the field to be tight.
The first and fastest of the new key entrants is Holliday sophomore Noah Strohman. Strohman has had one of the most impressive starts to a young career, as he's already run faster than most people ever do, along with already having multiple state championships to his name. He's shown that he's well-rounded, having run 1:55.44 over 800m and 9:02.54 over 3200m.
However, Strohman is contesting the 1600m this weekend where he holds an equally impressive personal best in the form of a 4:07.84 that he ran at the Running Lane Track Championships to take home second place. Strohman already has four state championships to his name and will likely add more in May, but look for him to be in a tight battle for the win this weekend and potentially run around the 4:05 mark if the field proves to be as fast as we think.
The next key entrant into this weekend's race is reigning UIL 6A cross-country state champion Caden Leonard. We'd previously thought that Leonard would contest the 5000m distance like he did last year but he'll run the 1600m instead.
There's not much to say about Leonard that hasn't already been said, just know he's simply the best in 6A at the moment. He recently opened up his outdoor season with a 4:10.26 at the Carroll Invitational where he took home the win. Note that he also had an impressive indoor season which saw him run 4:10.17 at Boston University. We know how well-rounded Leonard is and we know he'll certainly be in contention to win this weekend. It'll be interesting to see how this race goes given the sheer volume of talented guys, but look for him to be in contention for the win as always. He'll likely break the 4:10 barrier this weekend but we'll have to wait and see by how much.
The third key entrant into this weekend's race is Hayden Scott out of Northside Brandeis in San Antonio. Much like the other runners in this field, Scott has proven to be a true all-around distance runner who has had success over a variety of distances. He's been most successful over 1600m and comes into this weekend with a personal best of 4:13.40 which he set last season. Scott has also proven to be proficient over 800m and 3200m, holding personal bests of 1:55.64 and 9:10.01 respectively. Look for Scott to end up around the 4:10 mark this weekend and potentially dip under it if everything goes perfectly.
Another key entrant into this weekend's race is UIL 2A State Cross-Country champion and University of Houston commit Caden Thurman. Thurman is living proof that division doesn't always equal talent as running as fast as he has in the 2A division isn't the easiest thing in the world. He's run 9:08.00 over 3200m as well as 14:57.20 over 5000m, however, his start to the 2024 season proves he's also a great 1600m runner. Thurman ran 4:14.02 at the Lovejoy Spring Distance Festival a few days ago which signals he's in prime shape heading into Texas Distance Festival. Don't be surprised if we see him take advantage of this opportunity to run against some of the state's best competition to run near the 4:10 mark.
The last of our new key entrants into this weekend's 1600m race is Ben Wright of Lake Travis in Austin. Like many of the other runners on this list, Wright has proven to be a great all-around runner. However, his strongest event is the 1600m where he's proven to be a consistent performer under the 4:20 mark and he's only getting better. Wright opened up his season with a 4:16.31 and then quickly followed it up with a new personal best of 4:14.26 which won him the Texas A&M Bluebonnet High School Invitational. Wright is another guy who has shown to be in great condition and look for him to be in the fight around the 4:10 mark this weekend.
3200m
While the 800m and 1600m have seen new entries over the last week, no race has seen a bigger influx of talent than the 3200m.
With ten new entries under the 9:20 mark alone, look for this race to be incredibly close and rich with talent. There are so many runners who could have an impact on this race and it'll surely be one of the most exciting races we'll see.
While there are so many runners in this tight and talented field, some of the key runners to watch can be found below.
Benjamin Anderson of Mountain Vista High School in Colorado currently holds the fastest seed time in the form of a 9:13.48 which he set at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships where he placed second. He also holds personal bests of 1:54.05 over 800m, 4:15.29 over 1600m, and 14:48.90 over 5000m.
Zade Kayyali of Friendswood currently holds the second fastest seed time in the form of a 9:13.56 which he set at last year's Texas Distance Festival. He also holds personal bests of 4:20.99 over 1600m and 15:30.50 over 5000m.
Alexis Rodriguez of Edinburg North is currently seeded third heading into this weekend thanks to a personal best of 9:14.93 that he set earlier this year. He also holds personal bests of 1:57.29 over 800m, 4:18.24 over 1600m, and 15:25.00 over 5000m.
Joaquin De La Cruz of Mckinney Boyd is seeded fourth thanks to a 9:16.76 personal best which he ran to start this season. He also holds personal bests of 1:59.27 over 800m, 4:16.65 over 1600m, and 15:08.30 over 5000m.
The fifth and final runner in this race's top five is 6A Cross-Country runner-up Hudson Haley. Haley currently holds a 9:18.61 personal best over 3200m and holds additional personal bests of 1:59.05 over 800m, 4:16.63 over 1600m, and 14:52.83 over 5000m.
Some additional runners to watch in this race include:
Angel Sanchez: 1:56.00 (800m), 4:11.26 (1600m), 9:24.11 (3200m), 14:55.54 (5000m)
Evan Ringwald: 1:53.24 (800m), 4:14.19 (1600m), 9:34.63 (3200m), 15:38.40 (5000m)
Lathan Lewter: 4:30.59 (1600m), 9:1810 (3200m), 15:24.40 (5000m)
Luke Woodward: 4:29.61 (1600m), 9:32.25 (3200m), 15:48.50 (5000m)
Thomas Garrett: 4:29.86 (1600m), 9:23.02 (3200m), 15:40.10 (5000m)
Bryson Meredith: 1:58.43 (800m), 4:18.05 (1600m), 9:23.19 (3200m), 15:41.10 (5000m)
5000m
As with every Texas Distance Festival, the 5000m is the most coveted and anticipated event of the weekend. We regularly see some of the region's top cross-country talent battle it out over this distance and this year is no different.
Similarly and perhaps even more so than the 3200m race, this year's 5000m is so stacked with talent that it's impossible to cover each runner with great depth. So, take a look at the key runners to watch in this year's 5000m race.
University of Texas commit and Frisco Lebanon Trail senior Neeraj Kulkarni currently holds the fastest official seed time with a personal best of 14:44.70 which he set at the Southlake #1 XC Invite. Kulkarni also holds additional personal bests of 4:22.73 over 1600m and 9:17.77 over 3200m.
Ellis Eserman currently holds the second fastest seed time in the form of a 14:44.80 which he also set at the Southlake #1 XC Invite. Eserman also holds additional personal bests of 4:23.85 over 1600m and 9:15.15 over 3200m.
Elijah Rivera-Campos currently holds the third fastest seed time in the form of a 14:49.30 which he also set at the Southlake #1 XC Invite. Rivera-Campos also holds personal bests of 1:57.05 over 800m and 4:25.56 over one mile.
Logan Tauch currently holds the fourth fastest seed time in the form of a 14:51.90 which he set at last year's Texas Distance Festival. Tauch also holds additional personal bests of 4:27.01 over 1600m and 9:15.86 over 3200m.
The final member of the top-five fastest official times in this year's meet is Benjamin Montgomery who comes into this weekend with a personal best of 14:53.41 which he set at last year's meet. Montgomery also holds additional personal bests of 4:14.67 over 1600m and 9:00.71 over 3200m.
Some additional runners to watch include:
Gavin Chapa: 1:55.02 (800m), 4:15.04 (1600m), 9:21.68 (3200m), 15:00.14 (5000m)
Ethan Gonzalez: 4:21.66 (Mile), 9:03.44 (3200m), 14:44.72 (5000m)
Aidan Danny Torres: 4:19.64 (1600m), 9:22.44 (3200m), 14:57.30 (5000m)
Judah Alexander-Macias: 9:30.29 (3200m), 15:07.65 (5000m)
Dylan Schieffelin: 4:17.36 (1600m), 9:09.54 (3200m), 15:10.70 (5000m)
Owen Kelley: 4:24.81 (1600m), 9:25.42 (3200m), 15:16.30 (5000m)
Ryan Van de Berghe: 1:57.65 (800m), 4:13.72 (1600m), 9:16.93 (3200m), 15:07.30 (5000m)
Zach Troutman: 4:15.61 (Mile), 9:04.42 (2 Mile), 15:13.40 (5000m)
Sam Golla: 1:59.15 (800m), 4:20.84 (1600m), 9:09.94 (3200m), 15:02.80 (5000m)
Henok Hagos: 4:15.02 (1600m), 9:18.86 (3200m), 15:03.60 (5000m)
Edwin Rotich: 4:19.26 (1600m), 9:13.29 (3200m), 15:24.40 (5000m)
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for what's sure to be another awesome Texas Distance Festival this weekend.
Boys compete at the 2023 Texas Distance Festival