MJ Novelli competes at the Region 1-6A Cross Country Championships
MileSplit TX Preseason Girls 6A Rankings
MJ Novelli checks in as our UIL 6A preseason No. 5 ranked girl heading into the 2024 cross country season.
She did not qualify for the UIL 6A state track meet in Austin, in May, but she still had an amazing season. In fact, she achieved personal bests in the 800m (2:17), the 1,600m (4:55), and the 3,200m (10:42).
In the toughest region in the state, Novelli finished fourth in the 1,600m, and fifth in the 3,200m. Only Region 1-6A returning girls ran faster than Novelli prior to the state meet in both events and the only girls ahead of Novelli in our rankings hail from the region.
In the fall, Novelli was again one of the best in the region and the state. She finished sixth at the regional cross country championships in Lubbock and of the returners from Round Rock, only fellow "Region of Doom" girls Wingard, Fox, and Smits finished ahead her.
In the 2023, she competed at the most competitive meets in the cross country meets in Texas and surrounding states. Novelli had top-eleven finishes in them and improved with each race in weeks two through six of the season.
Initially, she went 17:55 in August at the Southlake #1 XC Invite (12th place).
Then in September, she ran 18:19 at the Marcus Coach T Invitational (6th place), 18:16 at the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival (9th place), 18:07 at the Southlake #2 XC Invite (3rd place) followed by two more races in the 17s with her 17:57 at the Chile Pepper Festival (11th place) and 17:52 at UIL 6A - District 4 (2nd place).
Nelson will attempt to climb up the podium as a team. Last year, they were fourth place and just off the podium by one point. Despite graduating a trio of girls in their top seven, they have some quality coming back.
Novelli will have to be a true low-stick type of runner and contribute as few points as she possibly can to the team's overall score. Look for that to be another motivational factor to her individual season, which we believe will start out with her as one of the best.
