Burleson Centennial senior Ella Magallan crushed it as a junior in the 2023 cross country season and mostly during the 2024 track and field season. That has her checking in at No. 3 in our UIL 5A girls preseason rankings.
Magallan started the 2023 cross country season off with a bomb of a 18:07 performance and runner-up finish at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational.
She would continue her outstanding running with five consecutive wins on the year that included three other sub 19-minute 5Ks. The final race was a 18:21 win at districts.
The remainder of the championship season went just as well at the beginning of the season. At the UIL 5A Region 1 Championship, Magallan was runner-up when she dropped a 18:25.
She begins the 2024 season as the third best finisher from the state meet behind Elizabeth Leachman and Camryn Benson.
MileSplit TX Preseason Girls 5A Rankings
She ran her second fastest mark in Round Rock in 18:12 to net her sixth place overall.
The track season was an exhibition of Magallan's versatility. She had great runs in the 800m all season long including a 2:16 personal best to win her district meet.
The Burleson Centennial Spartan had a very good season in the 1,600m and 3,200m events, which led to personal bests in both (5:00 and 10:58), both coming at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays.
In the returning rankings, those performances rank Magallan No. 3 in the 1,600m and No. 5 in the 3,200m.
However, what was an incredible meet at Jesuit-Sheaner, the UIL 5A - Region 1 was a polar opposite for her. She ran 5:16 and 11:29, which were both closer to slowest times of the season for her.
We saw a huge developmental jump on the grass from sophomore to junior year for Magallan. If we see a similar leap, it could result in a top three podium finish in Round Rock.
