The 2023 Boerne Champion boys finished third at the UIL 5A state cross country meet
After writing Lucas Lovejoy, a perennial powerhouse program in at the top spot of the UIL 5A boys preseason team preview, we are putting another perennial program in at the second spot.
Boerne Champion has had the luxury of being led by some outstanding coaching over the past dozen years or so. It has turned into a running community and the school has run themselves into contention for state titles year in and year out. However, after last fall, head coach Jonathan Tate retired, leaving a new era to begin.
Speaking of last year, Champion was in local, state, and national news due to their girls running phenomenon Elizabeth Leachman.
However, in their own right, the Champion boy's season was on par with their traditional script. It might not have looked like they were a championship contending team all season long, but it did when it mattered the most.
The Chargers won the Region 4-5A championships and followed it up with had a fantastic team performance in Round Rock. That is when they ran a 16:28 team average and used a 0.30 second 1-5 split to finish third place and take another trophy by home.
That brings us to this year.
Champion was a mature and experienced team in 2023, using a lineup of three juniors and four seniors to compete at regionals and state. They only return three of their top seven runners giving them a lot of retooling to do for 2024.
Louis Tovar was the No. 1 runner for Champion in 2023
Photo Credit: Gabriel Nieland/MileSplit TX
Nevertheless, we are not overlooking Champion this year; I was not as sure that they were a podium team last year, but I witnessed their spirit and drive over the course of the final four weeks. I'm starting off a certified believer in Champion for 2024.
Despite making up for being wrong last year and their history, they are No. 2 for three other reasons ... Luis Tovar, Charlie Houck, and Caleb Dehart.
The trio of seniors were clutch at the end of the season finishing 1, 2, 3 for the team in the final three races of the season. The they also ran tight with one another, helping Champion consistently run as one of the most compressed teams all season long. The three split 0.22 at district, 0.18 split at regionals, and 0.13 split at state.
Tovar was the team's No. 1 for much of the season and should be that once again in 2024. On the grass, when the pressure is on, he seems to be at his best. As a sophomore, he placed 51st at state and improved to 37th last year.
Despite his success in cross, Tovar is very successful as a miler/half-miler. He qualified for the state track meet in the 800m as a sophomore. As a junior, he lowered his personal bests to 1:55.27 and 4:22.86, making him look even better for this upcoming cross season.
Charlie Houck (#2539) competes at the McNeil Inv.
Photo Credit: Christine Langford/MileSplit TX
If Tovar doesn't take the reigns as the No. 1 runner once again this year, don't be surprised if it's because it'll belong to his classmate Houck. He has been on a steady rise his entire career.
His track and field season ended in Austin at the state track meet where finished eighth when he ran his second fastest 3200m of the season at 9:33. Houck ran personal bests of 4:28 and 9:24, looking ripe for his last season on the grass in a Champion uniform.
Dehart, he third member of the trio actually has the second best 5K PR at 16:18. He ran 16:18 at UIL 5A - District 26 last year and is just ahead of Houck's 16:19 best run.
Like Tovar, Dehart is a middle-distance specialist. He lowered his 800m best to 1:54 last season and his 400m PR to 51.42.
Caleb Dehart (R) crosses the finish line at the 2023 McNeil Inv.
Photo Credit: Christine Langford/MileSplit TX
If Champion is going to get back on the podium, they're going to have to get assistance from their pack behind Tovar, Houck, and Dehart. The help could come from William Coover who is a sub 17-minute 5K guy. He has a personal best of 16:54, but he didn't run beyond the district meet.
Shawn Edwards could be another candidate the Chargers could rely on. He was a freshman last year and might be called upon to insert himself this year. Edwards ran his 17:28 PR at district in 2023 and was fabulous on the track for a freshman. He turned in five sub 4:50 races in the 1,600m topping out with a 4:38 PR.
Mason Nelson was another talented frosh last year who could play a big part this fall. He ran a 17:52 PR at the Jesuit XC Classic in Dallas and had two other races that resulted under 18-minutes. He also showed he has track talent with solid PRs for a freshman of 2:08, 4:50, and 10:49.
Again, I was impressed with Champion's podium finish in 2023 and the style in which they did it. I refuse to be on the outside looking in this 2024 season.
It is clear they have to fill some gaps if they want to get back on the podium. They have until October and November to accomplish this, but that is if it isn't already done when the season begins. They are Boerne Champion and they just might, so that is why they start off as our No. 2 ranked team in the 5A boys preseason preview.