Meet Preview And Live Results: Southlake Carroll 2 Mile

LIVE RESULTS

While this isn't a cross country meet, it is still going to be a significant couple of races. Despite being on the track, it might be the most tell-tale meet of the weekend.

Yes, the Southlake Carroll 2-mile is going to be eight laps around the track instead of on grass. However, it is still August and real cross country doesn't begin until at least the beginning of September anyways.

I'd argue that there is no point to racing in August, but there are some events like this where we can learn from the results.

- - -

There will be five sections in the girls division and the first section will the one with girls who are expected to be impactful on the varsity level out of the gate.

Programs like Wylie, Justin Northwest, Frisco Centennial, Fort Worth Boswell, Keller Timber Creek, will compete. Even the New Braunfels Unicorns from down in the San Antonio area will be sending a representative.

The two schools with runners that many will be definitely looking at are the four consecutive and reigning defending UIL 6A state champions Flower Mound and last year's runner-ups Southlake Carroll.

This year, Carroll's lead Dragon in the den is scheduled to be senior Elizabeth Smits. She was a top five runner each of the past two seasons and was the No. 2 scorer for most of 2023.

Smits ran to all-state honors last year with her 10th place finish in Austin where she ran 17:50. The third best returner from the UIL 6A state meet will compete in her first competition of the season.

Joining Smits will be fellow senior and state meet contributor Sarayu Veluri. Veluri ran 18:32 in Round Rock last year and was 32nd place. Other top returning Lady Dragons' from last year and competing will be Gabriella Tesoriero (PR-19:44), Luna Gutierrez (PR-18:42), Mia Lay (PR-20:19), and Abigail Perez. 

One key Lady Dragon who will not race is 18:15 5K runner Vanessa Vezga.

The other team with questions here is CCCAT No. 1 ranked Flower Mound. The majority of their team will compete across town at the Greenhill Luke's Locker 6-mile Relay, but they will roll out Ava Cole in Southlake this weekend. 

The senior figures to be even more crucial for the Lady Jaguars than ever. Instrumental in three of the previous title winning teams, if Flower Mound will continue their impressive streak, she will once again be a key piece.

Last weekend, she won the Byron Nelson Inv. varsity girls race with a 11:14. That was on grass, so this weekend she'll look for a quicker pace and faster time with a smoother and faster surface.

Can she help the Jags sustain their season and help them contend until the get Alexandra Fox back?

The Keller Timber Creek senior duo of Abigail Stucker and Megan Calhoun also showed good signs last weekend at Byron Nelson. Stucker was the third place finisher in 11:16 while Calhoun finished eighth in 11:30.

Savanah Moya will be one girl who could surprise the DFW girls with her abilities.

Without a doubt she has the fastest turnover in this race. Her leg speed is well documented with 2:13 from this summer and a 4:39 (1500m) from this summer. Moya also has a 10:59 3200m PR from freshman season last year and a 18:37 from the state XC meet.

- - -

So, the Carroll varsity boys didn't race at the 1600m race they hosted two weekends ago. Looking at the meet entries, their top two runners and two all-state performers are still being held out.

Neither, the reigning defending UIL 6A state champion Caden Leonard nor last year's fourth place finisher Blake Bullard are on the start list.

The rest of the reigning four consecutive state champion's top returners are racing tomorrow.

Seniors Griffin Cords and Alex Severson were both a part of the NXN third place finishing team and will lead the Dragons this weekend.

Cords ran a 15:21 PR last year and Severson with his 15:38 best are the top seeds for this weekend's race. In the 3200m on the track,  Cords went 9:07 last spring and Severson dropped a 9:18.

Michael Fuller and Grant Norgart are both part of Carroll's top seven returners and will race. 

Eyes should also be on a group of freshmen who will line up for Carroll and had very good 1600m races two weeks ago. On August 10th, freshman Kai Gutierrez ran 4:30 and his classmates Reed Dodson went 4:36 with Yates Eddins running 4:51; all three frosh have sub 9:55 seed times for this weekend.

Also on August 10th, it was Cooper Lutkenhaus (Justin Northwest) winning the race in 4:14. He also ran 9:56 last weekend at Byron Nelson. That race was on grass, so he could look to run faster on the track.

Lastly, Granbury sophomore Jaxon Glenn should have some attention paid to his performance/results. Glenn ran 10:12 on August 8th for two miles at the Birdville Early Bird Invitational. Just last weekend he ran 15:26 at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational.

While those times have some disparity between them, Jaxon did run 4:37 and 9:48 on the track as a freshman last year. He also had a 16:41 best 5K performance last year.

tomorrow morning's races will be informative for those looking to know how the upcoming season is going to look.