Southlake #1 XC Invite
We've seen two runs this season from Emily Orr (El Paso Franklin), but they've been nothing to write home about.
In August, she ran 18:56 in an opening race at the Franklin XC Invitational and then a week later, she ran 18:30 at the Stars & Strides Jim Omohondro Twilight XC Inv. Eastwood.
Today was a different story.
The Franklin junior dropped in a hurry with her 17:46.70, which is just off her 17:46.69 PR from last year's Southlake race.
Orr was a front pack runner in most of the race. She trailed only Ava Cole (Flower Mound) and Reyna Heisserer (Northwest Nelson) through the first two miles with her 5:31 and 11:23 splits.
With about 1K to go, Orr looked like she was comfortable and was biding her time for the final meters of the race only trailing Cole at that point. With about 100m to go, Orr went around Cole and kicked home to the win.
Perhaps confident in her kick, Orr's speed was honed last spring. Although she ran a 10:53 personal best in the 3,200m, she also ran several 800s and 1,600s, ending the season with 2:17 and 5:00 PRs.
Cole ran a 17:43 PR last weekend at the Marcus Coach T XC Invitational it was in a race where Macy Wingard and Mya Easterwood led the race and pulled it to fast times.
This weekend, it was the Flower Mound senior leading the charge with the pacing responsibilities on her shoulders until the final meters.
Adeline Bennett (Flower Mound) finished in third in 17:58. She closed hard over the mile moving for her second straight sub 18-minute run. Heisserer was fourth in 18:00.
Cole and Bennett carried the torch for the reigning 6A state champions and the top 6A ranked squad, but they were supplemented well. The Jags cruised to another win as they ran a 18:22 team average.
Going without Alexandra Fox this weekend, Liana Cluley-Garza was the team's number three finisher in 11th place with a time of 18:12, improving from last week's 18:24. Juniors Keira Primer and McKayla Kohutek finished within four-seconds of one another and under 19-minutes.
Second ranked Southlake Carroll finished runner-up in today's race. Senior Elizabeth Smits led the Dragons with her 10th place run in 18:32.
Carroll ran a 18:47 team average, but their 28-second gap time is what will keep them as one of the state's best teams.
Top ranked 5A squad Lucas Lovejoy got another impressive team run. They dropped a 18:46 average, which was a second faster than Carroll. It was also only three seconds faster than second ranked Aledo. However, their ability to run a 1:04 spread kept them ahead of the 5A state runner-up.
Aledo wasn't far behind in fourth place with a 18:49 team average.
Orr's performance helped Franklin get under 19-minutes for the day. Their average was 18:59 netting them fifth place.