We previewed the Lubbock ISD Inv. on Friday. The meet is essentially a Region 1 preview and state meet hopefuls along with state meet returners were getting their first look of the season of the course.
The Mae Simmons Park course had a couple of course modifications in the past couple of years, so getting familiar with it is on some coaches priority lists.
Here are is what went down this weekend.
Race Videos: Lubbock ISD Invitational
1A Girls
We considered Jace Chisum the favorite going into the meet. The 2023 1A state meet runner-up was as sure a pick as there could have been.
She made good on the selection by running away with the win in over a minute. Her 12:19 time was more than good enough to win as the second place finishing time ws 13:32.
The Lazbuddie girls took the team win over three state meet qualifiers from last year. Nazareth was second with 108 minutes, Lenorah Grady was third with 126 points scored, and last year's state runner-ups Jayton was fourth with 130 points.
1A Boys
It was Petersburg junior Aiden Beversdorf took the win with a time of 17:15 ahead of Adrian Rosales' (Booker) 17:29 and Eduardo Cedillo's (O'Donnell)17:31.
As we figured, it was Jayton's boys getting the team win in the 1A boys race. The 2023 1A Boys runner-ups only tallied 70 total points.
Booker was solid as they were only 15 points back in second place, getting a big boost from Rosales. Beversdorf had the same effect for Petersburg as they were third. We will echo that sentiment for Cedillo as his O'Donnell team finished in fourth place.
2A Girls
Another of our projections had a Farwell runner winning the 2A girls race. However, we probably had the reigning 2A state champion Isabella Jaime winning and Alexis Wade near the lead.
Wade had plans of her own and that involved getting the dub herself. Jaime won the race in 12:27 and Jaime was second in 12:33.
In the team race, it was actually Sundown who once ruled Region 1-2A for several years back on top at the Lubbock ISD race. Sundown had an impressive run and bettering Gruver's race by a mere 10 points. State meet qualifiers Christoval and Farwell followed in third and fourth.
2A Boys
Big Lake Reagan County was expected to have an impact as a team, but sophomore Jordan Rodriguez wanted to give them an even better chance at it. He won the entire race going 17:29 for the win.
The Smyer duo of Micah Zapata and Ismael Pizano weren't too far back as they finished in 17:33 and 17:36 for second and third places.
The El Dorado boys secured the team win by only scoring 84 points. Sundown got up for second and Sanford-Fritch was third.
3A Girls
Kenli Atwood (Holliday) was impressive as expected. The top HERO runner won the race with a time of 11:45. As expected, Konnar McClendon (Canadian) was effective as she placed second with a time of 12:03 and Hailey Von Willer (Jim Ned) was third in 12:43.
Atwood got help from her younger Holliday teammates Sarah Spears who was fifth in 12:45 and Avy Mauldin who was eighty in 12:56 as Holliday won the 3A race.
Dalhart was well back in second, Wall was third, and O'Donnell fourth.
3A Boys
We had Jeremiah Gonzales and his Plains boys winning a race at the Lubbock ISD Inv., but it was the 2A race. They had other plans and decided to run in the 3A race, yet they still took the dub.
Gonzales ran a 16:54 for the individual win to narrowly beat Jacob Mohesky (Odessa Compass Academy) who finished in 16:58. Kenny Pritchard (Jim Ned) backed up his mention in our preview by finishing third and just missed cracking the 17-minute barrier with a 17:00.
The reigning 2A state champs got four superb runs from their buys to net a 17:32 team average and the win with just 45 points.
The 2023 3A boys state meet qualifier Lubbock Roosevelt was good for second place. Billy Bond led the team with his fourth overall place in 17:06.
Odessa Compass Academy was super-charged with Mohesky's individual second place and finished third as a team with Presidio finishing fourth.
4A Girls
Addyson Bristow continues her brilliance as a high school runner. The Canyon junior and reigning 4A state champion won the girls 4A race with a time of 11:57.
Nayomi Granados (Canyon Randall) has had an impressive career so far in cross country. She was second in Lubbock with a time of 12:01. Dumas freshman Emily Gross was third in 12:03
With a 12:37 team average, Randall was able to bounce back after a loss just a week ago to Dumas. As usual, Granados was effectively supplemented by classmates Brooke French (12:21) and Rebel Rea (12:34) who placed fourth and sixth places overall. Aspen Turman was also under 13-minutes with her 12:52.
Canyon piggy-backed off of Bristow's run to finish in second as a team thanks to their 12:49 team run.
Dumas put together another solid team run by going for a 12:54 team average for third place.
4A Boys
The Dumas boys program has been on point over the years and sophomore Nefi Moreno gives the team a good punch at the front of raes with his individual runs. He won the 4A boys race this weekend going 16:41.
Diego Rios (Big Spring) was the only other boy in the race to fo under 17-minutes with his finish in 16:58 and Dylan Strand (Brock) was third right at 17-minutes even.
It wasn't just Moreno who was impressive for the Dumas boys. The entire squad had a day as they picked up the win by only scoring 38 points. Their gap time was only 1:01 and the team average was 17:23.
Big Spring was inspired by Rios' runner-up run as the team finished that way overall with a average of 17:34.
Canyon West Plains is a new school and they look to instantly be in the mix with their third place finish and Andrews who is always lurking was fourth.
5A Girls
Yes, Reese Pena is still at Lubbock High (good news to some, she is finally a senior) and yes, she is continuing her winning ways. Pena cruised to an easy win with a time of 18:49.
Zanashia Harris (Lubbock Coronado) has been a major player in the panhandle for the last three years and now going on her fourth. Harris finished third in 19:52.
Making moves this year are Abilene Eagles Mason Murray and Zoe Vann. Both ran well at the Marcus Coach T Inv. last weekend and double back here in Lubbock.
Murray finished second to Pena in 19:38 and Vann was fourth in 20:06.
The Abilene girls won the team race with solid additions from Remie Batten and Emily Brumley.
Azle used a great 0.42 second spread to finish second and Amarillo was third.
5A Boys
Arturo Rodriguez (Lubbock) made it a Lubbock sweep in thh 5A races with his win. Although barely, his 16:01 run was good enough to beat John Alcantar (Abilene) and his 16:03.
The Amarillo Palo Duro duo made up of Abdirisak Saidgurhan (16:38) and Abdihafit Mohamed (17:02) were the third and fourth place finishers.
The Azle boys were able to one-up their girls squad for the win. Lubbock Monterey was second and Abilene was third.
6A girls
Maya Easterwood has been superb so far this cross country season. The Coppell sophomore has been almost unbeatable, only taking one L this year to the reigning 6A state champion.
She won the 6A girls race in 18:05 by nearly two-minutes.
Zyla Deshone (Wolfforth Frenship) was second in 20:04 and Midland Legacy runners Kyndall Jones (20:09) and Abigail Hinojosa (20:29) finished third and fourth.
Legacy was propelled to the team win thanks to Jones and Hinojosa and Coppell was only 10-points back for second. Frenship capitalized on Deshone's runner-up run and finished third in the team race.
6A Boys
Pranav Vegiraju has been another Coppell Cowboy runner who has been on fire this summer/fall. The senior pulled out the individual win taking the race in 16:00.
His teammates finished with six of the top seven placements to win the team race by far.
Bryan Mateos (Arlington Houston) was the only runner able to crack the Coppell crew with his fourth place 16:41 run.
Midland Legacy was second in the team race with 71 points and Frenship was third.