Aledo and Marcus runners compete at the 2024 Marcus Coach T Invitational
It's the McNeil Invitational and it doesn't need any introductions. It's just the largest meet in the state. Some call it the state preview as teams get the chance to preview the course and test themselves against the course.
Old Settlers Park continues to host the UIL 6A state meet and this weekend will host the many teams from across the state.
So, what does that mean? Let me tell you.
What it means is that the data and times we've seen over the year all across Texas means we'll get to measure them versus the course and against themselves.
Here are some of the teams and individuals we are looking forward to.
Girls Team Preview
Austin Vandegrift
The Vandy girls are ranked No. 6 in the latest CCCAT poll. They come in with a 18:59 team average and has competed will throughout the year against some of the state's best.
Tibbie Mustacchia is the leader and has a 18:12 season best performance this year.
Highland Park
The Scots are ranked No. 3 in the latest CCCAT poll. This team is back in 5A after two seasons in 6A due to redistricting.
They've competed several times against some of the top teams in the state like Flower Mound, Lovejoy, and Aledo.
They expect to return to Round Rock in November and this trip is to get this group of girls acquainted to Old Settlers.
They thing to watch will be how well they'll be able to handle another race vs Aledo, but also other top ranked 5A teams like Smithson Valley, Boerne Champion, A&M Consolidated McAllen, and Abilene.
Marcus
Flower Mound Marcus got a No. 10 ranking this go-around of the CCCAT poll.
It wasn't a gift, it was a well deserved naming as the Marauders have been attacking and raiding all of the big teams in the DFW.
They're led by Taryn Elmer and her 18:11 SB. That helps lead the team to a 19:03 team average.
Aledo
The 2023 5A runner-up team and second ranked Aledo is fresh off a tough run last week at the Texas A&M Inv. that still produced a 19:25 average.
This team works on getting the No. 4 and No. 5 positions closer to their top three. They'll get a good report of where they stand from the plethora of ranked 5A teams they'll see.
Boerne Champion
How good is Boerne Champion?
They have a new coach and it does take a while to get used to a new philosophy and training. Well, it's now the middle of September and we should start to see them get things rolling.
They'll face a stacked slate of ranked 5A teams and very good 6A teams and we'll see how they fare.
There is one small caveat and that is that they'll run without Elizabeth Leachman who will be in California racing at Woodbridge.
Grapevine
The Mustangs are on the outside looking in when it comes to the CCCAT polls. They weren't voted into the second poll and we'll get to see how they react to that on the course.
Katelyn McCown leads the team with a 19:19 SB that has given them the capability of running a 19:42 team average.
They are dangerous with their ability to run tight. Can they do that and shake things up this weekend?
College Station A&M Consolidated
A&M Consolidated is ranked with their No.7 standing in the poll. As with the mass of other 5A teams, we're looking to see how they handle the showdown.
Rowen Skinner's 18:53 lead performance will get tested as will her team. They won't get a challenge like this until the next time they run again in Round Rock.
Kenzi Ramirez (McAllen)
McAllen
Coach De La Rosa brings his team back to Round Rock for the first time since November when they were here for the state meet.
They of course are looking to make that happen again and this will be a good test. First, they will get to see some of 5As best as well as several top ranked Region 4-5A teams.
The key will be to see if they can bounce back from a not so typical race at Texas A&M last week.
Smithson Valley
Yes, there is yet another ranked 5A team who will be critical to this weekend's Gold race.
SV is ranked No. 4 in the latest CCCAT pll and this will be their first sighting of several of the other top 5A teams.
It'll also be a litmus test against the other Region 4-5 teams.
Abilene
But wait, there's more.
One more ranked 5A team will be in the Gold race on Saturday. Abilene is a team not many outside of the DFW have raced against.
Nevertheless, Abilene is really good, hence their No. 9 rankings. Mason Murray and Zoe Vann are dangerous runners and will be back to Round Rock in November either individually or with their team.
Keller
This is a team that I am eager to watch this weekend. Keller is a very good team, but they get overlooked in the DFW with the saturated area and district they compete in.
Most of those teams aren't here this weekend, so the dynamic of watching the fast early race style their used to being in that probably won't happen this weekend is the intrigue.
Will they be able to be impactful?
Girls Individual Preview
Sophia Bendet
Some of the runners are no-brainers, but others will be strangers to some of their competitors. The'll attribute to the high level of competition of this race no-less.
Sophia Bendet (Randolph)
Is Bendet the best in Texas? I don't know, but she is one of them and this might be her last 5K of the year before the postseason.
The Universal City Randolph runner is the fastest overall distance runner in Texas when you include her track capabilities. Bendet has 2:06 and 4:47 PRs on the track and a 10:35 on grass.
She ran a 17:23 PR at Texas A&M last week and this week could be faster.
Maya Easterwood (Coppell)
Only Macy Wingard has been able to beat Easterwood this season. Her undefeated streak against everyone else could stay in tact, but it'll be challenging.
Easterwood has 17:10, 17:11, 17:16, and 18:05 as her season performances.
Taryn Elmer (Marcus)
Elmer is another DFW area stud. The sophomore has her team primed and ranked, but individually, she is one of the top 30 girls in Texas so far this year.
Her 18:11 is one of the top entries in the meet.
Lincoln Husbands (Midlothain)
Husbands has a 18:05 PR from her first race of the year at Waxahachie. This weekend is her next biggest test.
She hasn't run 18-low in a couple of weeks, but that should change this weekend.
Clare Boneau (Keller)
I get to see a good bit of DFW area races and over the past two years, one of the most underrated girls up there is. She has a 18:48 SB, but has a 17:56 PR.
Boneau has 4:58 and 10:55 races on her resume from last spring.
Ella Magallan (Burleson Centennial)
Magallan ran under 18-minutes in her first race of the year when she dropped a 17:59. It wasn't until last week when she entered the 18-low zone again.
The competition should help her pace another fast race.
Jamie Klander (Katy Mayde Creek)
Klander has two sub 18-minute runs this season. Her first 5K was a 17:51 PR and she lowered that last week to 17:46.
Nobody in Houston has been able to beat her and the sky's the limit this weekend.
Miah McAulay (Austin Bowie)
McAulay has a 18:05 seed and is another speedy runner. She ran 18:58 two weeks ago and could be poised to go faster this weekend.
Tibbie Mustacchia (Austin Vandegrift)
Mustacchia is leads the snake pit for the Vipers with her 18:12 SB. She has yet to reach her 17:51 PR, but that could come this weekend.
The focus was speed in the spring and 2:15 800m speed makes her dangerous.
Meredith Wolfe (Round Rock)
Wolfe has a 17:51 PR from her run at the Marcus Coach T Inv. She looks to be running with a new confidence after than as she won the Cedar Park Inv.
Mason Murray (Abilene)
Murray is a senior and she is having the season of her career. She has three 19-minute runs in three races, but went 18:11 at Coach T when she raced in the DFW.
Reese Pena (Lubbock)
The only 5K on the resumem for Pena this year is her win at the Lubbock ISD Cross Country Invitational.
That was a 18:49, but it was about 40-seconds faster than she ran there last year when she ended with a 18:27 18:36 bests at state and NXR South.
Kenzi Ramirez (McAllen)
Ramirez is finding her 2024 groove. She has two consecutive races under 19-minutes.
She ran 18:39 in San Antonio two weeks ago and followed it up with a competitive 18:51 run for seventh on the Texas A&M course.
Dana Rojas Vasquez (McAllen)
What was a good run for her teammate at A&M was not as pleasing for Vasquez.
Vasquez started the season going 17:53 and 17:42 before Texas A&M last week. This is a great group of runners to get back on track with.
Zoe Vann (Abilene)
Vann is the second Abilene runner on this list. She ran 18:19 PR at the Marcus Coach T Inv. before going back out west.
She returns eastward and should be able to drop another fast one.