Future Stars is a series we'll continue to bring you every Thursday to highlight members of the freshman and sophomore class. We'll introduce athletes who are enjoying success and who could be the future of the sport.
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So far this year, we recognized two (kind of did more than two) members of the freshman class who have already made their presence felt on the Texas varsity level of the cross country season.
Elin Latta (South Texas Heat Homeschool) and Ruel Newberry (Denton Guyer) are not only known on the local and state levels, but they have run themselves into national recognition.
Today, we bring you the names and resume descriptions of four girls and four boys who have encouraging performances this season. These may not be national level worthy performances, but the are impactful on the state level.
A couple of them are on teams who will rely heavily on them as they attempt to win district, regional, and state titles.
Girls Future Stars
Brady Solansky (Smithson Valley)
Solansky runs for one of Texas' premiere historical programs at Smithson Valley (SV) in the San Antonio area. She plays a key role in the resurgence of the SV program.
The freshman currently has the fastest two times on the team with her 18:13 run at the Westlake Chaparral Invitational and a 18:40 at the Canyon Cougar Invitational XC.
Finley Heckler (Dallas Highland Park)
Finley Heckler (208)
Finley Heckler is a Dallas Highland Park (HP) freshman, but she is no stranger to varsity cross country at Highland Park thanks to her older sister being a sophomore in the program.
Heckler gives HP an even bigger shot at winning the UIL 5A state title this year. Her 18:41 PR makes her the team's No. 3 runner and fits in with their pack running strategy.
She also has a 18:59 performance at the Marcus Coach T XC Invitational to giver her two sub 19-minute runs on the season.
Emily Gross (Dumas)
Gross is another stud class of 2028 member and like the previous two girls on this list her team is in the hunt to make it to state and hopefully the podium.
She has the fastest time on the CCCAT No. 6 ranked 4A girls team Dumas. She helped Dumas beat defending state champions and No. 1 ranked Canyon Randall earlier this month.
Her PR is 11:54 last week at the Badger Run High School XC Meet and her 12:03 at the Region 1 Championships course from the Lubbock ISD Cross Country Invitational.
Niki Boone (Sanger)
Yet another stud freshman is Niki Boone. She has the fastest time on the CCCAT No. 8 ranked 4A girls squad that has the fastest 4A team average in the state.
Boone's 12:05 best time leads Sanger and she has a 12:11 3200m run this year to back it up.
Graham Hummel
Graham Hummel (Home School Athletic Association)
We mentioned Hummel yesterday as one of the top Homeschool athletes in the state and his freshman classification status.
Hummel made his abilities known early in the season with his run at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational. That's where he finished second with a time of 15:10.
Related: Home Schoolers Making Big Statements This Season
He has shown great consistency for a freshman by adding two other sub 16-minute runs in his other two meets when he ran 15:32 and 15:39.
Leo Brasil (Round Rock)
Leo Brasil (2009)
In the first week of the season, Brasil opened up the year with a 16:50 at the Vista Ridge Cross Country Invitational. If that wasn't impressive enough, he then ran a 15:36 PR at the speedy Marcus Coach T XC Invitational. That was a 20th place finish, which was eye opening because of the competition level.
The Round Rock Dragon then followed that up with a 16:09 at the Cedar Park XC Invitational to prove he is still figuring the varsity level out, but he is still turning in impressive runs.
His Round Rock team is ranked No. 9 in the latest CCCAT 6A poll and he helps them turn in a sub 15:46 team average and has them with a spread around 30-seconds.
Kai Gutierrez
Kai Gutierrez (Southlake Carroll)
When a freshman boy cracks the top seven or top ten lineup at Southlake Carroll, that is when you know they have talent.
Gutierrez is one of those talents and his running has been instrumental this short season for the Carroll Dragons. He ran 15:49 at the blazing fast Southlake #1 XC Invite two weeks ago.
That is typically the last race you want to baptize a freshman, but his 29th place finish proved he can handle it. Prior to that he ran 9:35 at the Southlake Carroll 2 mile time trial.
We'll see more of what Gutierrez is made of this weekend as he competes at Woodbridge in California.
Lucas Kranz (Lake Travis)
Austin Lake Travis freshman Lucas Kranz is definitely one to become familiar with and watch.
Kranz began the 2024 season with a 16:23 at the Westlake Chaparral Invitational followed by a 16:27 at the Austin ISD Invitational. Last week, he went even faster at the Hays CISD Cross Country Invitational when he ran 15:48.