SV girls won the girls Gold division at McNeil last weekend
Amy Pitzel coached track and field and cross country for 16 years and her most recent stint was at Katy Tompkins in Katy ISD. She led the Tompkins girls to three consecutive UIL 6A state meet team qualifications in 2017, 2018, and 2019 with a 2017 Region 3-6A team championship and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019.
Pitzel was named Gulf Coast Scholastic Track and Field Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2017.This season, she will pick Texas high school coaches and athletes throughout the season to discuss a variety of topics.
I had the pleasure of talking to the girls of Smithson Valley and their Coach, Trenton Hall.
The Smithson Valley Girls blew me away this past weekend at McNeil Invitational in Round Rock by winning the Gold Elite Division! There were 32 teams that earned a spot in the Elite division and SV girls won decisively by beating the next team by 76 points. They won with an incredible 46 second split and 19:07 average on what was not a PR setting day for most on that course.
Even more impressive is that they are a 5A program that is being recognized as the 6th best team in 5A by CCCAT, but also beat 5 other ranked 5A school including Aledo that was ranked #2 in the State and 2 top 10 ranked 6A teams in Kingwood and El Paso Franklin.
This team is a mix of seasoned runners, but has definitely been given a burst this season with 4 Freshmen that are making an immediate impact. Smithson Valley Coach,Trenton Hall, has been coaching for 23 years and has been over the boys and girls of Smithson Valley for 6 years now. The lone senior on the team, Mia Perez, is a track superstar having run 2:08 in the 800m and 4:57 in the 1600m. She alone has qualified for the XC State Meet the last two years and is very excited at the idea of having her whole team around her this season.
Perez had been battling an injury and cross training so she just opened at McNeil and is already running an impressive 19:06 without having done a running workout yet.
Lilly Koenig (11th) and Parker Julian (19th have both become leaders and Captains on this team. Lilly finished 9th at Westlake, 3rd at Canyon Cougar, 5th at Hays and 36th at McNeil. Lilly has a PR of 18:53 in the 5K and an impressive 2;21 in the 800m. Parker finished 21st at Westlake, 15th at Canyon Cougar, 31st at Hays and has a 5K PR of 20:04. They have incorporated strength training and cross training this summer and fall and they really think it has helped them improve this fall.
The freshmen girls are nothing short of outstanding and would make an impact on any team in the state. Brady Solansky has finished 2nd at Westlake, 1st at Canyon Cougar and led the team finishing 29th at McNeil. Brady has a 5K PR of 18:13. Skyler Fonseca has finished 6th at Westlake, 2nd at Canyon Cougar, 11th at Hays and 42nd at McNeil with a PR of 19:02. Aubrey Pozzi has finished 10th at Westlake, 5th at Canyon Cougar, 8th at Hays and 61st at McNeil. Aubrey has a 5K PR of 19:08. Addison Knibbe has finished 12th at Westlake, 6th at Canyon Cougar, 13th at Hays and has a 5K PR of 19:21.
This is a team to watch and they have a legitimate shot to get on the podium this season. You can see them race next at the Dallas Jesuit meet.