With September approaching and many of our big season meets behind us, it's time to start looking ahead to the championship season. This is the most exciting time of the year as all the predictions go out the window, and everything comes down to pure performance. The championship season is also a time when individual runners and teams can make a name for themselves in the most important races of the year. It's something we see every year, and it's exciting to see as a fan of the sport.
This season has turned out to be incredibly close, both on an individual and team level. Longstanding contenders have held their place at the front, while new talent has also emerged to spice up the field. Today we're going to dive into four boys who could have a huge championship season and shake things up in their respective regions.
1. Kai McCullough- Austin Vandegrift
Photo Credit: A1 Media
It's hard to call the emergence of Austin Vandegrift junior Kai McCullough a surprise. Those who have followed the sport over the last year know him to be a key piece for Vandegrift's continued success. However, he's far from just another depth piece on a top team and he's shown us that this year. Coming into 2024, Vandegrift needed someone to step up and fill the hole left by graduating senior Dylan Schieffelin and that's exactly what McCullough has done and then some. He's been right behind Hudson Haley all year, and he's likely going to be the key difference-maker in Vandegrift's title hopes next month.
As mentioned, McCullough was already a standout performer heading into 2024. He was one of those guys who came into high school and clicked with the training right away, as evidenced by his results. He ran 15:38.00 and finished 26th at the state meet as a sophomore last year after a season of consistent results and key points finishes. However, McCullough came into his own in the spring as he had a breakout track season that set him up for his performances this fall. He ran 9:17.53 at the Viper Distance Festival which he then followed up by running 14:49.84 at TDF later that month.
These big improvements gave McCullough some momentum heading into this season as he's been outstanding. He opened up his season at the Vista Ridge Cross Country Invitational where he ran 15:28.60 to finish second. His best performance of the season came the following week at the Marcus Coach T Invitational where he set a blazing personal best of 14:53.00 to finish fourth in an incredibly fast race. He's raced two more times since then and both have been solid. McCullough finished second at the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival in 15:08.90 and followed this up by running 15:26.80 at the McNeil Invitational.
The reason McCullough stands out heading into the championship season is the potential he has to shake up the state title race. He gives Vandegrift a concrete 1-2 punch to counter Southlake Carroll and his willingness to run at the front of big races pegs him as an elite talent moving forward. He's quietly emerged as one of the state's best runners and I think he'll continue to demonstrate that level of talent as the stage gets bigger.
2. Benjamin Pearce- Houston Stratford
Photo Credit: Christine Langford/MileSplit TX
Houston Stratford senior Benjamin Pearce is a guy that I've been very high on over the last year. He's been a mainstay in some of the state's bigger races over the last two seasons, but it feels like he doesn't get the credit he deserves. This could largely come down to the fact that the Houston area has so much talent, but Pearce is a guy who deserves to be mentioned more often. He's been as consistent as they come, and his quiet emergence into an elite distance talent out of Region III makes his upward trajectory this season an exciting thing to watch.
Pearce's breakout as an elite talent came last cross-country season where we saw him regularly putting up great times against tough competition. He ran in the 15:30s multiple times and finished the season with a personal best of 15:31.80 to go along with a state meet qualification. His efforts on the grass were solid, however, his real breakout came in the spring where he was extremely impressive on the track. Pearce finished the 2024 track season with personal bests of 4:15.65 over 1600m and 9:26.95 in the 3200m, the first earning him a spot at the state meet where he finished 7th.
It's clear that Pearce derived a lot of confidence from his spring season as he's started off the 2024 cross-country season with some momentum. He opened up his season by winning the Seven Lakes Showcase XC Invitational in 15:33.30 and followed this up by winning two additional races at the Strake Jesuit XC Invitational and the McNeil Invitational. Most recently, Pearce finished second at the Nike South Invitational where he set a new personal best of 15:28.40.
Pierce has quietly been one of the best runners in the Houston area and I think he's got a good shot at winning Region III in a few weeks. He's as consistent as they come and you know what you're gonna get from Pearce when he comes to race. He's in for a good shot at taking home a solid result at the state meet and be on the lookout for him to score big in Round Rock.
3. Tyler Hedgepeth- The Woodlands
Photo Credit: A1 Media
The Woodlands has long been a great program led by great runners and that role was passed on to talented senior Tyler Hedgepeth this year, and he's done a great job with it. In a team and area that breeds so much distance talent, Hedgepeth has asserted himself this year as a reliable runner who scores key points at the front of tough races and uplifts the team around him. His impact goes far beyond the timesheet, and he's quietly led this year's squad to be one of the best teams in the state with a shot at standing on the podium in Round Rock.
Hegdepeth has had what I would consider a classic Woodlands career. He didn't start out setting the world on fire or making the state meet, instead, he consistently and quietly grew into an elite talent worthy of leading one of the best teams in the state. We began to see glimpses of Hedgepeth's potential last year he regularly ran under the 16:00 mark and helped lead the team to the state meet in a down year. However, the spring would bring a marked improvement for Hedgepeth as he started to cross the threshold between solid runner and team leader. The highlight of his season came at the UIL 6A-District 13 meet where he set a 1600m personal best of 4:18.96 and set himself up well going forward.
So far this fall, Hedgepeth has been a consistent bright spot for The Woodlands as he's elevated the team to its current form. He opened up his season over 5000m at the Brenham Hillacious Invitational where he finished 3rd in 15:49.00 to help his team finish second behind a stacked Bridgeland squad. He followed this up the next week by setting a new personal best of 15:31.10 at the Lovejoy XC Fall Festival where he helped The Woodlands finish second in a race I consider to be a defining moment in their season. Most recently, Hedgepeth finished 11th at the Nike South Invitational and once again led the team to a second-place finish.
The thing that makes Hedgepeth interesting to watch moving forward is the impact he has on his team. The team goes as he goes and that's brought them good success against the state's best week after week this fall. He's consistent and always there when it matters, and that will give both him and his team a great shot at continued success as the meets get bigger this fall.
4. Andrew Esparza- Round Rock
Photo Credit: Christine Langford/MileSplit TX
Heading into this season, Round Rock was one of those unique teams that you knew should make the state meet, it was just unclear who was going to lead it. However, at this point in the season, it's become apparent that sophomore Andrew Esparza is the man for the job. He's emerged as a consistent and reliable top runner that every state-caliber team needs and I think he has a ton of potential to grow into an elite talent as the season and his career goes on. He's been an integral part of his team's success and should continue to be going forward.
Esparza was one of those fortunate few who came into high school and immediately clicked with the training and was able to contribute on a substantial level. He finished his freshman year with a personal best of 15:59.00 and got a chance to gain valuable state meet experience early in his career. This valuable experience would only grow in the spring as he set two solid personal bests of 4:32.26 and 9:54.46. These performances set a great benchmark for him heading into the fall, and it's clear that he's built on them and only given himself more momentum.
Esparza opened up his 2024 campaign at the Vista Ridge Cross Country Invitational where he finished 10th. However, he'd quickly bounce back into his elite form the following week at the Marcus Coach T Invitational where he set a new personal best of 15:35.00 to help his team to a solid result at a huge meet. Esparza then followed this up by winning the Cedar Park Invitational in 15:57.00 to continue building his strong resume. Most recently, he had another sub-16 performance at the McNeil Invitational where he ran 15:57.00 for the second time.
The thing that impresses me the most about Esparza's efforts this year is how he's led a state-caliber team so early into his career. He's dealt well with the pressure and has continued to put up solid performances against some of the state's best competition every week. Look for him to continue improving as his career goes on and I think he could have some standout performances to finish this season.