Boys
Rhett Hulin (McKinney North)
Hulin had a good freshman season in 2023, but he was on fire to start the 2024 season. He ran his 15:38 PR in week one and a week later went 15:41 at the Southlake #1 XC Invite and was the third non junior or senior to finish.
Hulin is a big part to McKinney North's No. 6. ranking in the recent CCCAT 5A poll.
Jaxon Glenn (Southlake Carroll)
Glenn is now at Southlake Carroll after transferring from Granbury. His best performance as a freshman was a 16:31, but he opened up with a 15:26 this season at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational.
He sat out a couple of weeks for the UIL rules, he first ran again two weeks ago going 14:41 at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic three-mile. Glenn ran 15:57 in his first 5K in a Carroll jersey at the Nike South Invitational.
While many frosh and sophs in the state have run faster than Martin, not everyone has the level of competition or challenging courses Martin has experienced this year.
He ran a 15:53 PR on the challenging Brenham Hillacious course and followed that up with a 15:43 on another challenging Lovejoy XC Fall Festival course. He did run a blazing 14:26 three-mile on the swift Woodbridge course.
Ja'Juan Allison (Humble Summer Creek)
You don't really think of distance running when you first think of Summer Creek, but that is starting to change. Ja'Juan Allison entered high school as a sub 4:40 miler in middle school. Last year, he ran 16:03 with 1:59, 4:21, and 9:30 runs on the track.
In cross this year, he opened with a 16:11 and 16:05, but he went to another level last weekend with a 15:41 win at the Aldine ISD Larry Gnatzig Invitational.
Da'Juan Allison (Humble Summer Creek)
For a team or coach to have one outstanding young talent, it is even better to have two. That is what Coach Ervin at Summer Creek has with his set of Allison twins.
You already saw what Ja'Juan has been doing this season; well, his brother Da'Juan has been running even better. Last year's 73rd place finisher at the 6A state meet has four races under 16-minutes including his 15:42 race last week.
Grant Norgart (Southlake Carroll)
Not only does Summer Creek have a set of stud sophomores, so does Southlake Carroll with Norgart being the second on this list.
Norgart hasn't run much this season, but every run has been faster than his 16:56 PR from last year
Jayce Love (Schertz Clemens)
Only one race this season was able to get the best of Love. That was his first race of the season that was a 17:20 run. Every other race was nearly a minute and a half faster. He went 15:40, 15:40, 15:46, and 15:56.
John Boland (San Antonio Antonian)
Boland only has a couple of races on his resume this year. The three races are all just as fast or faster than his 2023 runs. At 15:49, 15:52, and 16:34, this Antonian youngster will be a threat at the TAPPS zone and state meets.
Boston Bowcutt (Keller)
Bowcutt was a consistent 16-mid guy in his freshman year. That was a good sign as other than a 17:35 first race of the year on an extremely hilly course, he has run just as fast or faster already.
A 15:44 PR at the Marcus Coach T XC Invitational is Bowcutt's best effort this season, but he ended 2023 with some of his fastest races and that could be in store this year.
Alexander Nava (Weslaco East)
Nava is the only freshman to make this article this week and it is for a good reason. He entered the year with expectations that he'd help his Weslaco East team get back to the state meet.
He has run well starting off with a 17:03 and every other race until this past weekend was in the 16s. This past week, he broke the barrier and ran a 15:55 PR at the Meet of Champions Cross Country Invitational.
He was the only non junior or senior in the top ten and that could be big for the RGV as only a couple of freshmen are usually top runners in that area.
Weslaco East is ranked No. 7 in the most recent CCCAT 5A poll, but if Nava can stay under 16-minutes they'll be even better.