Region 1-2A Girls
The defending regional champion Isabella Jaime and her Farwell teammate Alexis Wade are both back. Not only are they two top runners in the region, but the finished second and fourth at the state meet.
Jaime has a 11:46 SB and Wade has a 12:05 to lead the times entering the region.
Victoria Guerrero (Coleman) has the third best mark at 12:08 with Matilda Galvan (Ballinger) and Presley Polk (Christoval) both entering with sub 12:30 performances
Team wise, it was Farwell winning the regional title last year with Christoval, Panhandle, and Gruver also advancing to state.
At the state meet, It was Christoval finished in third place (only graduated 1 runner), Farwell was fifth (return all runners), Panhandle was sixth (return all runners), and Gruver finished ninth (graduated 1 runner).
Entering the regional meet this year, Farwell has a 12:36 team average at 3200m, Ballinger has a 12:52 2-mile average, Christoval has a 13:00 2-mile average, Sundown has a 13:11 2-mile average, and Gruver has a 13:13.
There are six top ten ranked teams in this region and it looks to be very little separating them, so this will be a tough race.
Sundown is ranked No. 3, Farwell, is No. 4, Christoval is No. 5, Gruver No. 6, Panhandle No. 8, and Ballinger No. 9.
Region 1-2A Boys
The Region 1-2A champ Dwight Don Juan (Quanah) graduated last year.
That opens the door for one of the several talented Plains boys to take the helm.
Jeremiah Gonzales (Plains) ran 16:14 last year and was the regional runner-up last.
He'll have junior Wetera Schlachter (Boys Ranch) who was was fourth in 17:15 as a challenger along with Sawyer Hamilton who is also from Plains who ran 17:03 and was third in 2023.
At the state meet, Hamilton was seventh and Gonzales was eight at state and Schlachter finished 10th , so there is no guarantee who will win this year.
With that said....
Jordan Rodriguez (Big Lake Reagan County) has the best time in the region this year with his 16:48 run at district ahead of Gonzales and his Big Lake Reagan County teammate Eli Luna who both enter with 16:55 runs a piece.
Wyatt Killough (Sonora) heads to Lubbock with a sub 17-min of performance of his own with his 16:56.
Team wise in 2023, Plains won region and state titles, Sunray advanced and they placed second at regionals and 13th at state, Big Lake Reagan County was third and finished seventh at state, with Eldorado getting the fourth advancing spot and finishing 12th at state.
Plains graduated twp runners including their top runner Jhoan Menjivar, Sunray and Eldorado both graduated two and Big Lake Reagan County graduated three.
So far that opens the door this year a little bit.
Sonora enters with the best team average on the season with their ability to run 17:24, Plains has a 17:32 team average, Eldorado is at 17:49, and Sunray is at 18:06 on the year.
For what it's worth, Plains is the No. 1 ranked team in the state and Eldorado is ranked No. 8.