Lilly Beshears (Rogers, AR) breaks the tape at the 2024 NXR South
The 2023 Nike South Region Girls Championship race had everyone interested in seeing if the defending champion would compete and how she would perform.
It also had intrigue around the team race. One team would be heavily favored, but in recent years when the team was favored, the same team would have to receive an at-large bid.
The second team qualifying position was up for grabs making the race even more anticipated.
Individual Girls Race
The girls championship race saw Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion) finally make her way to the front of the race right at the mile marker. That is when the race was on.
The 2023 South Region champion who until recently used to prefer leading from the race from the start. Typically, the race would be decided after a few strides.
It was Lilly Beshears (Rogers,AR) leading the first mile at 5:25 with Sophia Bendet (Universal City Randolph), Macy Wingard (Denton Braswell), Elin Latta (South Texas Heat Homeschool), and Gabbie Bishop (Providence Academy) with Leachman, Lily Fawcett (Bridgeland), and Addyson Bristow (Canyon) joining the crew at the mile.
The lead pack would not truncate through the two-mile, they lead pack would continue to move away from the rest of the field.
Automatic Qualifying Individuals:
1. Lilly Beshears (Rogers)
2. Elizabeth Leachman (Boerne Champion)
3. Sophia Bendet (Universal City Randolph)
4. Macy Wingard (Denton Braswell)
5. Elin Latta (South Texas Heat Homeschool)
Girls compete in the second half of the 2024 NXR South Championship race
Photo Credit: Hayden Luther/MileSplit TX
That was until Beshears and Leachman would eventually make it a two-person race. Beshears surged as did Leachman as she attempted to keep contact and not disengage from the lead.
Beshears, the Arkansas 6A state champion, showed her strength and ability to hold off two-time UIL 5A state champion and defending NXR South Champion Leachman. Beshears ran a winning time of 17:07, earning the win by 11 seconds.
Leachman held on to finish runner-up with a time of 17:18.0 to qualify for her second trip to NXN. She narrowly finished ahead of Bendet and her 17:18.9. The two-time UIL 3A state champion will make her first to NXN.
Another two-time UIL state champion, Wingard finished fourth with a time of 17:26; she is heading to NXN for the second time. Grabbing the final qualifying position was Texas Homeschool champion and freshman Latta crossing the finish line in 17:28.
Rounding out the top ten finishers was Bishop, Alexandra Fox (Flower Mound), Saacke, Adeline Bennett (Flower Mound), and Bella Nelson (Owasso, OK).
Individual Girls Team Race
The Flower Mound girls have qualified each of the past two seasons and they were clearly the best team in the south.
The Jaguars used the big runs from Fox and Bennett. Fox finished with a time of 17:37 and Bennett in 17:56. They also got a pair of 18:28 performances from Ava Cole and Liana Cluley-Garza with Keira Primer adding a 19:02.
A team average of 18:18 and a point total of 44 points led them to the win.
The surprise came from the Southlake Carroll girls finding their groove. Carroll just finished in a disappointing sixth place finish at the state meet with a 19:10 team average after finishing third at the Region 1-6A meet with a 19:27 team average.
Automatic Qualifying Teams:
1. Flower Mound
2. Carroll
Carroll team members embrace post race
Photo Credit: Hayden Luther/MileSplit TX
They reeled in an epic performance with senior Elizabeth Smits going 18:39, Sarayu Veluri running 18:50, Grace McIlvain finishing 18:57, and Abigail Perez crossing the finish line in 19:06. The first four runners ran a 18:39 average with only a 27-second gap. Quinn Salstrand was their fifth scorer, finishing in 19:39 to give the team an overall 19:00 average and a 0.49 gap.
Carroll's 107 point total was just one point ahead of third place Bridgeland who scored 108 points.
Top 10 finishes from Saacke and Fawcett led the Bears with Susana Rawls, Kate Garrison, and Haley Hill rounding out their score. They turned in a 18:44 average. They'll have to wait and see if they receive an at-large from the committee.
Flower Mound was the last South Region girls team to receive an at-large bid. In 2022, they were the favorites in the South, but finished third behind Carroll and Lovejoy; they went on to finish sixth at NXN.
Lilly Beshears (Rogers, AR) breaks the tape at the 2024 NXR South
The 2023 Nike South Region Girls Championship race had everyone interested in seeing if the defending champion would compete and how she would perform.