Girls compete at the 2024 UIL 1A Cross Country State Championships
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We are starting to begin our season previews for the 2025 cross country season and are starting with the UIL 1A girls. This is a classification rich in tradition and despite the two-mile distance, the division appears to has as much parity as ever before.
With that, there is a very good chance we have a repeat champion this season. Tilden McMullen County returns a lot of quality talent and has one of the best coaches in the classification.
We have dialed things down to 10 teams who should enter with a high aspirations and a lot of confidence. Many of these teams are on the verge of being contenders, some are potential contender spoilers, and some are serious contenders for a state championship as the season opens.
View our list and get a glimpse of which teams we believe will be really good UIL 1A teams this year.
10. Moulton
While Moulton didn't have the race they would have wanted at the state meet, they were there and that says a lot about that team. They finished last in Round Rock, but they bring back all seven runners from that roster.
Karsyn Blahuta ran 13:33 last year and was their number one, Kate Mikulencak was their number two at state, Addison Simper, Marisol Manzano, Mina Tinajero, Addisyn Grieve, and Katie Richter all return to form an experienced squad.
9. Brookeland
The Brookeland Wildcats is another team on this list that returns all seven of their runners from the 2024 state meet squad. As the 14th finisher from last year, this group is one of the few who get another opportunity to take things to another level in 2025.
I think they'll be contenders when October rolls around and should make a return trip to Round Rock. Junior Caylee Morgan is the top finisher on the team from the state meet. Paired with sophomore Jada Sanders, this duo runs pretty close to one another and will form a really good 1-2 punch. If Paige Powell, Natalie Murphy, Kaelyn Strother, Adriana Lakey, and Kourtney Pevato can pull in towards the rest of the pack and their lineup, then this could be a dangerous team.
8. Blackwell
The Lady Hornets bring back five of their seven scorers from the state meet, and that is a very optimistic stat for this team. The two graduates were Kinley Cummings and Marlene Sanchez who were the runners on the edges first and final to cross the finish line).
That means their core will be especially important to their success here in 2025.
Addison Dove comes into 2025 as a junior running 13:27 in Round Rock. Jaquelyn Saxton was the number three runner at state, Blakely Pritchard was number four, Avery Glenn was number five, and Brynlea Wojtek was the number six runner for the squad last year.
7. Jayton
Jace Chisum is the engine of this Jayton squad. Although she took a couple spots down on the podium at the cross country state meet by going from second to fourth in her sophomore and junior seasons, she was able to get things back right during the track season with her runner-up performances in the 1,600m and 3,200m.
The Lady Jays are one of many Jayton athletic teams who will look to get back to state in the fall. It would be more surprising if they did not accomplish it in girls cross country.
Bringing back Chisum along with five others from 2024 and this team looks locked and loaded. Junior Abigail Mosley, senior Reese Redford, and senior Remington Long all run pretty tight and will be to the core of the Jayton squad. A pair of freshmen in Brantley Ham and Hallie Humphries return from their number five and seven duties.
Jayton is always dangerous and they'll be contenders once again this season.
6. Sulphur Bluff
The Bears return all seven members of their 2024 team that placed eighth overall. The race we saw them run to win the Region 2-1A meet shows this could be a very powerful squad. They ran a 14:01 average with a minimal 0.24 second gap time. At state, they were pretty close to replicating those numbers with 14:08/0.42.
Zaylee Peyton returns with a 13:26 team best from last season. Joining her is Natalie Carrell, Kialey Johnson , Taylor Johnson, and Vada Kendall who had a really good run at the state meet. Although they weren't scoring runners, Ana Servin and Emma Carr will be seniors this season and they bring quality running along with valued experience.
This group has a ton of fire power heading into the 2025 season and I consider them a team that can spoil things for real contenders at the state meet.
5. Garden City
The Garden City Bearkats only ran six runners at both the regional and state meets. While that is not entirely an anomaly for the UIL 1A classification, it is riding a fine line being close to not having enough runners to score.
Luckily for GC, they return all six of those lineups and having the experience tempers a lot of concerns. At the regional meet, they ran a 13:45 team average with an awesome 0.42 gap. Then at the state meet, while they didn't run as fast or as close, they were still impressive with their 14:03/1:05 stat line.
Emy Schwartz enters the season with the best returning time from last season with her 13:21. She also had a 13:22 at the Region 1-2A championships and a 13:30 as well. However, when ran 14:02 at state and was the team's number three runner in Round Rock. She has been busy on the track this summer in the 400m and 800m events on the track.
Claire Eggemeyer returns with a 13:22 PR from last year and was the top runner at state and Sadie Fuchs who had a 13:24 PR and was 49th and was the number two runner at state for the team help create a very nice big-three.
Sophia Sullivan, Landry Baker, and Melanie Gomez will create another solid cluster for Garden city.
4. Nazareth
The returning Nazareth squad brings back six of their seven runners who were only 10 points off the podium last year. Their fourth place point total was 163 points due to a valiant effort. Using their 2024 season best performances, the Swifts return a 14:14 average with a 1:25 gap.
Jolee Pigg was the top finisher at state when she crossed in 26th place. The entering junior went 13:13 and was 20-seconds ahead of 46th place Madison Brockman. Mallory Wilhelm was the team's fourth runner in 71st place in 14:00 with Bridget Osterkamp 78th overall in 14:05. Both Azeliza Olivas (14:50) and Allie Pittillo (15:04) gained experience as freshmen. Brynli Schilling was another freshman last year who ran 15:51 but competed in the 100m and 200 events during the track season.
Heading into the season, I consider Nazareth one of the teams who can spoil things for the real contenders, who I believe are the top three teams on this list.
3. Texline
Texline is a real contender and I am excited about their potential to take a step up in development for the 2025 season. They were a really young group in the 2024 season with two freshmen, four sophomores, and only one senior in their state meet third place finishing squad.
So, with the majority of the lineup coming back for these girls, they can really focus on development. Averi Davidson is the senior and their number five from the regional and their number six at the state meet who they're going to have to replace. However, their number six from the regional meet was entering junior Amarissah Johnson who was two seconds behind Davison at the regional meet and she actually ran as the fifth runner at state. Haiden Luther who also a sophomore last year with Johnson, although she was the seventh runner at the state meet was only eight second back from Davidson.
That was the back end for Texline, but their front end was phenomenal for a young group. As a freshman, Christy Young placed 19th at the state meet, sophomore Jada Clay was 34th, frosh Faith Sneller was 40th, and sophomore Raley Valdez was 56th. The top four ran with gap times of 35-seconds at regionals and 45-seconds at state.
2. Clyde Eula
This is a real contender and is team who should be a podium team again and seriously challenge for the top spot. Returning six of seven is usually a good thing from a runner-up season. However, the hiccup could be trying to replace their number one runner and state meet runner-up Hailie Cauthen, who graduated.
Freshman Camryn Gray was the second best state meet finisher last year on the team and grabbed an eighth place overall individual finish. Raelee Rister is another top returner from the 2024 season, she was 35th at the state meet and showed a big jump from mid-season through the end of the year.
Despite finishing as the seventh runner on the team at the state meet, Reagan Barr had a solid season best of 13:13, which would put her at the three spot for Eula. That would tie in well with Addison Goodman and Emma Damron who both finished together in Round Rock with identical 13:31 performances.
1.Tilden McMullen County
Is a real contender for the 2025 UIL 1A state championship. Won 2024 team title by 31 points with 38 to 69 win over Clyde Eula. They six of their seven scorers from that title winning squad. Isabella Billingsley had a seventh place finish in Round Rock and is the fourth best returner from the meet. She comes back as the possible number one in 2025. Fellow senior London Yanity was very successful in 2024. She placed 11th at the state meet just a second off the individual podium. Teammate Ella David was also close as she placed 13th overall and fellow 2028 classmate Caroline Trudeau was 15th.
Experienced head coach Billingsley led the girls to a very good track season as well. Billingsley ran to two third place medals in the 1,600m and 3,200m at the state meet and a 2:19 800m PR. Yannity was fourth overall in the 1,600m but was able to capture the 3,200m win in 11:17.
On paper, this squad looks to all four girls return and that is easy molding for Coach Billingsly to put together contender.
Girls compete at the 2024 UIL 1A Cross Country State Championships
- - -
We are starting to begin our season previews for the 2025 cross country season and are starting with the UIL 1A girls. This is a classification rich in tradition and despite the two-mile distance, the division appears to has as much parity as ever before.