Every week, we will bring you members of either the freshman or sophomore classes who are having a good season and who we believe might become leaders or stars in the sport
This week's Future Stars is a combo of past mentions. This isn't something we do very often, but after the season these youngsters are having, we are delivering an update.
Historically, cross-country in the state of Texas has been dominated by upperclassmen. This is due to several factors, but the most attributable reason is the experience that's generally required to know how to race in a championship setting. Racing in a state as competitive as Texas is about a lot more than just running fast; it's an intersection of strategy, calculation, and pure performance that can often be hard to master for underclassmen to perfect at such a young age.
That being said, this season has seen the emergence of several impressive underclassmen. While we generally see a few underclassmen push near the front with competitive times, we hardly ever see the level of competitiveness we've seen this year. The addition of several impressive underclassmen to the state title picture across multiple divisions speaks to the top-end talent Texas continues to produce and the state's consistency at the top of the nation.
So let's dive into some impressive underclassmen leading the charge at the top of the time tables.
Sophomore Graham Hummel leads the way not just for underclassmen but all runners in the state based on time. Hummel opened up his season at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational, where he ran 14:29.40, taking home the victory over several seasoned guys by over 20 seconds. Outside of this dominantly impressive performance, Hummel has continued to produce as the season has gone on.
He ran 15:04.00 at the Coach T- Marcus Invitational, where he finished fifth in one of the state's best races. His third race of the year was tougher than the previous two, running 15:52.70 to finish in the top-20 on a tough McNeil Invitational course. However, he most recently battled back at the Nike South Invitational, running 15:05.00 and securing second place.
Hummel has been plenty impressive, regardless of grade level to begin the year. He's the fastest in the state based on time right now, and his consistency proves he's here to stay.
Following up on as impressive a freshman year as Ruel Newberry had was going to be a difficult prospect. However, that's exactly what Newberry has done in 2025, further elevating his status as one of the state's best all-around talents. Newberry's fastest time of the year came at the Coach T- Marcus Invitational, where he ran 14:39.00 to take home the win, a time he's followed with more consistently impressive performances.
He raced the Southlake XC Invite the following week, where he once again dipped under 15 minutes, running 14:45.90 for second. Most recently, Newberry beat out Graham Hummel for the win at the Nike South Invitational, where he nearly broke 15 for the third time in as many races, running 15:00.10.
Newberry's impressive performances have continued his amazing freshman campaign. He's fast and experienced, two qualities that propel him into the 6A state title fight.
Mansfield Legacy's Riley McCain is yet another super sophomore having a great 2025 season. He's showcased wholesale improvements from his freshman season, which has propelled him from a serviceable underclassman to one of the best. His best time of the year and personal best came at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational, where he ran 14:56.50 to finish third.
Outside of this impressive performance, McCain has been a consistent sub-15:30 producer. He ran 15:29.00 at the Coach T- Marcus Invitational before following that up with a 15:42.00 at the Southlake XC Invite. While McCain seemed to have found a home in the mid-15s, he quickly changed this narrative by running 15:06.12 at the Bill Eaton Invitational, giving him another great time on his resume.
McCain's improvement this season has vaulted him from a good runner to a great one. He's showcased an ability to run fast across a season, something that will take him places as he continues to mature as a runner.
While all of the runners on this list have improved from the previous year, none have improved as much on a time basis as Richard Mendoza. Mendoza ran anywhere from the 16:20s up to the 19:00s in his freshman season, but has transformed into a consistently fast guy. His current personal and seasonal best sits at 15:19.50, placing him as one of the top sophomores in the state.
Outside of his best performance at Desert Twilight, Mendoza has produced well within the state. He ran 15:53.59 at the Omohondro Twilight before following that up with another great run at the Southlake XC Invite, where he ran 15:27.40.
Not only has Mendoza improved on pure pace, but he's also proven to be way more consistent. The combination of these qualities sets him up for continued success this year and beyond. Based on his current trajectory, look for him to run even faster as this season continues.
Desmond Marino currently sits at the fastest freshman in the state on a time basis. Like many of the other athletes on this list, Marino ran a blazing-fast race at the Waxahachie Woodhouse Invitational. He finished ninth in a time of 15:14.70, one of the better debut races to a career that we've seen over the last several seasons.
Outside of his great debut at Waxahachie, Marino has only raced once. That race came at the Leo Manzano/Rick Edwards Memorial Invitational, where he again dipped well under 15:20, this time in the form of a 15:16.90 that saw him finish fifth in another competitive field as just a freshman.
Marino's times are impressive regardless of class, but the fact that he's performed so well at some competitive meets is telling. If he can stay consistent, then improvement will come, which makes him one of the state's scarier young prospects.
Avinash Dewagan marks the first guy on this list who's actively contributing to a state title contender. Although it'd be easy to get lost in the mix on a talented team like Vandegrift, Dewagan has quickly established himself as a key piece to the state title hopefuls. He's run 15:41.39 over 5000m this year, along with some other solid performances.
Outside of his personal best that came at the Texas A&M Invitational, Dewagan has been solid. He opened up the season in 16:05.00 at the Vista Ridge Cross Country Invitational before following it up with another solid performance at the Coach T- Marcus Invitational, where he ran 16:13.00. Most recently, Dewagan had arguably his best race of the year as he ran 14:44.30 over three miles at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic.
Dewagan's consistency, coupled with his performance at Woodbridge, makes him one of the most important guys for Vandegrift's title hopes. On an individual basis, he's been brilliant, and look for him to continue stepping up as the stakes get higher.
Michael Villa of El Paso Franklin rounds out the guys on this list at this point in the year. Another freshman, Villa, has not only been quick but remarkably consistent this season, which places him in a unique position on this list. He's run 15:43.80 at his best this year and has backed that up with several nearly identical runs.
Outside of his personal best, Villa has run in the 15:40s two additional times. The first of which came at the Canutillo XC Invitational, which saw him run 15:48.66 to finish tenth. He then backed this up with another 15:48.07, this time at the Omohondro Twilight, before most recently running 15:56.80 at Desert Twilight.
Villa has been an incredible combination of speed and consistency on a solid team this year. He's given himself a great baseline to grow from, and look for him to grow into one of West Texas' best runners if he continues improving like this.
