Luna Gutierrez competes at the 2025 Nike South Inv.
UIL 6A - District 04
If you wanted proof that Bob Jones Park is a rocket ship, District 4-6A delivered. With plenty of statewide curiosity about whether the Southlake Carroll boys would finally roll out Caden Leonard and Kai Gutierrez, and what they'd look like if they did, the meet had a pre-race buzz usually reserved for regionals.
The course's smooth footing (turf fields and fescue grass), mostly generous turns, and the sheer quality of this district again produced "track-on-grass" times and more than a few raised eyebrows.
Girls Results
On the girls' side, the headline was the depth and speed. Ten athletes at 18:00 or faster is a rarity anywhere in Texas this fall and underscores how unforgiving advancement is in this district.
Northwest Nelson junior Elena Sather lit the fuse with a massive PR, ripping 17:17.8 to win and reset a season that had already included 18:28/18:42 efforts at Marcus and Flower Mound. Carroll senior Luna Gutierrez answered with a season-best 17:29.9 for second, her best since early September and a timely momentum swing with Lubbock on deck.
Keller Timber Creek's Bess Davis kept her breakout year rolling in 17:32.1 (3rd), adding another sterling mark to a résumé that already featured wins at Little D and Lubbock ISD. Freshman Lyla Calaway (Nelson) looked like anything but a rookie in 17:38.3 for fourth, in line with her steady September form, and Keller's Julia Graves (17:39.2) gave the Indians a front-running punch they would ride to third in the team standings.
Nelson's senior Samantha Spicer (17:43.0) and junior Talia Ramirez (17:54.1) helped them stack points efficiently, while Carroll's Megan Bergman (17:51.8) and Abigail Perez (18:00.9) kept the Dragons tight through three. Northwest's Zoe Banis (17:56.7) also broke 18:00, proof of how deep the race truly was.
Teamwise, CCCAt No. 6-ranked Byron Nelson took the win with clinical precision, 17:44 team average and a tidy 0:49 spread, the kind of profile that survives regional chaos.
CCCAT No. 3-ranked Southlake Carroll was a robust second at 18:07 with an even tighter 0:45 split, a hallmark of Carroll squads that travel well. Keller secured the third ticket to Region I on an 18:22 average, led by Graves and a compact mid-pack that did exactly what October cross-country demands.
Girls - Top 3 Teams (advancing to Region I)
| Team | Score | Athlete (Year) | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Nelson | 31 | Elena Sather (11) | 1 | 17:17.8 |
| Lyla Calaway (9) | 4 | 17:38.3 | ||
| Samantha Spicer (12) | 6 | 17:43.0 | ||
| Talia Ramirez (11) | 8 | 17:54.1 | ||
| Libby Day (11) | 12 | 18:07.4 | ||
| (Displacers) Macie Peterman (12), Madison Benton (9) | (16),(20) | 18:28.6, 18:45.8 | ||
| Southlake Carroll | 55 | Luna Gutierrez (12) | 2 | 17:29.9 |
| Megan Bergman (11) | 7 | 17:51.8 | ||
| Abigail Perez (11) | 10 | 18:00.9 | ||
| Grace McIlvain (11) | 11 | 18:01.1 | ||
| Nora Farden (9) | 25 | 19:14.3 | ||
| (Displacers) Lilah Gornell (12), Haley Badgett (12) | (26),(29) | 19:17.0, 19:27.4 | ||
| Keller | 72 | Julia Graves (10) | 5 | 17:39.2 |
| Sarah Darnell (10) | 13 | 18:13.1 | ||
| Victoria Pace (12) | 14 | 18:17.9 | ||
| Payton Ringleb (11) | 18 | 18:39.5 | ||
| Quinn Boneau (11) | 22 | 19:02.5 | ||
| (Displacers) Remi Sandlin (12), Yumi Desaram (11) | (24),(30) | 19:08.8, 19:42.0 |
Boys Results
If the girls' race was brisk, the boys' final was a full-on time trial, and the intrigue around Carroll's lineup paid off immediately. Caden Leonard (the two-time 6A champ and 2024 distance triple-crown winner) opened his season with authority in 14:29.0, four seconds faster than his early-season 14:33 from last fall.
Sophomore Kai Gutierrez erased any doubt about form with a career-best 14:37.2 for a seismic improvement from last year's 15:12 PB, while senior Michael Fuller slammed the door on the team title in 14:48.2 for third, another personal best and an improvement from last year's 15:31 on this course last year.
Keller countered with a superb front four, Boston Bowcutt (14:49.1), Anthony Abeyta (15:04.6), Heath Shiflett (15:12.3), and Austin Boto (15:12.5), that screamed "podium-caliber" beyond the district level.
Northwest Nelson answered with seniors Liam Bengtsson (14:53.9) and Owen Clagett (15:02.9), plus Rafael Ochoa (15:15.5), then kept the scoring train on the rails with Jackson Bellm (15:39.1) and Drew Holland (15:41.6).
The result: three teams under 15:19 average and all with sub-0:50 spreads. Region I is about to be wild.
The CCCAT No. 2-ranked Southlake Carroll clocked a terrifying 14:52 average with a 0:45 spread, aided by sub-15s from Leonard, Gutierrez, and Fuller and sub-15:15s from Claudio Auns (15:11.5) and Grant Norgart (15:14.1).
No. 7-ranked Keller looked every bit legit at 15:09 avg / 0:38 spread, exactly the kind of profile that scales to Old Lubbock Road. Byron Nelson advanced in third on 15:18 avg / 0:48 spread, a hardened, senior-heavy group that races like it has been in big fields, because it has.
Boys - Top 3 Teams (advancing to Region I)
| Team | Score | Athlete (Year) | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southlake Carroll | 25 | Caden Leonard (12) | 1 | 14:29.0 |
| Kai Gutierrez (10) | 2 | 14:37.2 | ||
| Michael Fuller (12) | 3 | 14:48.2 | ||
| Claudio Auns (11) | 8 | 15:11.5 | ||
| Grant Norgart (11) | 11 | 15:14.1 | ||
| (Displacers) Jaxon Glenn (11), Evan O'Donnell (11) | (13),(17) | 15:17.8, 15:35.3 | ||
| Keller | 44 | Boston Bowcutt (11) | 4 | 14:49.1 |
| Anthony Abeyta (12) | 7 | 15:04.6 | ||
| Heath Shiflett (11) | 9 | 15:12.3 | ||
| Austin Boto (11) | 10 | 15:12.5 | ||
| Cade Swan (11) | 14 | 15:27.5 | ||
| (Displacers) Ethan Wilson (12), William Washington (10) | (16),(22) | 15:33.3, 15:50.5 | ||
| Byron Nelson | 60 | Liam Bengtsson (12) | 5 | 14:53.9 |
| Owen Clagett (12) | 6 | 15:02.9 | ||
| Rafael Ochoa (12) | 12 | 15:15.5 | ||
| Jackson Bellm (12) | 18 | 15:39.1 | ||
| Drew Holland (10) | 19 | 15:41.6 | ||
| (Displacers) Jackson Brown (12), Ethan Muriel (9) | (25),(32) | 15:52.9, 16:06.7 |
Bottom line:
District 4-6A was fast, fearless, and clarifying. Carroll's ceiling looks every bit as high as advertised now that its stars are on the line, Keller and Byron Nelson are built for November, and the girls' trio of Nelson-Carroll-Keller brings the kind of averages and gaps that win in Lubbock-and can matter again in Round Rock.