Coach Tom Kennedy addresses his team before the 2025 UIL 6A Cross Country Championships
For the past five seasons, the conversation surrounding Texas UIL 6A girls' cross country has always begun, and usually ended, with Flower Mound. The Jaguars were the immovable force, the dynasty, the standard. They had won five consecutive state championships heading into 2025 and were eyeing a historic sixth. But at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock this November, a new name claimed the throne, the Bridgeland Bears.
In one of the most significant title shifts the state has seen in recent years, Bridgeland didn't just sneak past a vulnerable Flower Mound squad; they outright took the title in a year when Flower Mound was still excellent. The Jaguars put up 41 points, had an individual state title contender, averaged 18:07 as a team, and closed with a tight 56-second 1-5 split. In many years, that effort would have been more than enough. But not in 2025. Not with Bridgeland in the race.
The Bears, led by longtime head coach Tom Kennedy, were every bit the juggernaut that Flower Mound had been for years. With a team average of 18:03 and an impressive 49-second spread between their first and fifth finishers, Bridgeland scored a title-winning 38 points, a performance more reminiscent of Flower Mound's past dominance than what the Jaguars themselves managed on the day. It was as much a symbolic passing of the baton as it was a tactical and physical execution of a championship plan.
This wasn't an overnight rise. Bridgeland's journey has been a slow build, brick by brick, year after year. The Bears have qualified for the state meet seven out of nine seasons since the school opened in 2017. In 2024, they were state runners-up, finishing second to Flower Mound by a 47-81 margin and averaging 18:27. That group set the stage. In 2025, they stormed it.
Photo by Gabriel Nieland/MileSplit
At the front of Bridgeland's charge were three senior leaders who put their stamp on the top 10 of the individual race. Rowan Saacke finished 5th overall in 17:40.0, with Hope Smith (17:44.6) and Susana Rawls (17:59.9) close behind in 6th and 9th, respectively. The trio ran like a unit, no big gaps, no missteps. Just precision. Just poise. Just three Bears pushing each other like they've done countless times before.
Backing them up were senior Alexandra Montgomery in 18:23.1 and fellow senior Haley Hill in 18:29.2, rounding out the scoring five and securing the Bears' razor-sharp 49-second compression. Junior Kate Garrison (18:34.4) and junior Brynlee Weston (19:10.6) provided valuable depth, ensuring the team's success wasn't built on a shaky foundation.
Bridgeland's top three, Saacke, Smith, and Rawls, looked like a force from a fairy tale. They were "just right," like the three bears themselves. Their cohesion gave Bridgeland not only the low points necessary for the win but also the momentum and mentality that all championship teams rely on when everything is on the line.
And make no mistake, the stakes were massive. Beating Flower Mound in any year is a feat. But doing so when the Jaguars are still sharp, deep, and motivated? That's something else entirely. Bridgeland didn't benefit from a Flower Mound off-year. They beat a Flower Mound team that still ran a fast average and one good enough to win state. They didn't win because the standard dropped. They won because they became the standard.
| Pos | Name | Year | Cum Place | Time |
| 1 | Rowan Saacke | 12 | 2 | 17:40.0 |
| 2 | Hope Smith | 11 | 5 | 17:44.6 |
| 3 | Susana Rawls | 12 | 10 | 17:59.9 |
| 4 | Alexandra Montgomery | 12 | 22 | 18:23.1 |
| 5 | Haley Hill | 12 | 38 | 18:29.2 |
| 6 | Kate Garrison | 11 | 18:34.4 | |
| 7 | Brynlee Weston | 11 | 19:10.6 |
The credit belongs to a team that's been climbing, clawing, and carving its way into history for nearly a decade. Head coach Tom Kennedy has been the architect of this rise since day one, literally. The school opened in 2017, and Kennedy helped design Bridgeland's first uniforms and assigned the first lockers.
Before building a powerhouse at Bridgeland, Kennedy started his career as the track coach at Houston Christian in 2005, Beckendorff MS, and then Houston Spring Woods. All of that led him to Cy-Fair, where he led teams to six state appearances and two regional titles. His best success came in 2010, when his Cy-Fair team was second at state, only three points behind the winner Kingwood. Now, with two Region II-6A championships (2024 and 2025) and a long-awaited state crown under his belt, he adds a UIL 6A championship to his resume, one built on decades of experience and vision.
Even better for Bridgeland? This may not be the end. With three of their top seven returning in 2026, including Garrison and Weston, the Bears will enter next fall with something Flower Mound has known well for years: the privilege, and pressure, of defending a title.
This year, though, belongs to Bridgeland. To beat the best, you have to be the best. And on the biggest stage, when the lights were brightest, the Bridgeland Bears were the better team.