Andrew Esparza (Round Rock) competes at the 2025 UIL 6A state championships
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The Brooks South Regional Championships arrive this weekend with a familiar feel, because while Brooks has taken over the title sponsorship from the historic Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, the essence of the meet remains the same. The South Region still stretches across a massive portion of the country, spanning Texas to the Atlantic, and sweeping in nearly every state south of the Mason-Dixon line. And as always, the stage is set at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the most iconic cross-country venues in the United States. The mission is unchanged: race for a coveted ticket to the Brooks Nationals.
While a handful of elite Texas athletes already secured Golden Tickets through their season-long performances, the Lone Star State is sending a deeper and hungrier group than ever. For those who narrowly missed the auto-advance list, Charlotte becomes their proving ground, a chance to battle the best from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and beyond.
Here are some athletes we'll be keeping our eyes on.
Girls
Macy Wingard, Denton Braswell
16:30 PR I NXR South Region Champ I 3X UIL 6A Champ
Wingard won the NXR South Championship just days ago to go with her third UIL 6A championship. She is a fast starter and has developed the knack for pressing hard the first two miles. Wingard qualified for Foot Locker Nationals last season from this course.
Evangeline Williams, Wylie East
17:36 PR I 7th at UIL 6A state meet I Hoka McNeil champ
Williams is literally going coast-to-coast. The California native will travel to the coastal state of North Carolina for the regional meet. The Wyle sophomore won the Hoka McNeil Inv. and was 7th at the UIL 6A state meet. Her 17:36 PR is from the Southlake 5K Inv. and she placed 53rd at NXR South.
Rowen Skinner, College Station A&M Consolidated
17:42 PR I 14th at NXR South I 5th at UIL 5A state meet
Skinner is running well and consistently over the 2025 season. She opened the year with a 17:42 on a difficult Brenham Hillacious course and ended with a fifth place at the UIL 5A state meet. She was 14th at the NXR South meet on Monday.
Micah Neal
18:11 PR I 7th at 2023 UIL 5A state meet
Neal is a former Aledo athlete and is an all-state runner on both the grass and track. She hasn't competed much this year, but this could be a race she excels at.
Lincoln Husbands, Midlothian
17:44 I 39th at UIL 5A state meet
Sofia Lauren Garza, Mission Sharyland
18:16 PR I 19th at UIL 6A state meet
Georgia Giesinger, Fort Worth Nolan Catholic
18:25 PR I TAPPS 6A Champion
Remington Boone, Weatherford
17:47 PR I 18th at UIL 6A state meet
Sophia Belcher, Grapevine Faith Christian
11:39 PR I TAPPS 5A state meet runner-up
Boys
Noah Strohman, Holiday
14:40 PR I 4-time UIL 3A state champion I 2-time NXN qualifier
We'll have to see if Strohman still races after qualifying again for NXN earlier this week. He was eighth at NXR South with a run of 15:00. He has three sub-14-minute races on the season and is the 4-time UIL 3A state champion. In 2023, Strohman ran 15:13 on the McAlpine Park course.
Andrew Esparza, Round Rock
14:55 PR I 6th at UIL 6A state meet I 10th at NXR South
Esparza is a star junior; we saw it coming during his sophomore season, and he forged it this year. He ran a 14:55 at the Coach T Inv. in September, then added 15:02 and 15:09 races in his final two attempts. He was 10th at NXN this week, narrowly missing out on an NXN qualification.
John Boland, San Antonio Antonian
15:11 PR I TAPPS 6A state champ I 17th At NXR South
Boland is another breakout runner having a fantastic season, and he can challenge the other South runners at Brooks. His 15:11 came at the Texas A&M Inv., he ran 15:15 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, AL, followed by a 15:38 at the TAPPS state meet. 15:44 is his slowest time of the year.
Armando Morales, La Feria
15:08 PR I 2nd at UIL 4A state meet
Morales completed his second runner-up finish season at the UIL 4A Championships. This year, it was only by .01 of a second, and even in defeat, he showed the heart of a champion. He can compete with anyone.
Ethan Garza, San Antonio TMI
15:16 PR I TAPPS 6A runner-up I 13th at NXR South
Garza is another outstanding junior on this list and is enjoying a fantastic season. His 15:16 PR came at Chile Pepper, and he won a race at Hoka McNeil to go along with several other big-time races.
Ryder Strohman, Holiday
15:30 PR I 2nd at UIL 3A state meet I 38th at NXR South
Strohman gets overshadowed by his twin brother (honestly, who wouldn't?). However, he is legit in his own right. His 15:30 is from the Southlake 5K Inv., and he went 15:44 at state, and he went 15:38 on Monday at NXR South.
Anthony Morales, La Feria
14:58 I 5th at UIL 4A state meet
Morales is a talented as his twin brother. He has been sharp all season long. He ran 15:30 at both Hoka McNeil and at the state meet. He races with toughness and can keep up with the front pack anywhere.
Grady Jenkins
15:05 PR
Wells Peterson, San Antonio TMI
15:30 PR
Rhett Hulin, McKinney North
15:18 I 15th at UIL 5A state meet
Juan Aguinaga, Edcouch Elsa
15:19 PR
Sean Gonzalez, Schertz Clemens
15:05 PR
Adrian Rule, San Antonio Christian
15:24 PR I TAPPS 5A state champion