Brooks XC Championships

Presented By Fleet Feet 2025

For Leonard, the race came just one week after his impressive third-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, where he ran nearly 30 seconds faster than he did on the same course in 2024. Brooks XC marked his debut at Balboa Park, and unlike many who require a learning curve on the course's extravagant hills, Leonard showed remarkable composure and adaptability throughout the race. From the gun, the field charged through a tightly packed half mile in 2:20, with Leonard slotting himself into 10th (2:20.4). The sophomore precision of the front pack continued through the mile, reached in a controlled yet honest 4:49.6, Leonard again in tenth, steps behind leaders Marcelo Mantecon and Nicholas Mazzeo.

Behind him, the rest of the Texas crew positioned themselves strategically. Noah Strohman crossed the half mile in 17th (2:21.0) and the mile in 4:50.4, displaying the same measured aggression he used to win four UIL 3A titles. Ryder Strohman came through in 29th (2:21.7) and held close at the mile in 4:53.4, just five seconds off the lead. TAPPS talent Garza took the opposite approach, sitting in 50th, dead last, at both the half mile (2:25.2) and mile (4:59.6). Yet even from the back, he remained only 10 seconds behind the race leader, showing the deceptive compression of the early pace and setting up a dramatic climb through the field.

Texas Boys - Brooks XC Championships Splits & Results

By two miles, the race began its most decisive shift. Mantecon continued pressing the front in 9:50.5, but the West Region's Jackson Spencer closed the gap quickly. Leonard responded well to the acceleration, climbing into third (9:54.0) and showcasing the racing intelligence that has defined his postseason. Noah slipped slightly to 21st (10:08.8), while Ryder dropped to 45th (10:26.9) as the course's rolling terrain exacted its toll. Garza surged, however, jumping from 50th to 31st (10:16.5) with one of the most aggressive mid-race moves of the day.

Then came the final 1,000 meters-the heart of Balboa Park, and its hardest truth. The course's signature hill, climbed twice, is notorious for breaking rhythm and deciding championships. Leonard initially lost ground to Spencer and Mantecon on the steepest section, but with impressive poise for his first time on the layout, he regrouped and powered through the closing straight. Spencer ultimately claimed the national title in 15:10.7, edging Mantecon (15:10.9), while Leonard secured third in 15:18.4, completing a remarkable back-to-back national podium sequence following his NXN bronze. It was a defining moment in his career, proof that his strength and speed translate across both championship formats and on two of the most challenging courses in the country.

Garza continued his momentum in the final mile, picking off athletes all the way to a 19th-place finish (15:54.1), capping one of the boldest rallies of the day. Noah Strohman held strong to finish 27th (16:08.9), another solid national showing for the 3A star. Ryder Strohman battled through the late-race fatigue to stop the clock at 16:51.0, closing out a season that saw him rise into one of the top small-school runners in Texas.

Balboa Park has long served as a proving ground for Texas distance talent-a course where toughness often matters more than time, and where legends such as Reina carved the path forward. This year, the Texas quartet embraced that legacy. With Leonard's podium finish, Garza's dramatic charge, and the Strohman brothers' determined efforts, Texas once again stamped its influence on the final national stage of the season.

With Brooks XC complete, the 2025 cross country campaign officially closes, and attention now shifts to the 2026 track and field season, one that promises to be every bit as exciting for these four standouts.