Bridgeland
and Flower Mound engaged in a dramatic duel at the 2025 UIL 6A Girls Cross
Country State Championship meet. The two teams combined for 10 of the top 16
scoring runners in the meet. Bridgeland won the title with 38 points while Flower
Mound was second with 41 points. The difference between the two teams was
Bridgeland posting three runners across the line before Flower Mound had two
runners in the gates. The 2026 season should be loaded again with 11 of the 16
teams competing at the State meet returning at least five runners.
Top Teams
Bridgeland - Only return
three from the State title team, but Hope Smith, Kate Garrison and Brynlee Weston
provide a great baseline for the program. It appears they have some solid
reinforcements that will contribute this year, putting them right back in the
mix.
Flower Mound - They have an
even stronger top three than Bridgeland with Adeline Bennett, Liana Cluley-Garza
and Eliana Rivera who could all crack the top-20 at the State meet. Megan Schmidt gives them one of the top #4 runners in the state, so if they can fill
in one spot, they will be golden.
Katy - They finished third
last year, but with all seven runners back from that squad, they would be my
choice to win the whole thing in 2026. Vienna Fish and Kinley Skaggs each broke
18:30 on the State meet course last year while Lauren Acopa just missed the
mark. The strength of the team is the 1-5 separation but to really take the
next step, they need one runner to move into that upper echelon.
Southlake Carroll - They return
six runners from last year's fifth-place team. No true superstar runner, but
the top five averaged 18:45 at the State meet. This team could be primed for a
spot on the podium. Megan Bergman led the team with an 18:36.1 performance at
the State meet.
The Woodlands - On paper,
they are slightly behind Flower Mound and Katy. They have three returners who
will be fighting it out for that #5 spot behind Naomi Weller, Marta Linde,
Makayla Day and Madison Challis. A small bump up by any of the three waiting
will make this a very formidable squad.
Best of the Rest
Frisco Wakeland - Solid top
three, but needs improvement from the rest of the lineup to really challenge.
Keller - Similar to Wakeland
with slightly better top three, but slightly worse bottom four.
Northwest Nelson - An excellent top three puts them in the
running.
San Antonio Johnson - Consistency and health
will be the key for this talented squad.
The Woodlands College Park - Five quality runners give them a chance.
Top Returning Seniors
Adeline Bennett, Flower Mound, 3x
State qualifier, 4th in 2025, 4th in 2024
Remington Boone, Weatherford, 2x
State qualifier, 28th in 2025, 24th in 2024
Liana Cluley-Garza, Flower Mound,
2x State qualifier, 13th in 2025
Bess Davis, Keller Timber Creek, 20th
in 2025
Maya Easterwood, Coppell, 3x State
qualifier, 3rd in 2025, 3rd in 2024, 18th in
2023
Sophia Lopez, Stony Point, 2x State
qualifier, 12th in 2025, 15th in 2024
Sophie Peterson, Houston Memorial,
3x State qualifier, 10th in 2025
Eliana Rivera, Flower Mound, 3x
State qualifier, 21st in 2025
Hope Smith, Bridgeland, 6th
in 2025
Naomi Weller, The Woodlands, 3x
State qualifier, 11th in 2025, 18th in 2024, 26th
in 2023
Top Returning Juniors
Carlee Caraveo, El Paso Eastwood,
30th in 2025
Vienna Fish, Katy, 2x State qualifier,
14th in 2025
Zya Hoskins, McKinney Boyd, 23rd
in 2025
Olivia Laudicina, Lake Travis, 2x
State qualifier, 31st in 2025, 21st in 2024
Evangeline Williams, Wylie East, 2x
State qualifier, 7th in 2025
Top Returning Sophomores
Lyla Calaway, Northwest Nelson, 57th
in 2025
Haylee Hughes, Lake Creek, 3rd
in 2025
Marta Linde, The Woodlands, 39th
in 2025
Kinley Skaggs, Katy, 25th
in 2025
Kylie Vega, El Paso Eastwood, 8th
in 2025