Race to the top

Following 1st and 2nd place finishes at the Nike Cross South race on November 21, both the girls and boys Varsity cross-country teams punch in their ticket to Nike Cross Nationals.

This comes just two weeks after both teams placed 2nd at the State meet, a feat head coach Justin Leonard attributes to the runners coming together during the summer and putting in miles.

“Our mindset going into the state meet was to leave it all on the course and walk away with zero regrets and we did that,” Leonard said. “You’re not going to win state every year, but our goal was to be a factor in the outcome.”

Nike Cross Nationals, or NXN, hosts the nation’s top 22 teams each year in a 5K race. Before crowds of parents, coaches, and college scouts, runners fight for the title of the best running club in the country.

“There is no better way to cap off a season than competing at NXN,” Leonard said. “I’m so proud of the team’s efforts and the amount of energy and time they pour into this program.”

Senior Kayli Jones said that the team used the state results to motivate them as they trained to qualify for Nationals.

“We were all pretty disappointed when we saw the results,” Jones said. “Our goal was to win, but 2nd in the state of Texas is not bad. When we stepped on that line at Nike South, we were racing for redemption.”

Teams battled muddy conditions and a tightly curved course at Nike Cross Regionals. Many runners lost their footing and fell before the first mile.

“I think the team responded well considering the circumstances,” Jones said. “We’ve trained in all sorts of conditions, so during the race nothing could hinder our performance.”

Led by junior Gillian Mortimer, the girls beat out 6A state champs Marcus for the title.

“We went out there knowing we were racing a truly amazing team,” Mortimer said. “We used it as fuel – racing with intensity and keeping a positive mindset.”

Junior Reed Brown took 1st in the championship race, leading the boys to their 2nd place title.

“We had a little more fire in us than usual from state,” Brown said. “We went in with a focused mentality and tried to close the gap on the Woodlands.”

This is the 9th year the girls team has qualified for Nationals and the 8th year the boys team has qualified.

“As a coach every year is different and each group is different,” Leonard said. “Our training remains consistent but your approach varies from year to year.  I’m really proud of our senior boys and girls and the leadership they displayed all season long.”

Nike Cross Nationals will be held in Portland, Oregon on December 5.

“We’re ranked pretty low going into the race,” Jones said. “Our goal is to prove them wrong.”