There is 2.7% of the population that have run a 5k yearly. The Texas High Cross Country Team does it weekly. Every day they get up before the sun to run as fast as they can for as long as they can, which they do very well.
On Sept. 16, 2024 Texas High hosted their second home meet ever with a roaring success not only for the team, but for the program as well. Head Coach Danielle Aubrey scrambled for a solution after construction at A&M Texarkana created discourse with planning.
“A&M had to cancel our site due to the new construction infamous for the San volleyball pits,” Aubrey said. “After searching around town, spring lake park was the first place to: confirm we could host there and accommodate the size of the meet we were scheduled to have.”
Six full teams competed at the meet: the Atlanta Rabbits, Pleasant Grove Hawks, Arkansas Razorbacks, New Boston Lions, Magnolia Panthers, and Texas High Tigers. Alongside the athletes were Principle Ben Rener, Superintendent Doug Baker, Athletic Director Gerry Stanford, the Texas High Volleyball team, and countless parents in support of their tigers all to collaborate to make the temporary location a success.
“I’m hoping to have a permanent site for all future meets,” Aubrey said. “There was a miscommunication in our district to which week everyone would host, new coaches being hired over the summer, so I’m hoping to attract a bigger field of 5A schools.”
Even though the district competition was smaller, the meet was still an overwhelming success for the Texas Tigers. The Tigers took first place in 5A Varsity girls, second in Varsity Boys, first in JV boys, and first in JV girls. The Texas High Soccer team accompanied Texas Highs JV girls and secured the win for the team. Kelsey Head, a varsity soccer player, got the first overall win on the JV girls 2 mile.
“Our coach just makes us do it for soccer, I came out there with my friends from soccer, and we were there because they needed a full JV team,” Kelsey Head said. “So I thought like might as well go out there and try my best, and I ended up placing first.”
Lillyonna Ornelas is another first place winner in the varsity girls 5k with a time of 22:01:28 Her position was followed by a 1-8 place sweep for Texas High gaining all first 8 places. This win will carry confidence for the team to make it to regionals and one day state.
“It felt really good because my last season wasn’t the best,” Lillyonna Ornelas said. “I’m hoping that I can make it to regionals and state.”
In the three years Aubrey got appionted head coach she has progressed the team into something larger. Many athletes join the cross country team in order to create stamina for their later seasons, but most runner use it to pregress themsekves into track season.
“I just wanna represent the team more and give more effort,” first place winner in the JV boys 5k, David Burton said. “I’m ready for track season and doing better in cross country can make me get on varsity in track.”
