A cross-country tradition is steadily building in this area.
After the recent 2A regional meet at Lynn Creek Park over the weekend, that tradition grows as two Harts Bluff runners will advance to the state cross country championships.
Jose Garcia finished 26th overall in the boys race and Alexa Arzate finished 16th in the girls race. Both were among the top finishers not advancing in the team competition and both punched their tickets to the state meet. Arzate finished with a time of 12:58.72 and Garcia ran 18:43.40.
In the team standings, Harts Bluff finished ninth and Rivercrest came in 18th in the boys standings. The Harts Bluff girls finished 11th. Wolfe City claimed the boys’ team title and Hamilton claimed the girls’ title.
Harts Bluff’s entire boys team – Garcia, Prestyn Joyner (65th), Ryker Hamblin (79th), Ashton Onley (85th), Matthew Rowland (86th), Tristan Olvera (94th) and Irving Campos (100th) – all finished in the top 100. The entire Rivercrest boys team – Joseph Roquez, Paxton Anderson (108th), Colter Taylor (126th), Jose Bonilla (134th) and Ayden Bell (144th) – finished in the top 150, led by Roquez’s 19:12.96, good for 38th overall. Every runner representing both teams is either a freshman or a sophomore.
Three area runners finished in the top 100 on the girls’ side – Arzate, Perla Solorio of Harts Bluff, who finished 25th at 13:26.03; and Selena Kelley of Rivercrest, who ran 13:36.28, good for 78th. Harts Bluff ’s entire girls team – Arzate, Solorio, Kaitley Green (107th), Araceli Olvera (127th), Isabella Morrow (139th), Alma Ulayyet (142nd) and Liz Campos (159th) finished in the top 160 runners. Rivercrest’s Brooklynn Whitten finished 125th. Seven of the girls runners representing Harts Bluff and Rivercrest are sophomores or freshmen.
The 2A state cross country meet is Nov. 4 at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.