The boys and girls cross-country team competed at the UIL 5A District 24 Championships Thursday morning at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park. Junior Julia Lentz was the only McCallum runner to qualify for the regional championship, placing eighth out of 40 runners in the five-kilometer race. The top three teams and top 10 runners from each division qualify to compete at the regional meet.
“I’ve been working for that moment over the whole season, so I’m glad to be qualified for regionals,” Lentz said.
Lentz’s varsity team finished just two places shy of a team qualification. Seniors Amalia Scatton and Tate Jones finished close together, placing eighth and 25th, respectively.
“This season went really well, but I haven’t hit a personal record this year, so I’m hoping to do that at regionals,” Lentz said.
The boys varsity team ran neck-and-neck against a new opponent, Bastrop, but could not overtake their third-place lead in the division. The top five runners from each team count towards a school’s overall score, which is determined by placement in a race.
Junior Waylon DeAtley was the first Mac boy to finish in the varsity division, finishing in 17:53.2 and placing 11th out of 40 runners, one place shy of qualifying. Crossing the finish line together, freshmen Liam Schelfhout and Corbin Anderson placed 17th and 18th, respectively.
McCallum’s junior varsity girls team placed third overall in its division, beating two new district opponents, Bastrop and Cedar Creek. Three runners earned medals for placing in the top 15 overall: freshmen Shiloh Hendrickse, Daisy Masters and sophomore Ivy Stone. Hendrickse finished at 24:57.5, racing to 10th place.
Sophomore Christian Paulson, junior Miguel Bosquez and freshman Said Sanchez placed in the top 15 of runners in the boys junior varsity division. Overall, the team placed fourth out of seven teams.
“Our race went alright, but it was pretty warm out, so I think that definitely impacted our performance,” Bosquez said. “I’m feeling confident for next season because we will use what we’ve learned from our last few meets and apply it to the future.”
The cross-country team has run in three meets since the season opener over the last few months, all serving as preparation for the district meet.
The Austin ISD Invitational last month was their first test for runners against new district opponents, Anderson, Bastrop and Cedar Creek and run on the same course as the district championship.
“The race is always a great way to learn how the other teams race and what to look out for as we work through our season,” senior Finley Dixon said.
The early morning five-kilometer races began with the varsity girls division. Freshman Cecililia Canul was the first McCallum runner to finish, placing 28th out of 117 runners. Junior Angelica Heikkala finished in 26:02.6 followed closely by Dixon, ending in 27:20.5.
“The course is always challenging, and there are a lot of hills,” Dixon said. “The heat is always a challenge and even though we race in the mornings, it adds an extra obstacle in our race.”
In the boys varsity race, DeAtley placed 33rd with Anderson and Schelfhout finishing close behind at 19:36.6 and 19:34.6, respectively.
Scatton, racing in her first meet in the junior varsity girls division earned a medal running 24:51.1. Masters placed 34th out of 193 runners, finishing in 26:50.6. Freshman Robin Jolliffe finished in 40th place at 27:01.3.
Sanchez and freshman Luca Stryk finished the boys junior varsity division, placing 57th and 76th. Junior Evans Thayer followed right behind Stryk, finishing in 77th place, crossing the finish line in 23:58.70.
The Hays CISD Invitational in September challenged runners against 6A schools. The meet, held at Five Mile Dam Park, tested runners against the heat with temperatures hitting 90 degrees for the morning races.
In the girl’s varsity division, Canul, Lentz and Heikkala were the first McCallum runners to finish, crossing the finish line within two minutes of each other. The boys varsity team finished with an average time of 18:54 amongst all seven runners. DeAtley, Anderson and Schelfhout were the first to finish out of their team in the division.
Masters, freshman Nora Murdock and Jolliffe crossed the finish line together in the girls junior varsity race, completing the five-kilometer course within one minute of each other. Also finishing within one minute of each other, Sanchez, Paulson and Stryk, timing in at 21:51, 22:15 and 22:48, respectively.
At the East View High School meet in Georgetown, the cross-country team had its final chance to race before their now-completed district meet. While most schools of McCallum’s district did not attend the meet, it was an opportunity to race against regional racers.
“Georgetown is always exciting to race at and it’s a little different from some of our other meets,” senior Hazel Trominski said. “The season has gone by very quickly and this meet is always a reminder that our races are almost done, but it is time prepare for our championship.”
With the conclusion of Thursday’s district meet, the 2024 cross-country season will only continue for Lentz who will make her regional debut in Huntsville in two weeks.
