The cross country team has run at five meets in preparation for district. Their first meet, they traveled to the Woodlands in Houston for a night meet, Friday Night Lights. The varsity boys took third place overall.

“It showed that our hard work in the summer paid off,” junior Connor Brooks said. “And it positively foreshadowed our season.”

The varsity boys have had runners finish in the top 25 at four meets, with the team taking second at Liberty Hill and Cedar Park and third at Friday Night Lights. Junior Suede Mora has been the top finisher for the boys, finishing in the top 10 at four meets, including fifth at FNL, eighth at Liberty Hill and Cedar Park and 10^th at the Islander Splash meet.

“[Liberty Hill] was bittersweet because we didn’t get first and lost to a district competitor, but we didn’t place as a team almost at all last year,” Mora said. “So coming off FNL with third and then getting second [at Liberty Hill], really got me excited for our district endeavors.”

The team has five meets under their belt. State champion Madie Boreman has finished in the top five of every meet, including winning the Liberty Hill meet (18:13) and taking second (18:42) at Cedar Park behind the Timberwolves’ Brittany Innis.

“She has improved a lot since last year and she competed with me at state,” Boreman said. “It shows me that I can still improve and get better.”

Coach Kelly Thompson is happy with the team’s success so far this season.

“[I feel] pretty good,” Thompson said. “I felt we had some good things happening on the boys’ side and I feel like the girls are starting to race like real upperclassmen with pride.”

The conditions at meets have ranged from hot and muggy to cool and rainy.

“The weather and types of courses we have endured so far are going to help us when we reach district because it is such a nicer course,” junior Savy Escobar said.

With district in two weeks, the cross country team is setting their sights on their main goals. This could mean a new addition to school history with the top three teams in districts will advance to regionals.

“We want to make it to regionals as a team for the first time in Rouse history,” junior Savy Escobar said.

The runners compete in one final meet at Westlake, Saturday, Oct. 12 before taking a week off prior to district meet, Oct. 25. The runners are familiar with the district course since Old Settler’s Park is also the home of the McNeil meet.

“Everyone is going to have to be on their A-game, no chance for any mistakes because we are one of the toughest districts in the state in 4A,” Thompson said.

MEET RESULTS

Woodlands Friday Night Lights, Aug. 30
Varsity Girls
3rd – Madie Boreman, 11:34.35
64th – Savy Escobar, 13:33.56
94th – Jessica Foster, 14:14.14
106th – Kenna Dekle, 14:44.15
111th – Stephany Rubalcalba, 15:24.13
 
Varsity Boys – 3^rd Overall
5th- Suede Mora, 13:49.52
14th- Connor Brooks, 14:17.51
25th- Mitchell Ballis, 14:32.44
37th- Nico Escobar 14:50.35
46th- Logan Zipkes  15:03.64
3rd Leander Rouse
 
 Liberty Hill Invitational, Sept. 7
Varsity Boys – 2nd Overall
8th – Suede Mora, 16:52.11
12th – Connor Brooks, 16:56.41
16th – Mitchell Ballis, 17:01.00
17th – Xavier Ramirez, 17:06.21
18th- Nico Escobar, 17:10.75
64th – Juan Fajardo, 18:45.61
68th – Luis Jovel, 18:59.94
92nd- Jahaziel Ramos, 20:16.07
118th- Juan Bracho, 22:09.66
 
Varsity Girls
1st- Madie Boreman, 18:13.13
11th- Savy Escobar, 20:07.13
17th – Jessica Foster, 22:07.88
30th – Stephany Rubalcaba, 23:27.01
 
JV Boys – 4th Overall
 4th – Tristan Bryant, 19:08.98
28th – David DeMarco, 20:11.18
31th – Brandon King, 20:15.52
36th- Zach Nobles, 20:35.32
38th – Robert Tinney, 20:36.37
43rd – Max Cannon, 20:47.12
53rd – Ariel Sosa, 21:12.11
56th – Vicente Villamizar, 21:28.69
85th – Tre Lua, 23:37.54
124th – Christobal Sanchez, 28:07.92
 
JV Girls – 4th Overall
8th – Courtney Hoffman, 15:25.77
11th – Makenna Ludwig, 15:35.27
25th – Cameron Wiese, 16;22.69
42th – Alexis Alvarez, 17:07.63
45th – Elizabeth De los Santos, 17:09.74
 
Cedar Park Invitational, Sept. 21
Varsity Boys  – 2nd Overall
8th- Suede Mora, 17:18.22
10th – Logan Zipkes, 17:23.59
11th – Mitchell Ballis, 17:26.11
16th – Connor Brooks, 17:44.03
21st – Nico Escobar, 17:56.76
 
Varsity Girls
2nd – Madie Boreman, 18:42.55
63rd –Savy Escobar, 21:34.40
144th- Stephany Rubalcalba, 23:40.61
182nd – Ana Silverio, 25:04.02
 
JV Boys
26th – Tristan Bryan, 19:11.55
164th- David DeMarco, 21:40.75
199th- Daniel Nieto, 22:14.56
238th – Jaran Adair, 22:56.48
283th – Juan Bracho, 24:07.60
 
JV Girls
38th – Makenna Ludwig, 14:43.08
79th- Alexis Alvarez, 15:24.71
87th – Samantha Lopez, 15:29.87
118th – Elizabeth DeLosSantos, 16:05.50
162th – Madison Mask, 16:49.75
165th – Lauren Mioton, 16:55.44
202th- Natalie Tedesco, 17:35.40
 
Freshman Boys  – 4th Overall
18th – Brandon King, 12:45.27                       
25th – Ariel Sosa, 13:01.15
44th – Xavier Ramirez, 13:38.69
57th – Austen Rose, 13:55.28
75th – Arturo Benitez, 14:30.80
102th – Brandon Dorsey, 15:43.40
114th – Abraham Tellez, 17:05.74
115th – Max Cannon, 17:09.20
 
Islander Splash Meet, Sept. 28
Varsity Boys – 5th Overall
10th –  Suede Mora, 16:40.9
21st – Logan Zipkes, 17:20.6
25th –  Connor Brooks, 17:26.2
27th – Mitchell Ballis, 17:26.3
87th – Nico Escobar, 18:38.2
112th – Juan Fajardo, 19:07.4
137th – Tristan Bryant, 19:32.4
 
Varsity Girls
3rd- Madie Boreman, 18:43.1
19th- Haley Timmons, 20:49.3
26th- Savy Escobar, 21:04.7
93rd-Jessica Forster 23:12.3
104th- Stephany Rubalcalba, 23:46.7
115th- Courtney Hoffman, 24:05.7
126th- Makenna Ludwig, 24:24.3
 
McNeil Invitational, Oct. 5
Varsity Boys
88th- Suede Mora, 17:21.6
112th- Logan Zipkes, 17:35.8
155th- Mitchell Ballis, 17:59.3
178th- Connor Brooks, 18:14.6
181st- Nico Escobar, 18:16
263rd- Luis Jovel, 19:09.4
274th- Tristan Bryan, 19:27.5
 
Varsity Girls
4th- Madie Boreman, 18:27.3
57th- Haley Timmons, 20:26.9
89th- Savy Escobar, 21:07.4
142nd- Stephany Rubalcalba, 22:27.7
158th- Jessica Forster, 23:04
171st- Makenna Ludwig, 23:30.7
176th- Courtney Hoffman, 23:50.8
 
JV Boys
35th- Brandon King, 19:46.3
51st- Ariel Sosa, 20:12.2
65- Robert Tinney, 20:26.4
128th – Charles Jones, 21:19.6
130th – Jahaziel Ramos, 21:21.3
136^th –  David DeMarco, 21:28.4
201st – Daniel Nieto, 22:43.2
205th –  Juan Bracho, 22:46.2
206th –  Sal Reale, 22:46.8
208th –  Zach Nobles, 22:49.6
323rd –  Justin Baker, 28:19.2
 
JV Girls
83^rd – Janice McLaughlin, 15:05.3
105th –   Sarah Warrenburg, 15:20.8
125th –  Kenna Dekle, 15:34.8
157th –   Cameron Wiese, 15:55.4
205th –  Ana Silverio, 16:34.9
299th –  Madison Mask 17:52.5
311th –   Mariah Gallegos 18:02.2