One summer is all it took. Freshman Danny Madrid started running with cross country only a few months ago, but his high school career is already off to a fast start.

“I got into running because I love the sport, and the guys here are really great,” Madrid said. “I already had a pretty good experience with summer track so I wanted to give cross country a try.”

Despite his minimal running experience, Madrid made an immediate impact on the varsity boys’ team. He’s regularly finished as the No. 2 runner, behind senior leader Suede Mora. Known as the “father of the team,” and the team mentor, Mora has found Madrid has helped him keep going.

“When you’re at your most tired, and you can’t move on anymore, you always need someone there to help push you through the tough parts of the races,” Mora said.

Race after race, Madrid has stayed close with the senior. At the freshman’s first race of the season at Liberty Hill Sept. 6, he came in fifth, one second after Mora. A week later at Pflugerville, Mora finished second, and Madrid was only two seconds behind, taking third. At the Austin Westlake Invitational Oct. 10, Mora won the race, Madrid was third.

“I chose running because it’s really fun, and it keeps you in great shape,” Madrid said. “And the cross country team is a group of great people.”

Along with Madrid, there is another very successful freshman runner.

On the varsity girls’ team, freshman Helen Roddy has been keeping up with the team’s top runner, junior Madie Boreman.

“People already told me that when you get up to high school you’re going to be a pretty big threat to people,” Roddy said.

Roddy has a long history with running with seven years of experience. Even though track and running in general was more of a go to sport, she exceeded exceptionally in it.

“When I was little it wasn’t really my choice,” Roddy said. “But I wasn’t interested in anything else so track was the last thing left.

Like Madrid, Roddy stays close to the team’s leader. At her first race, Friday Night Lights, Aug. 29, Roddy took sixth, three places behind Boreman. In the next two races, Liberty Hill and Pflugerville, Boreman and Roddy finished with a 1-2 punch. At the Austin Westlake Invitational Oct. 10, they were second and third. Two weeks earlier at the Cowboy Jamboree, the Sept. 27 race at Oklahoma State, Roddy won the 6A race.

“As far as running wise she is really competitive,” Boreman said. “It’s good to have another girl on the team for support.”

Coach Kelly Thompson has seen the difference it’s made in this season. The boys have won two meets, Pflugerville and Austin Westlake and taken second at Liberty Hill. The girls won the Liberty Hill and Pflugerville meets and took second at the Cowboy Jamboree.

“They’re very big contributors to the program which is awesome,” Thompson said. “It changes the team dynamic instantly, they make us better right now.”

The team competes at district Friday, Oct. 24 at Old Settler’s Park.