Head Coach: Justin Leonard
Assistant Coaches: Niki Gilley, Rachel Mahlow and Zach Sellers
Team Manager: Josh Chavez
Roster
BOYS
Reed Brown Sr.
Evan Dunkel Sr.
Nicholas Fernandes Sr.
Charlie Gardner Sr.
Nate Lannen Fr.
Enzo Mortimer Jr.
Connor Rutledge Jr.
GIRLS
Arianna Lopez Sr.
Sarah McCabe Jr.
Gillian Mortimer Sr.
Angie Reira Jr.
Sofia Santamaria So.
Catherina Tracht Jr.
Ali White Sr. br
About The Teams
In 2016, the Carroll cross country program added yet another chapter to its storied legacy as both the Dragons and Lady Dragons finished as the second-ranked combined team in the nation.
On the boys side, senior Reed Brown was the catalyst for the Dragons throughout the fall, and he finished off an impressive season individually by becoming the first runner in Carroll history — and first Texan since 1985 — to take first at the prestigious Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships. Brown's time of 15:01.08 at Balboa Park in San Diego, California, was nearly three seconds faster than the next closest competitor.
At state, Brown placed fourth after outpacing the competition to first at both the regional and district meets. Nicholas Fernandes also provided consistent scoring for Carroll with postseason finishes of 11th (state), 11th (regionals) and fifth (district).
For the Lady Dragons, Gillian Mortimer had a strong campaign. The senior finished 47th at Nike Nationals (18:45.0), narrowly missed the podium after settling for fourth (17:32.47) at the state meet, won bronze at regionals (17:49.42) and won gold at district.
Junior Catherine Tracht crossed in fourth at regionals, seventh at district and 57th at Nike Nationals, while Ali White finished 20th at state, eighth at regionals and fourth at district.
“We had a very good season. You always want to win, but you have to be happy with getting second. The competition is just so tight in Texas and there is no margin for error.” – Head coach Justin Leonard
Season Recap
The Dragons and Lady Dragons continued their traditions of excellence on the cross country circuit by overcoming sloppy conditions at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock to notch respective second-place finishes at the Class 6A State Championships.
It was a stunning 20th consecutive appearance at state for the girls and the 17th time the program has finished on the podium (with seven championships).
The boys, meanwhile, have now finished in first or second at state every season since 2010 (with titles from 2011-14).
Carroll's trek to Round Rock began with a successful preseason slate that featured multiple first-place finishes in early races. From there, the programs made their way out of the so-called “district of doom” that featured Lewisville ISD powerhouses Flower Mound, Hebron and Marcus and upstart Trophy Club Byron Nelson (District 5-6A) by sweeping first and later doing the same at the Class 6A Region I Championships.
Carroll's success didn't end at the state meet, however, with both teams upping their performances to first-place finishes at the Nike Cross South Regionals at Bear Branch Park in The Woodlands.
The Dragons would go on to finish 11th at prestigious Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon, while the Lady Dragons placed ninth.